Pat Barrett’s self-titled solo worship debut overflows with memorable, easily reproducible corporate anthems for the church. It’s everything a follower of his previous releases (with Housefires, Grace Midtown, & Unhindered) & fans of Chris Tomlin could hope for, & more.
Featuring both a number of the ‘greatest hits’ from his previous Housefire projects, & at it’s core, the same raw “live in your living room” approach, the songs both new & old are given new life with light production flourishes around the edges, walking that thin line between “organic” & “polished” in a way that feels perfect for these songs.
The highlights are many.
“Info Faith I Go” is a beautiful, confessional song, with an immediately gripping chorus melody, & refreshing phrasing.
“The Way (New Horizon)” is the obvious first single, uplifting, & catching from the opening note. This would be an obvious Sunday morning pick: the lyrics are profoundly Biblical & vertical, & the melody is effortless and memorable.
“Better” is my personal favorite, sharing all of the winning characteristics of “The Way,” but with a disarming spontaneous, quiet moment at the song’s end. I cannot wait to lead this!
“Build my Life” is one of the most popular Housefires songs, but here the song shines even brighter, set aflame by the crisp production & the subtle the notable electric guitar work. Again, I cannot wait to lead this, too.
“Hymn of the Holy Spirit” is an excellent modern hymn of the faith, vertical, & confessional – the chorus is part bold proclamation & part prayer, & altogether lovely.
“Sparrows & Lilies” is like Pat channeling James Taylor, & though maybe not ideal for Sunday-morning singing, it’s an encouraging listen that’ll leave a huge smile on your face.
“Sails,” featuring Bethel worship leaders, Stefanny Gretzinger & Amanda Cook, is the song that will likely stick with me the longest from this release. An ideal special for a duet or trio to use an as altar-call, don’t be surprised when the whole room rises to their feet to join in, loudly singing “Let out the sails of my heart – here I am, here You are!”
“Over half of these tracks are highlights?”, You may ask. Yes – yes they are. In fact, this whole release is a highlight, & likely stands as my family’s favorite worship release of 2018 so far.
