Mark Schultz releases his 5th studio project.
Platinum selling, and Dove Award winner, Mark Schultz is back with his 5th studio release, 'Come Alive.' On his new release Mark brought on board several of his songwriting friends including, Matthew West, Mercy Me's Bart Millard and Barry Graul, Joy Williams and Bernie Herms (Natalie Grant, Avalon), who is also one of the releases' producers along with Shaun Shankel (Beyoncé, Hilary Duff), Paul Mills (Third Day, Bluetree) and Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Third Day, CeCe Winans).
With so many different hands in this project things could have turned into a chopped up mess fast, but the talented artist and producers all worked well together resulting in a release that flows seamlessly from song to song.
Like he's done on past albums Schultz pulled on real life experiences for the song's subjects. One of those real life experiences was pulled on for the tear jerker, "He Is." The piano driven, melodic track, centers around a girl named Payton Cram, who had cancer, and had come to one of Mark's concerts. He got to know her better and was inspired by her mature ability to handle the cancer. Instead of blaming God, she accepted that it was put in her life as part of a greater plan.
Also around the same time Mark learned from his wife about a missionary family whose fourth child was born on a Friday and on Sunday they found out the mother had terminal cancer. The family had the philosophy that, "Well, we can’t praise God on Friday and curse Him on Sunday. We have to trust that He knows what's going on." That's the whole message behind, "He Is," that God doesn't change He's the same, no matter what problems we have to face in life.
Another poignant song found on the album is, "What It Means to Be Loved." The song was inspired by a conversation that Schultz had with his wife. She told him that see thought that they should adopt kids with special needs, ones that doctors know are only going to live for a year or two. Mark replied, "Honey, why would we do that" and she answered, "Because, before they go to heaven, I want them to know what a great Christmas is like and what a great birthday is like and let them know they were loved well before they get to heaven."
The rest of the songs found on, 'Come Alive,' have a similar philosophy that in both life's greatest joys and toughest challenges we need to acknowledge God's hand in it and know that He's in control.
My favorite track from the release is the first one, "All Has Been Forgiven." This song has an upbeat pop style of music complete with rousing electric guitar parts and deals with the peace that comes from living in God's mercy and grace.
'Come Alive,' is a collection of ten very well done contemporary pop songs that at times will have you smiling, while at others a tear will be rolling down your cheek. In the end the message is one of hope, that no matter what you face in your life, as long as God's in control of your life you don't have to fear anything.
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