Six Steps Records has become the home of much of the “new worship” music. Artists like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and then, oh yeah, there’s Charlie Hall too. At least that’s been the trend. Hall has stood in the shadow of several of his contemporaries for some time now. But his new album presents him on the verge of finally stepping out with confidence on his own.

While not as immediately accessible as Tomlin or Redman, or as experimental as David Crowder, Hall nonetheless has proven to be both consistent and growing, continually pushing himself and his creativity.

Hall describes this album as “a little artsy, a little rocky, but accessible,” which is as good a summary you’re likely to find. Building on his knack for melodic experimentation, Flying Into Daybreak is a brighter, stronger outing. Focusing a bit more on the rock aspect, some of the songs hit slightly harder than previous outings, but still commend themselves to corporate worship adaptation. Hall takes the time to develop strong hooks and deep melodies, which helps to carry the listener consistently through, even as the songs themselves vary.

Guitar features a bit more prominently on this release as well do some of the electronic effects that artist like David Crowder and Mute Math incorporate for added depth. Daybreak very much comes across as a “rock” album whereas something like On the Road to Beautiful might have fit comfortably for some in the electronic realm.
Lyrically, the album falls squarely in the “modern worship” camp, focusing on explicitly Christian lyrics from a heart of worship, often directly quoting Scripture. For example, album opener Micah 6:8’s refrain of “Help us love mercy, Help us do justly, Help us walk humbly with you, God” is a near direct quotation. “Song of the Redeemed” cries, “We sing to You the song of the Redeemed, You beautified our hearts and made us clean. You’ve rescued us from death and set us free.” The album is very much an unapologetic worship album and, largely suceeds in lifting one’s heart by lifting one’s thoughts.

However, lyrics have often been one of Hall’s shortcomings. Not that the content is poor, it’s just often slight. As Christianity Today notes, “Most of these songs only amount to ten short lines of text.” Though Daybreak does see Hall expanding slightly, he largely sticks to the same pattern. He has a good use of words and I for one would like to see him expand on that a bit in future releases, using his skills to delve a bit deeper than simply a couple of lines of verse and catchy choruses.

Flying Into Daybreak isn’t a ground-breaking release. But it’s also not a disappointment. Perhap’s that’s what makes Hall so difficult to peg. He lacks the flair of someone like Crowder and the mainstream success of Redman or Tomlin. But he consistently proves himself consistent, turning out God-centered, musically strong material and this album is no exception. When you want something that will deliver God-centered worship with solid presentation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one as reliable as Charlie Hall.

• Read Christianity Today’s review.
• Visit Charlie Hall’s official website.