Steven Curtis Chapman

Steven Curtis Chapman has done it once again. Raising the bar to stratospheric heights and surpassing even his own lofty perch (see 1999's brilliant Speechless), Chapman has recorded and released a rich pop masterpiece full of insightful and relevant material in the form of All Things New. While not an artistic or stylistic departure, Chapman has surrounded himself this time with a bevy of outstanding L.A. studio musicians. Given that and co-production duties he shares with the outstanding Brown Banister, Chapman's end product is a lushly textured sound that rides an ebb and flow of drama throughout the release's dozen tracks. The title track alone is one of the best songs and best-sounding songs that Chapman has ever recorded, a mini-epic that highlights Chapman's special power and passionate feel for music. A guitarist (and a fine one at that) by nature, Chapman actually bases many of ...

2004-09-21 - Sparrow