David Crowder Band - Give Us Rest Or (A Requiem Mass In C [The Happiest Of All Keys]) Album Reviews & Song Lyrics

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David Crowder Band "Give Us Rest Or (A Requiem Mass In C [The Happiest Of All Keys])" album

- Release date : January 2012 -

"Give Us Rest or (A Requiem Mass in C [The Happiest of All Keys])" is the final studio album by Christian modern worship band David Crowder Band. It was released on January 10, 2012 through Sparrow Records. The album consists of two discs and thirty-four tracks.

"Give Us Rest Or (A Requiem Mass In C [The Happiest Of All Keys])" album tracks and lyrics

"Give Us Rest Or (A Requiem Mass In C [The Happiest Of All Keys])" album reviews

The David Crowder Band's final studio album opens with the words, "Give us rest / We're all worn thin from all of this / At the end of our hope with nothing left / Oh great God, give us rest." It's an honest plea from a man who almost single-handedly redefined modern worship for the 21st century, which certainly was no easy task. But before stepping away from the microphone for good, Crowder showed exactly why he and his bandmates are in need of a rest, by creating an exhaustingly epic, double-disc album.

It's even got an epic title: Give Us Rest (a requiem mass in c [the happiest of all keys]). The album starts quietly, with gentle piano keys over atmospheric synths, but quickly turns to stadium-filling anthems that would inspire U2 or Sigur Ros. The energy levels rise and fall, each new crescendo more triumphant than the previous. And this goes on for a staggering thirty-four tracks. The over-zealousness of Give Us Rest is comparable to watching all three Lord of the Rings films in one sitting. It's epic, inspiring, breathtaking—and really, really long. As great as it is, there are times when you can't help but wonder how much more is possible.

Not unlike Frodo Baggins' tumultuous expedition, Crowder trudges through a lot of emotional and spiritual terrain on his last journey. He coos quietly with an acoustic guitar on "Why Me Lord?" but shouts his lungs out on "Oh My God." Styles range from simple country ballads a la Johnny Cash to electronic-tinged rock-outs that Family Force 5 would love. But at the core of this album, it is pure worship.
It's clear from the first track to last that Crowder is singing for and to God. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing these words from "Fall on Your Knees" at your next worship service: "He spoke and stars came out / He spoke and lightning flashed and thunder broke the quiet / He spoke and my heart, it burst to life / All this mystery divine / Fall on your knees / Forgiven and clean / Forgiven and free."

The music doesn't sound dissimilar to Passion, Chris Tomlin, or Hillsong, but the David Crowder Band has always stood separate from that pack of modern worship groups due to its eclecticism. Crowder himself is still a wild-eyed, crazy-haired Jesus freak, and his band can play anything from keytar or Theremin to scratching on turntables and even a Guitar Hero controller. And this imaginative use of instruments may be what fans miss most, even as they continue singing Crowder's songs in church services for years to come.

Give Us Rest sounds exactly as a "final album" should. It is a Mount Everest of worship rock albums, never to be topped. For over a decade, David Crowder created some of the most creatively inspired worship music in the world, and now he deserves his rest.

*** by Ron Augustine, Christianitytoday.com ***

Continuing the theme of A Collision, Give Us Rest deals with death and grief. It doesn't glorify the pain and sadness but the transition from this life to the next and calling on the Lord through our pain. Beginning the journey in a similar fashion to its counterpart is "Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis, Domine." There is no music, no poignant lyrics, only footsteps and the voice of a priest speaking in Latin. Within the last few seconds, a soft piano enters into the quiet atmosphere to transition to "Give Us Rest." With a mournful overtone the song laments, "O great God, give us rest… Have you seen this place, it's all a mess... Shine on in, bring these to dead bones to life." However, the overwhelming beauty begins to grow and declares that God does shine on us and bring us to life. "Come Find Me" builds off of this as Crowder sings of being brought to life. Musically, it contains a wonderful combination of acoustic and electronic elements, all the while not overdoing one over the other. On the other hand, "God Have Mercy" works the electronic sound full force and executes it with much delicacy. Listeners who began following DC*B after the release of Church Music are sure to appreciate this, however, it does not resound throughout the album.

Listeners who enjoy the original sounds of DC*B are sure to get their kicks from "Fall On Your Knees," "Let Me Feel You Shine," and "After All (Holy)." Each carries the ability to be used in a corporate church setting and for private worship as well, which is an excellent feat to achieve. However, for those who enjoy the experimental, theatrical and all-around different sounds that the band has delivered are sure to have a blast with the "Sequences." Each sequence contains a different style of music that is almost out of character for DC*B, but because of their knack for diversity, it's what makes it just like them. This portion, honestly, contains elements of death metal, gothic choirs, epic orchestral arrangements and blood curdling rock. Nevertheless, a true standout is the peaceful "Sequence 4;" the minimal amount of music and the beautiful lyrics simply saying, "God you came. My God you came down," make the song intimate, affectionate, and truly a gem amidst the art.

"Oh My God" and "I Am A Seed" are fraternal musical twins. They are united by a similar refrain but are very different in translation. The former begs for God to come near and to set us free, while the latter recognizes the freedom and knows that we're growing in the Lord. Also uniting them is the fact that they are rooted in bluegrass music--as are the wonderful tracks "Oh, My God I'm Coming Home," "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms/Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus," and "Jesus, Lead Me To Your Healing Waters." These are perhaps some of the most musically, lyrically and spiritually rich songs released by the band.

[...] Concluding the album is the simple "Because He Lives." There are no explosive drums, no climactic guitar solos, no phat bass lines, no awe-inspiring vocals; just a group of saints singing to Jesus, thanking Him for living. This is a true testament to who the band really is: a group of Christians that just want to worship their Savior. What could make it better? Nothing.

*** by Ryan Barbee of Jesusfreakhideout.com ***