Multiple award-winning singer/songwriter Jeremy Camp and his powerful voice bring an edgy, organic touch to "Everything," "Tonight," "What It Means," "Feels Like a Little Time," "Let It Fade," "Give Me Jesus," "No Matter What," "I Am Nothing," "When You Are Near," "Beyond Measure," the title track, and more!

GO AHEAD, MAKE YOUR DAY…STAY

A little bit of worship, a sprinkle of pop, some rock for good measure and a lot of heart. This pretty much sums up Jeremy Camp’s fourth studio project, Beyond Measure. The new album reveals a more sensitive Camp. The brokenness of Stay has been put to rest. You can hear the resolve in Camp’s passionate vocals. Yet, the honesty that propelled him to the top—his sales already exceed 1.7 million albums—is still evident on every cut. And, while worship music isn’t the genre that Camp is directly associated with, there isn’t a better word to describe the lyrical integrity that invades all 12 tracks. Worshipful rock is what defines the majority of the work on this release.

While the bulk of material is more mid-tempo than the abundance of rockers on Restored, the mellower side of Camp burns through as his heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics serve as a personal testimony of God’s work in his life.

Definitely his most revealing album to date, Camp’s private life shines through like never before, especially evident in the title track which serves as a quaint portrait of life with his wife, fellow recording artist Adie, and their two daughters. Camp sings, “The fog has finally cleared to see the beautiful life You’ve given me/I feel the breeze in my newborn’s gentle breath/With one, two walk hand in hand/We share this life that You have planned/Like a storybook with dreams that are meant to see/Every next step is an extraordinary scene…” Perhaps it is the personal nature of these songs that gives birth to fresh maturity. Camp’s growth as a songwriter and a vocalist is evident, and the production is tight with credits going to Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Jars of Clay) and Aaron Sprinkle (Kutless, Hawk Nelson), among others.

Lead single “Tonight” is a cohesive rock number that finds Camp at his best, while the stinging grittiness of “No Matter What It Takes” follows suit with heavier guitars, easily making it the most aggressive track on the disc. Overall, however, the album is reflective with smoother, mid-tempo beats sometimes soaring to huge crescendos as in “Feels Like” where breakers crash with a swelling of hallelujahs to cap off the song.

“Let It Fade” is reminiscent of Jeremy’s debut single, “Understand,” his trademark falsetto suddenly taking the life-size rocker and placing him in the shoes of Keane. “Take A Little Time” is similar to Stay’s “Right Here,” yet showcases Camp’s warm vocals and growing worldview with a message of helping others. Both songs are testaments that his overall sound hasn’t changed, yet this body of work is much more eclectic than previous efforts—a departure from Restored, where one song seemed to melt into the next.

“Give You Glory” has an irresistible hook with a collective chorus that would mix well right alongside tunes from Chris Tomlin or David Crowder. But, through the assorted mix of genre-spanning songs that Camp manages to cross, the real gem lies in the simplicity of the album closer, “Give Me Jesus.” Although Adie provides background vocals on several tracks, the pureness of her voice entwined with her husband’s brings a reverent aura to the hymn-like piece that will have you hitting the repeat button in sustained reflection again and again. Camp sings the simple words with such conviction, one can’t help but believe…“You can have this whole world/Just give me Jesus.”

Fans of Camp will surely not be disappointed with this stalwart effort. Rawness prevails with Jeremy’s honest questions, prayers, doubts and weaknesses laid bare. In the end, the outpouring of the album seems to stem from an incredibly thankful heart. Gratitude permeates the entire project. And, with a successful career, a smart, beautiful wife and a growing family, it’s clear Camp certainly is thankful…beyond measure.

LINDSAY WILLIAMS- CCMMagazine.com

http://www.christianbook.com/jeremy-camp/beyond-measure/pd/CD72327

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_review

__USERID__

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/ask_and_answer

• Genre >> Contemporary
• Genre >> Rock
• Music >> Full-Album CD
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search

I'm the author/artist and I want to review Beyond Measure CD.