|
 Relevant Worship is an organic collective of musicians from various towns and cities scattered across Western New York who've come together to create modern Christian music appealing to teens and twentysomethings who love God and want to express that with honesty, fervency and passion. Known throughout the United States and Canada, Relevant Worship is actually the result of two former rock bands, Elektromat and Adelaide, deciding that worshiping God was more important to band members than just putting on a good rock show.
At the heart of Relevant are two brothers, Chris and Anthony Hoisington, who come from a missions-oriented Christian family raised in the Assemblies of God tradition. But these boys aren't sticking with a particular denomination. They're bent on breaking down walls and building bridges among people, with a focus on pursuing Christian unity among denominations-- to that end, Chris leads Sunday worship at a Wesleyan church and Anthony does the same at a Methodist church. They're also interested in bringing together people of different races, so when they released their latest CD, Anthem of the Redeemed, they picked a black Gospel opening act, and the crowd in attendance was quite diverse as a result.
There is a certain soulfulness to Relevant's music, though in general the band manages to appeal to a mostly suburban, white fan base. On Anthem of the Redeemed they combine pop, rock, folk, and country melodies, creating a musically potent mix of songs including the radio singles “Oceans Wide,” “Lift Our Hands In Worship,” and “Sing To You.”
Lead singer Chris Hoisington sounds like a combination of Mat Kearney (“Nothing Left To Lose”) and Adam Duritz from Counting Crows (“Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” “A Long December”) with his strong baritone voice. His brother, Anthony, handles lead vocals on some songs. Meanwhile, Suzanne Bonifacio and Jen Shepard provide female vocals on several of the songs, though they're rarely in the forefront, utilized mostly to add flavor to the male voices and encourage the ladies in the audience to feel welcome to sing along.
Most of Relevant's songs are meant to be sung en masse, and while the guitar-heavy band is known for their U2-like live shows, that “we're all in this together” worship experience translates really well to CD. Much like Casting Crowns or Hillsong United, Relevant sounds best when there are hundreds or thousands in the crowd singing along. Indeed, Anthem of the Redeemed makes a lot of sense as the title for the CD, as that particular song is anthemic in nature, and will most likely have lots and lots of people jumping up and down, pumping their fists in the air, and shouting at the top of their lungs when its presented from the stage at venues like Kingdom Bound, a huge Christian music festival in Upstate New York where the band has become a popular mainstay.
While driving anthems suit Relevant well, it's always a treat when they mix it up a bit with a sound that veers off the straight-and-narrow pop-rock path. “Lift Our Hands In Worship” turns out to be the highlight of the entire CD because it combines a Hawaiian luau feel using a warm guitar lick along with a bluesy, alt-country beat, and comes across like a hug from a loved one. “Lift Our Hands In Worship” is the kind of song where everyone in the audience will end up raising their hands in the air, swaying to the gentle beat as they sing along with Chris as he lovingly proclaims, “You are the one I love, creator of my heart.”
Two other stand-out songs on Anthem of the Redeemed include “Beautiful Grace,” which starts off with what sounds like an upright piano in a living room and “Live For You,” which the band labels as their “Country” song on the disc. Chris, the lead singer, counts Emmylou Harris among his many influences, and he and his brother, who serve as principle songwriters for the band, often draw on their varied musical influences when they come up with new material, keeping things fresh.
Relevant Worship is a band that's always growing and changing, and Anthem of the Redeemed is worship music that truly is relevant.
To hear Relevant's music, click here. You may also call 716-998-8617 to book the band or get their CD-- and tell Matt that Mark Weber sent you. |
