Godblog

Stand

I’m really enjoying Stand, the latest from Michael W. Smith. I’ve long been a fan of Smitty, having begun listening to him when I was a teenager with The Big Picture. You can certainly tell that Smith has matured musically, lyrically, and spiritually through his career.

He says in the jacket:

Stand was a unique project for me to record. I felt that there was a very specific message that I wanted to communicate, but, to be honest, I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be. So I just did what I do—I started to play music. I spent hours in my studio recording everything that came to mind. I found myself at church being captured by a worship song that I saw affecting people. I started writing with some friends and sharing my vision of this project with them. And slowly, through this process, Stand began to take shape.

As individual songs started coming together, I became aware of a consistent message. Stand became a collection of songs about hope, forgiveness, and God’s amazing grace. Stand isn’t so much a “call to action” as it is a “call to respond”. As we daily understand more about His immeasurable love for us—we stand in awe of the One Who gave it all.

The album opens with the up-beat and thankful “Cover Me” (iTunes Store link). “Open Arms” follows, and get Journey’s version out of your head. “Come to the Cross”, the album’s first single, is part of that “call to respond” Smitty mentioned, holding out the hope that no matter what, you can come to the cross.

Tell it in the Savior’s ear
Cast away your every fear
Only speak and He will hear

Hallelujah, everyone
Everyone can come to the cross
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done
Everyone can come to the cross

What an awesome image of hope!

“How to Say Goodbye”, despite being somewhat sorrowful, is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Maybe because it’s just Smitty and the piano, with some soft strings, and I love songs that are stripped down that way. “Be Lifted High” is a modern hymn, written by the talented Leeland Mooring, who shares co-writing credits on some of the album’s other songs.

Smith covers Keith Green’s “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful”, and makes it his own. I keep listening to it over and over and over. It segues perfectly in to “Grace”. Again, these are two songs which are very stripped down, making them very appealing personally.

Thinking about the entire album, it is for the most part “stripped down”. While different songs have different assortments of instruments, there isn’t any case where there is more than is required. This is a sign of Smitty’s maturity as a composer, and it causes several of these tracks to shine, since nothing is getting in the way of the message, of the song itself. There is a musical simplicity in the album, which says a lot about Smith’s humility, considering how talented he is as a musician. It’s clear this is not about him, but about Christ.

“The Stand” is just such a simple song, with only two stanzas of lyrics, but they are very powerful in Smith’s capable arrangement. “Come See”, as the title implies, is a song of invitation, of Christ offering rest, freedom, and grace, in arms open to all. “In Silence” is a toe-tapping motivator, and the album closes with the seventies-ish “Escape Your Love”.

At many levels, Stand is not Smitty’s best album, but I don’t believe that was his intention. It is a great album, and accomplishes its mission in not only welcoming those who are seeking, but calling Christians to remember to always look to the One they call Savior.