Chris Redman

FaceDown

Perhaps no other artist has made a more substantive contribution to the modern praise and worship movement than U.K.-bred Matt Redman. Having led numerous Passion conferences and written contemporary church mainstays such as “The Heart of Worship” and “Better Is One Day,” Redman is a leading light in an enduring ­­— albeit congested —genre.

On “FaceDown,” his first all-live project, Redman offers a wellspring of experiential selections focused on reverently exalting God. Produced by Nathan Nockels (Watermark, Passion), the album was recorded at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., during a Christian songwriters’ conference.

While he doesn’t till much new soil musically, Redman does cultivate some fresh thematic terrain. Consider “Dancing Generation,” augmented by a bevy of supporting vocalists, on which he speaks of dancing for the Lord “because of Your great mercy.” Elsewhere, the disc’s ethereal title track conveys the appropriateness of adoration from a prostrate position, while delicate cut “Pure Light” explores God’s absolute holiness.

Sonically, the album’s brightest moment appears on “Nothing but the Blood” (not the traditional hymn in melody or verse), a six-and-a-half-minute anthem that compares favorably with “Better Is One Day” in terms of dynamic likeability. Also, the much-too-brief “Lead Us Up the Mountain,” tracking at less than 90 seconds, contains the set’s finest harmonies, thanks to the audience’s wholehearted contribution.

Yet, for all its merits, as a whole, this album sounds less impressive than Redman’s earlier efforts. Whereas his erstwhile projects yielded numerous extraordinary songs, many of the tracks found here seem simplistic and subdued. Sure, the guitar-driven melody on “Mission’s Flame” and ambient rhythms of “If I Have Not Love” are pleasant enough, but absent are the intensity and memorable refrains of classics such as “Blessed Be Your Name” and “Let Everything That Has Breath.” Redman is an extremely gifted songwriter, yet the mild uplift experienced on “FaceDown” provides merely a glimpse of his true talent.