Band: Burgundy Road
Title: When I’m With You
Label: N/A
Release Date: March 2009
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
01. Raise Your Voices
02. I Am The Love
03. When I’m With You
04. Wake Me Up
05. Song Of Grace
06. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
I had this friend in elementary school whose mom would always cut the crusts off of his sandwiches. To me, that was always really weird. I know she had good intentions, but when a kid opens his lunchbox, he’s looking for lunch… not finger food for a ladies’ tea party. A lot of what passes today as modern worship is just like that. It’s been so sanitized and industrialized that you can barely find any heart underneath the layers of gloss and polish. Sure it sounds pretty, and sure it’ll make some high-up label exec a bucket-load of money, but somewhere along the way it lost something.
Enter Burgundy Road, a 5-piece out of Bastrop, Texas, that goes a long way in breaking the mold of today’s production line worship experience. You’ll find a pleasantly familiar sound; somewhere along the lines of Rainchildren meets Chasen. But what really stands out most is the heart behind the music. You really get the feel that these guys aren’t in this to be rock stars. They honestly love God and their music shows it. Mellow, articulate, and full of passion.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some or all of these guys led worship somewhere. I’d say they have a knack for it… but, giving credit where credit is due, it’s that they have the gift for it. Even on this EP, a number of the songs are tailor-made for audience participation. And the songs are catchy enough to accomplish it. Particularly “Song of Grace”. Each time I listen to that song, it makes me think of a sea of raised hands… crowds led in worship.
Musically, most of what you’ll find on this 6-song EP is piano-heavy rock with a focus on praising God. Everything is well executed and well mixed. Burgundy Road would be right at home sharing the stage with the likes of Abandon or Telecast.
Lyrically, as you could probably have guessed by now, Burgundy Road is spot on with powerful messages that urge the listener into a deeper reflection on what God has done in their life. Accomplishing it without sounding syrupy or formulaic. Take the aforementioned song, “Song of Grace” for instance, “this is a song of grace / of sins erased / and guilty men set free / it is a song of hope / where flesh and bone / were crucified for me / it is a song of peace / where royalty is where my burdens are laid / it is a sacrifice / a song of life / where Jesus paid my way”.
You certainly don’t have to ask these guys the ‘Christian band or Christians in a band’ question. Which is refreshing. (I’ll save that topic for a staff blog sometime if I ever let myself off the leash.) It’s obvious that they love God and live with a desire to praise Him through the music that they make. Almost as important, is the fact that their music is geared toward ministry. Not only encouraging fellow believers to worship… but reaching out to a lost and dying world. I found a number of testimonies from young people that had given their lives to Christ as a result of God moving through Burgundy Road. There is no greater accolade that I could add to that.
Overall: Burgundy Road makes great music with a great heart for worship. And, hey, the closing track is the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” How cool is that? I love that song. Long story short… if you’re fired up about God, you’ll love Burgundy Road. If you’re luked out and apathetic toward God, you need Burgundy Road. Peace.
www.myspace.com/burgundyroadmusic