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Album Review :
 The City Harmonic - I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)

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Artist: The City Harmonic

Album: I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)

Label: Kingsway

Release Date: October 18th, 2007

  1. Yours
  2. Spark
  3. Mountaintop
  4. Fell Apart
  5. Wake Me Up
  6. Be Still, O My Soul
  7. I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)
  8. La Reve
  9. Love
  10. Holy (Wedding Day)
  11. Benediction
  12. Manifesto (Radio Edit)

The City Harmonic is set to release their debut full length “I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) October 18th 2011. The band blends a lot of classic worship elements with brit rock creating a great sound. At first impression, I can see the similarities to bands such as U2, The Afters, and even a bit of Mumford and Sons.

One thing that is great about The City Harmonic are the vocals and how they blend well with the music.  A lot of bands, especially worship bands, pick out the best singers but do not write based on the style of voice the singer contains.  The arrangements on “I Have a Dream” all fit for the most part with the singing.  The tone of the vocals remind me a lot of the clean tones of Bono mixed with the grittiness of Mumford and Sons.  Melody wise, the voice style kind of makes the melodies seem more original then they really are.  More standard pop melodies but the way they are sung gives them power.

Musically this album reminds me of something that hymn writers would write with a modern touch.  The City Harmonic use some great progressions featuring a good multitude of seven chords and every once in a while borrowed chords.  Adding some diversity that worship albums sometimes lack.  Obviously the music is written to worship God but as a music consumer it is nice to hear some different sounds. It is not the most original but the musicianship is good. The vocals add a lot to the diversity also.

When it comes down to lyrics, I try not to judge to much based on the bands. For the most part lyrics come from a writers personal standpoint mostly stemming from personal experience. Who am I to judge if it does not pertain to me.  But it is different when the lyrics come from a worship type band.  The focus is writing based on scripture and the right doctrine. Then mixing in originality with prayer to get the message that Jesus Christ died and rose again to save His people out to the world.  “I Have A Dream” is very well written.  References to scripture such as 1 Corinthians 13, Psalm 46:10 and various others are spread through out the album while passing along the message that we are free from sin and the world.  And though some of these themes can be considered cliche, the band writes around the cliche and makes it sound like a brand new song.

Songs that will certainly make your hair stand most likely will be “Yours”, “Holy (Wedding Day)”, and “Love”.  These are all songs that I would not be surprised to hear in churches everywhere in the next coming months.

Overall: The City Harmonic have put together a great album. From start to finish every song is full of worshipful content that not only will get listeners to raise their hands in praise but glorify God the way that He intended. Full of great melody and great lyrics and good music, “I Have A Dream” by The City Harmonic is sure to be an album that will make a few cycles in CD players and MP3 players everywhere.