Over the last decade, Charlie Hall has become both a renowned worship leader and a voice for the lost, the broken and the unlovely. Last week Hall returned with the triumphant new recording The Rising, which debuted at No. 14 on the Top Contemporary Christian Overall chart.
Available on CD and digitally, The Rising was produced by bandmate Kendall Combes and as a whole was a collaborative effort with many of the songs co-written by the entire band. And it is on Hall’s fifth sixstepsrecords release, that he opens up about difficult struggles he encountered over the past two years wrestling through some rough situations in his life. However, Hall learned to put the battles behind him, and embrace God in every situation as he continues to move toward life, hope and faith.
"The journey of songs that form The Rising come from the pursuit of God in everyday life and God’s pursuit of us,” says Hall. “Much like the Psalms, these songs speak of the ascension to, and the embracing of God inside the intense, peaceful and mundane places in life and all of the emotions that fill those spaces. Written from the perspective of the prodigal, poet, pastor, devoted, and the Healer, the poetry and music in this collection of songs encompass devotion to a beautiful God, and the wrestling with our wanderings and the prayers that beg God to be engaging and moving in our beautiful and broken world.”
Hall senses a calling to those both inside and outside the church. Hall’s mission is to bring the message of hope to the lost, to free people and help break through the barriers so they can openly and freely talk to God.
Passion and sixstepsrecords founder Louie Giglio says, "Charlie Hall's passion to make the journey of worship and the healing found in Christ accessible to people inside and outside the walls of the Church is beautifully displayed on The Rising. This new collection of songs is not only musically alive and fresh, it oozes from its core the timeless message of the one who raises and restores our lives."
Critics agree with Giglio, as the raving reviews continue to pour in, proving The Rising is another successful recording from the Dove Award winning artist. See what others are saying below:
“The Rising counters his characteristic introspective brokenness with resurrected hope… Juxtaposing his more moody reflections with straightforward praise, The Rising's brighter perspectives have not dulled the worship leader's artful senses… sets Hall apart as a paragon in today's worship music scene.” 4/5 stars from ChristianityToday.com
“Overall, this is a sensational album! I enjoyed it a great deal. It’s exactly what I have come to expect from Charlie Hall and then some. He never disappoints.” 9.6/10 stars from ChristianMusicReview.org
“With an album like Charlie Hall’s The Rising, it’s nearly impossible to enjoy it and stay seated. So get up! Get with it!” 8/10 stars from Soul-Audio.com
“On The Rising, Charlie and his merry band of misfits explore deep questions raised by rubbing up against the world around them, urging listeners to embrace the broken in their midst and love others the way God would. Part album, part social justice message, The Rising is about restoration and reaching out as a form of true worship.”-Rhapsody.com
For more information on Charlie Hall, please visit www.charliehall.com.
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.)
Oct. 2, 2008 – sixstepsrecords artist and Passion worship leader Charlie Hall
is enjoying enthusiastic reviews from leading Christian music publications for
his fourth studio album, The Bright Sadness. Released Aug. 19, the
record, which looks at life amidst sorrow, has captured the heart and attention
of industry critics everywhere.
A collection of songs that
reflect his current journey, “The Bright Sadness,” according to Hall,
“comes from me understanding my ordinary human condition and my deep love for
Jesus and the life He brings. It is the accepting of my brokenness and that in
the world around me while never losing sight of Christ’s closeness, His free
fellowship, His redemption and compassion, His Brightness.”
What the critics are saying
about The Bright Sadness:
- “Hall
is… a worship artist in every sense of the term, offering some of the most
personal, progressive songs of praise to ever come from the Passion
ranks.” (ChristianityToday.com)
- “The
Bright Sadness is not worship music status quo. And that’s a really
good thing, for Charlie Hall has proven he is not simply a worship leader
but also an artist, one in the highest caliber.” (CCMMagazine.com)
- “Hall
has graced us with yet another fine disc of artistic, sophisticated and
limitlessly creative worship via the stunning The Bright Sadness.”
(Christian Musician)
- “The Bright Sadness…is one of the most intense
and passionate albums of the year.” (soul-audio.com)
- “This project is not just a typical worship record, it
is so much more…. The songs not only offer a fresh perspective but they
are deep enough to really make you think. Overall, this is an upbeat
effort that deserves attention. Give it a listen.” (AlMenconi.com)
Produced by band member
Kendall Combes along with David Hodges (Evanescence), who also produced Hall’s Flying
Into Daybreak (2006), The Bright Sadness delivers the band’s
signature modern worship sound paired with earnest, often very personal, lyrics
on songs. The album contains a number of songs that Hall and his band debuted
at the Passion Regional Events and on the Passion World Tour gatherings,
including “Chainbreaker,” “Mystery,” “Walk the World” and “You Are God.”
Charlie
Hall will take The Bright Sadness on the road this fall playing at
universities and churches across the country. For more details on the
following tour dates, visit www.charliehall.com.
10/1 Chicago, IL
10/3 Columbia, MO
10/4 Jonesboro,
AR
10/5 Little Rock,
AR
10/8 Newark, DE
10/9 Morgantown,
WV
10/10 Athens, GA
10/11 Lynchburg,
VA
10/12 Beaver
Falls, PA
11/11
College Station, TX
11/13
Albuquerque, NM
11/14
Colorado Springs, CO
11/15
Boulder, CO
11/16
Oklahoma City, OK
(NASHVILLE,
Tenn.)
July 11, 2008— sixstepsrecords and Passion worship leader/artist, Charlie Hall
will release his fourth studio album, The Bright Sadness, on August
19th. The record conveys life amidst sorrow and brokenness, reminding listeners
that the aching in this world is not detached from the bright, resurrecting
hope in God.
A
collection of songs that reflect his current journey, The Bright Sadness,
according to Hall, “comes from me understanding my ordinary human condition and
my deep love for Jesus and the life He brings. It is the accepting of my
brokenness and that in the world around me while never losing sight of Christ’s
closeness, His free fellowship, His redemption and compassion, His
Brightness.”
Produced
by band member Kendall Combes along with David Hodges (Evanescence), who also
produced Hall’s Flying Into Daybreak (2006), The Bright Sadness
delivers the band's signature modern worship sound paired with earnest, often
very personal, lyrics on songs like “My Brightness” which readily confesses: Well
I’ve been hit from every corner/ I’ve been thrown from side to side/ And I’m
cracked up on the inside so I come to you for life. Similarly, “Knit My
Heart” expresses Hall’s most heartfelt desire to be one with God: Knit my
heart to you/ I’ll dream what you dream and see what you see/ Knit my heart to
you, I will move in you and you move in me.
Hall
explains, “The human experience can be really beautiful or really messy,
sometimes at the same time. I try to take those experiences and put them into
prayers or statements of faith in terms that don’t deny the experience, but
views them through the constant reality of Jesus. “
Also
on the album are a number of songs that Hall and his band debuted at the
Passion Regional Events and the current Passion World Tour
[www.passionworldtour.com] gatherings, including “Chainbreaker,” “Mystery,”
“Walk the World” and “You Are God.” These and others fulfill his intent to “use
music to connect people to God, to give them prayers to sing, and words to use
in adoration.”
“Pushing
the boundaries of what worship music is and can be, The Bright Sadness
beautifully reflects the life-giver these songs applaud,” comments Louie
Giglio, sixstepsrecords founder and director. “As
the title vividly portrays, Charlie continues to write from that fragile space
most of us have come to know as life in a broken world. Yet, in the reality of
it all, Charlie always stretches us to lift our gaze and cling to the
confidence that God's love is shaping our steps and holding our hearts.”
“Charlie
Hall's refreshingly honest and compelling songs of worship have deeply
connected once again with The Bright Sadness,” says EMI CMG Label Group
President Peter York. “We at EMI CMG are blessed to partner in Charlie’s
journey as he speaks to a generation with an inspiring transparency that is so
rare in our industry."
The
debut single from The Bright Sadness, “My Brightness,” will go for adds
at all Christian radio formats on July 25, 2008. For more information on
Charlie Hall, visit: www.charliehall.com
or www.268generation.com.
If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?
I would love to visit Tokyo. I have been really intrigued by different cultures the last few years and have gotten to be in the midst of some different ones. Tokyo seems like an incredible place to see old culture and new culture merging together.
What's your most embarrassing moment onstage?
Ha, I have countless moments of deep embarrassment. I tend to talk off the top of my head, stream of consciousness type thing. A big embarrassment was a time we were playing in Boston. We were playing hard and a string broke on my guitar. No big deal, I laid it down and someone grabbed it to change the string. I led without a guitar for a bit, which is odd for me, but I forged ahead. The guitar was back by the first of the next song and I was relieved. I waited for a musical break, picked up the guitar and strapped it on. I lifted my hand to run my pick down the strings on the down beat in full rock and roll mode. Much to my chagrin the string had been replaced but no tuning had been done on the guitar. You would of thought a 3rd grader picked up the guitar and decided to play along with us. I just kept smiling and laid my guitar down again. You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be either a comedian or a rap artist. I'm only humorous when it isn't purposeful and I only have rhythm in my hands, which doesn't work very well for dancing while you rap.
What's one goal you have as an artist?
I have many goals but my main goal is to create thought and communication that people can use to pull in close to God and speak to Him. I want to free the heart to speak and sing to God.
What's one question you'd like to ask God when you get to heaven?
My assumption is that I will be soaking in all the wonderful things that God will be revealing to us. I think that one of the wonders of heaven will be that I will have no more questions. I am a wrestler in terms of my relationship with God and I ask him a lot of things. I always end up thinking of heaven and how it will all be downloaded in an instant - all questions answered. I guess if I'm pressed though, I would ask why He allowed certain things to go on down here.
reprinted from CCM with permission
Passion artist-worshiper Charlie Hall's new album, FLYING INTRO DAYBREAK, has released to a wave of passionately supportive media reviews. Journalists are calling the set Hall's best work yet.
ChristianMusicToday.com says, "Producer David Hodges (Evanescence) helps forge a fresher sound here for both Hall and modern worship in general—somewhere between David Crowder Band and Delirious. Consider ‘Song of the Redeemed,' which combines strong melody with an urgent electronic rock beat and intriguing production effects that recall Mute Math, yet the song remains conducive to group singing. ‘Micah 6:8' stands as a thrilling match of Scripture to prayerful rock, while ‘Bravery' and ‘Sum of Beautiful' work as poetic art pop resembling The Choir . . . FLYING is Hall's best effort to date, the rare worship album that succeeds in creativity, accessibility, and practicality for the church with equal measure."
Worship Leader magazine writes, "There are some artists that have such a breadth of musical scope that your first listen of their newest album is like a journey through nature—at any moment, there is a chance you will come across something majestic. Hall's FLYING INTO DAYBREAK is one of those journeys, and the payoff is outstanding."
Christian Retailing calls Hall's work "an example of excellence in modern worship."
TRu.dAT.music describes FLYING INTO DAYBREAK as "remarkable . . . combines a brash rock feel with brilliant pop touches and an overall heart for worship. The album proves to be Hall's best expression of his creative talents to date, definitely worth checking out."
Hall is currently featured on the Student Life Tour with pastor Erwin McManus and drama team All Things To All People and will also lead worship at the upcoming Thirsty 06 conference. For a complete list of appearances and developing news about FLYING INTO DAYBREAK, visit CharlieHall.com.
