In the Company of Angels: A Call to Worship

by

Caedmon's Call

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With all the worship-oriented albums that have been hitting the shelves lately, it didn't take long for Caedmon's Call to cash in on the trend with their own worship album, In The Company of Angels. But what sets this album apart from other worship albums? Well, rather than recording a bunch of worship songs we've all heard a million times already (e.g. "Lord I Lift Your Name on High", "The Heart of Worship", etc....not that these are bad songs, mind you; they're just way overdone), Caedmon's Call brings us a collection of mostly original material, such as the bouncy single "Who You Are" and the uplifting "We Delight". There are also a few old hymns with updated music, such as "Thy Mercy" and the stirring "Laden With Guilt". Adding to the worshipful ambience is the inclusion of two live tracks, including the recent worship hit "God of Wonders" (this time without Third Day's Mac Powell). So what sets this album apart from other Caedmon's albums? Well, the fact that this is a worship album is obvious; these are songs directed straight to God, whereas Caedmon's is usually best known for lyrics on a more personal level. You won't find any of the Aaron Tate- or Derek Webb-penned songs which made up the bulk of their previous albums, but the lyrics are just as poetic and thought provoking as ever. (There is even a song called "Oh Lord Your Love" which is partially written by the late, great Rich Mullins.) Musically, Caedmon's has really gone back to their folk roots, backing away from the more produced sound of their last album, Long Line of Leavers. One of the most stunning songs on this album is the closing track, "The Danse", which features Caedmon's signature vocal harmonies as well as a Celtic-flavored folk sound. Altogether, In The Company Of Angels is truly a unique worship experience, and no fan of Caedmon's Call or praise-and-worship music should be without this CD.

I love Caedmon's Call, but this CD doesn't cut it. Unlike previous efforts from Caedmon's Call, this CD comes off very popish, which is probably why it is getting so much radio play. There is not much on this CD that is new or inspiring. The fact that they chose to record yet another version of "God of Wonders" for this release makes me believe that they are simply running out of things to record.

With that being said, the one exception is the song "Thy Mercy" which I found to be a good diversion from the dryness of this CD and a return to previous efforts from the band. I hope future efforts can return to the styles of 40 Acres and Intimate Protrait.