Louder Than The Music

Ian Yates - Mystery

Artist:

Ian Yates

Title:

Mystery

Type:

Album

Released:

03 Apr 2020

LTTM Rating:

Readers Rating:

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Review

Ian Yates, a Christian worship leader and songwriter from Liverpool, UK, has released his fifth album 'Mystery'. On this record Yates wrestles with the mysteries of life, loss, disappointment, grief, and faith whilst trying to embrace the tensions surrounding us.

Yates says "Some of the songs are for believers and leaders who have been serving and sowing for many, many years. For those who may have grown tired or a little cynical through the challenges of life. My prayer is that these songs bring hope, peace and lead us to the heart of worship and wonder."

Ian has again teamed up...
Read More Ian Yates, a Christian worship leader and songwriter from Liverpool, UK, has released his fifth album 'Mystery'. On this record Yates wrestles with the mysteries of life, loss, disappointment, grief, and faith whilst trying to embrace the tensions surrounding us.

Yates says "Some of the songs are for believers and leaders who have been serving and sowing for many, many years. For those who may have grown tired or a little cynical through the challenges of life. My prayer is that these songs bring hope, peace and lead us to the heart of worship and wonder."

Ian has again teamed up with producer Trevor Michael (Snow Patrol, Matt Redman, Martin Smith) for what 7Core Music believes to be an album full of depth and maturity that will speak to hearts, souls and minds, proving Ian Yates to be one of the UK’s greatest worship wordsmiths.

As an album this is Ian's most stripped backed music to date. I first heard snippets of the album via the singles released, which I thought were breathtaking. The song 'Loved By You' is beautiful, and I am not ashamed to say it left me with a tear in my eye. The song is not only thought provoking, it's also heart-breaking, honest and feels so personal to Ian that at times you kind of feel this guy is laying everything on the table. But you also feel like you could be saying these words, that this is 'my' song. The musical side of the song, in many ways, is very straight forward and acoustic - but this for me is where the song's strength lies, it more than leaves space for the heart and passion that is flowing out of the words to be passionately sung by Ian.

The song 'Forgiven' is the most upbeat track on the album. The style goes back to some earlier sounds that Ian has made, but it's the clean sound that is the draw. As with other tracks on the album, which are all about clean and fresh lines, this song is the same but more upbeat and positive, both musically and lyrically. The songs and the music have been stripped back to as close to bare minimum as possible without losing the songs' power. Doing that with an upbeat song isn't easy but of course Ian has made it look so easy with this track.

The song 'The Unknowing' has a haunting piano and dramatic start that leaves you with goosebumps. It then soars with electric drums and synths towards the end, adding an extra layer of brilliance to a wonderful track. The song left me with a tear in my eye, at first I didn't really listen to the lyrics, I just let the song "be", and it led me to tears. Could this be the right song for this time?

This album is much more than just a collection of singles, it is worth looking as this album as a whole, each song as intimate and powerful as the next but for me I would like to point out the songs 'Lead Me' and 'Only You' as being standout tracks.

As an album this is something very special. Ian Yates has made and produced his most honest and most raw album ever, you can hear his pain, his cries and his prayers in his vocal delivery. Add to that some really powerful lyrics and instruments and you have a truly remarkable album. Ian Yates has set the bar high, so high with this release, if you're looking for intimate acoustic music with feeling, then this album is a must get in 2020.

Review by Jono Davies

LTTM Rating 5 Out of 5 Stars
Standout Track
Lead Me
Loved By You
The Unknowing
Only You

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