“We were never meant to
com-promise/Settle for mediocrity,” croons frontman Bart Millard on “Goodbye
Ordinary.” A cursory listen to MercyMe’s latest project confirms this is a
message the band has taken to heart. After enduring a couple years of personal
tragedy that colored its recent albums with a tinge of melancholy, All That Is
Within Me is, by contrast, an exuberant, defiant,
stand-up-and-shake-your-fist-at-the-devil, rock & roll worship album.
“Goodbye Ordinary,” with its
Beatle-esque opening, lush orchestration and in-your-face admonition to “Live
like there’s no tomorrow,” shatters preconceived notions of a band that only
makes mellow music. “Time Has Come” employs a thundering, classic rock backdrop
to restate the Scripture that “All things work together for good.” And the band
returns to its praise & worship roots with “You Reign,” a tune destined to
be covered by youth worship bands all across the country.
“God With Us,” a superlative, six-minute
marathon, may be the best cut on the album. With plenty of time to sink its
teeth into the song, the band delivers more emotion than on any tune since “I
Can Only Imagine.” Bottom line: All That Is Within Me is MercyMe’s best work to
date.
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Review By: Mike Parker