Like so many Australians, I’m not a religious person. I flirted with becoming a Junior Soldier with the Salvation Army when I was a kid, but I think that ambition was driven more from a desire to play the tambourine than any deep-seated faith. Today I only go to church for weddings, christenings, and funerals. I identify as agnostic, not quite prepared to dismiss the idea of a higher power completely but fairly ambivalent about the whole religion thing.
So it felt a little strange this morning to make Let Us Adore Him, the debut album from Perth folk-rock worship act All the Kings Men, my soundtrack. This is a band that sings proudly about their faith. There are none of the vague references we hear in the songs of crossover acts like Creed and Amy Grant. Their numbers don’t pose as conventional love songs. They sing proudly about heaven, sins, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. There’s something really powerful about hearing an act that owns its beliefs and doesn’t try to package them to the mainstream.
I found something to enjoy in most tracks, although there were a few standouts for me. “Hope of the World,” set to the familiar tune of “Amazing Grace” is inspired. The rousing “Depth of Mercy” had me tapping my toes and bobbing my head to the beat. “I Will Walk With Him” is a really special moment. With only a single voice and an acoustic guitar, this stripped back number compels you to hone in on the words.
All of the Kings Men are a really accomplished group of musicians. Their harmonies are gorgeous. I loved the great organic sound of these songs, driven by acoustic guitars, drums, and handclaps. While I couldn’t necessarily relate to the songs of Let Us Adore Him lyrically, the passion and joy behind them struck a chord with me. It doesn’t matter what inspires those emotions; to me they’re the cornerstones of some inspirational music.
Let Us Adore Him is available for free download from CDBaby.