Music Review: Jesus, Coming Light
Jesus, Coming Light
1517 Music
November 2021
Jesus, Coming Light is the latest offering from 1517 Music. 1517 is a publishing and media house founded and led mostly by Lutherans that “create and distribute theological and apologetic resources anchored in the central message of the Bible: that Christ died for sinners and rose for their justification.”[1] 1517 Music debuted this year and their first offering was a live album, Here We Still Stand, that includes a spirited rendition of For All the Saints. These four songs form an Advent EP and listeners will find it to be a good addition to their seasonal music rotation.
The Advent EP begins with an original hymn written by Shelly Schwalm followed by three seasonal classics that retain the character of their original melodies with special arrangements from a collection of 1517-affiliated musicians. The musician you hear the most from on this EP is Blake Flattley. Flattley is a singer-songwriter who also serves as a commissioned minister of parish music in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Flattley’s voice is the one you hear over the electric guitar work of Steve Zank. Zank is also credited with mixing the album and is a co-producer with Flattley. Bass, drums, and horns round out the musical ensemble that brings together the worlds of hymnody and Indie rock. Flattley’s personal touch is felt on that particular intersection. When he lived in New York you could find him leading hymns by guitar in a local church on Sunday morning and then see him singing at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side later that night.
The listener may pick up on two things that I feel are central to the compositions in this EP: the first is that the songs are eminently listenable. The EP is just under fourteen minutes and will complement any holiday party. The second thing that the listener will pick up on is that the arrangements are singable. Again, this translates well to holiday parties but also the parish—maybe even a parish holiday party. The song that stands out on this point is the title track by Shelly Schwalm. The hymn’s originality is what makes it first stick out but it’s accessibility is what will make you play it on repeat. This is a brand new Advent hymn that is accessible to musician and layperson alike (and at no cost).[2]
Oftentimes when singer-songwriters release original holiday songs alongside the classics you can get an awkward alignment with the Christmas canon—which turns out to be an impossible task—or, you can be treated to something irrespressibly campy. Jesus, Coming Light avoids both pitfalls. This is a seasonal fit and it isn’t campy. The EP is well done and approachable. While that doesn’t sound like too much to ask, this twin concept seems to escape many Christian artists.
Ultimately, the music’s approachability leads the listener to its christocentricity. Because the music is listenable and singable the lyrics are able to give a clear proclamation of Christ. I can find myself singing along, appreciating the melodies, and discerning that this project guides me to Christ. What more can you ask of Advent music?
Stream Jesus, Coming Light.
Notes
[1] See https://www.1517.org/about
[2] See https://watch.1517.org/music/
