Sounds like … the combined artistic talents of worship leaders like Jason Morant and Ten Shekel Shirt, and a modern resembling Delirious, Matt Redman, and Chris TomlinAt a glance … not as tired or overdone as other worship projects, p40.3 is a strong collection of the most promising, up-and-coming worship artists and songsTrack Listing- Forty
- Chasing
- He Reigns
- We Lift You Up
- Love Song
- Take Me to the Cross Again
- Unashamed Love
- Perfect Picture
- Pleasing
- Majesty (Here I Am)
- At the Foot of the Cross (Ashes to Beauty)
- Who You Are
When it comes to modern worship, critics typically favor the likes of Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, or their other Passion contemporaries. Not much attention is given to Integrity's Vertical Music. Blame it on market saturation of worship music or inadequate marketing on Vertical's part, but the label is still responsible for some of the best modern worship in recent years, including knockout debuts from Kathryn Scott, Jason Morant, and Michael Gungor, in addition to other established notables like Ten Shekel Shirt and Lincoln Brewster.
Worship Project p40.3, inspired by Psalm 40:3, is the latest Vertical offering-a multi-artist project showcasing a sampling of the label's emerging talent. Featuring Morant, Lamont Hiebert (Ten Shekel Shirt), Glenn Packiam (Desperation Band), and Dave Lubben, the album is not particularly groundbreaking either in style or the way it's arranged. It's the quality of the performances and the new life infused into the tracks that make it so appealing. "He Reigns" (by newsboys), for example, is given an organic, almost tribal feel, while Morant and Hiebert's fresh take on U2's "Forty" stands apart from previous covers.
But the real strength is in the originals by Vertical artists. Hiebert and singer Abby Merkel take Morant's "Love Song" to new anthemic heights, while Morant himself does a respectable job with Glenn Packiam's "We Lift You Up." Morant also beautifies Hiebert's "Unashamed Love" like never before, and Kathryn Scott's gorgeous "At the Foot of the Cross" is given a tender, small-group reworking that should earn it a place in more church repertoires.
It's this malleability that ultimately makes p40.3 an attractive listen and resource for those wanting to assimilate fresh material into their worship repertoires. The album's website has free chord charts to all the songs, and the enhanced portion of the CD includes a video on how to play a couple of them. While it's harder to pull off the stadium-rock of Passion at your local church, p40.3 gives you the tools to do it, whether you choose to lead or be led into worship.
