Chris Tomlin See The Morning (Special Edition) Sixsteps Records Praise & Worship 09-26-2006

SCORE 85%

Whether or not you're a morning person, it's pretty breathtaking to see the sun rise over a field or hillside. You can see all of nature take its first breath of the day, watch the light stretching over the land as it wakes, and listen to the world around you come alive to face a new day. There's something special about each morning and if you're tuned in properly, you get a sense of renewal. It's a refreshing thought to realize that each day begins anew and, at least for this moment in time, we can breathe easy and take in the glory of our Creator.

Chris Tomlin is no stranger to sharing his thoughts on God's glory. In fact, over the past few years, Tomlin has become almost synonymous with modern worship music. Sweeping the GMA Music Awards this past year testified to the reach and acceptance of his songwriting and there aren't too many churches left that haven't sung at least one of his choruses during their worship service. With all this momentum, Tomlin's latest album, See the Morning, has quickly become one of the most anticipated albums of the year. And it doesn't disappoint.

See the Morning finds Tomlin using a very similar approach to the writing and recording process as he in the past. Therefore, the eleven-track album captures the same sound and passion that listeners and fellow worshipers have come to love about Tomlin's music. There's plenty of "church" anthems for the coming years on the album, including "How Can I Keep from Singing," which opens the disc with a message of a joy and praise that cannot be contained in light of God's splendor, "Everlasting God," which offers encouragement and reminds us to wait upon and lean on the Lord, and "Glorious," which Tomlin has been performing as part of Passion. Also in the mix are a few ballads, including "Glory in the Highest" and "Uncreated One" as well as the edgier worship tune "Let God Arise" to balance things out. The highlight of the album is found at the very end, with a reworking of the classic hymn, "Amazing Grace," that allows Tomlin to bring the song to life once again.

Fans looking for the next breakout worship hit a la "How Great is Our God" may walk away empty handed, but See the Morning is another fine example of modern worship from one of the finest worship songwriters of our time. There are plenty of catchy melodies, memorable moments, and endearing tracks on the album to help listeners see the Lord as they experience See the Morning.