The second release from the Passion worship movement's flagship label sixstepsrecords is Porch and Altar by Charlie Hall. Hall delivers a large sound with a classic rock feel wrapped around passionate, intimate worship lyrics. While the disc begins with an odd opening song, the sleepy "Make Straight," it goes in a different direction on the other tracks. "King of Glory" rocks, and "Once For All" is a horn-accented jam which starkly contrasts with the opening track. All of the songs are decent in their own right, but the order of the tracks seems strange with a stop-and-go feel that doesn't flow smoothly. "Make Straight" might have worked better at the end of the album rather than the beginning.
Porch and Altar has a unique sound, fusing old and new styles, rock and acoustic guitars, vintage and futuristic keyboards, and raw, live textures with tight, clean production by Trent Austin. There are some wonderful horn parts and string sections, and while some of the lyrics are repetitive, they are easy to learn. The album is sonically pleasing and lyrically relevant. "Salvation" is a highlight with its heavy, arena-filling guitars juxtaposed with synth arpeggios and power drums. It also features a searing guitar solo that is not usually prevalent on a worship album. "Holy Visitation" was also heavy on the guitars in a very effective way.
Even though his style is unique in the worship space, Hall leans toward elements of Petra or Third Day on some tracks and maybe a little Phil Keaggy on others. The sound is totally contemporary yet firmly rooted in the Vineyard-style acoustic worship that the Passion movement embraces.
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Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Olin JenkinsAfter the Passion projects Better is One Day, The Road to One Day, and One Day Live, audiences will certainly be anxious to hear Porch and Altar. While this recording is not a continuous worship project, it's a group of individual recordings that are unfolding a clearly defining, yet still-in-progress style for Charlie Hall. Don't expect "Better is One Day," "The Freedom Song," or the same guitar…Similar sounding releases
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