Phil Wickham Honors the Past and Looks Toward the Future on ‘Song Of The Saints’
Phil Wickham manages to simultaneously capture the echo of eternity and the sound of heaven on earth on “Song Of The Saints.” His latest endeavor seeks to both honor the past and incite eager anticipation for the future.
Alongside fresh originals, Wickham pays homage to songs that have shaped his own journey. He refreshes Rich Mullins’ “Awesome God” on No. 1 single “What An Awesome God,” and he reimagines 18th-century hymn “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” (shortened to “Wondrous Cross”), giving it a fresh refrain à la Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).”
With nothing but a heartfelt vocal and a B-3, he puts his stamp on Bill and Gloria Gaither classic “Because He Lives.” To close out the project, he even resurrects UNITED’s “The Stand,” a youth group favorite circa mid-2000s.
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The carefully chosen covers showcase Wickham as an underrated vocalist, but they also depict him as a grateful artist who recognizes he’s one in a long line of creatives who have contributed to a robust Church cannon. Revered as a modern-day David, Wickham stands on the shoulders of musical trailblazers who have come before him; and it’s obvious he doesn’t take that responsibility lightly. “Song Of The Saints” isn’t a project comprised solely of previously recorded inspiration, however. There’s plenty of fresh material to savor.
The “Living Hope” singer continues to fill his catalog with selections that purposefully establish his beliefs. In fact, “Song Of The Saints” is his third consecutive title track to divulge his personal creed. If you’ve been following Wickham for any length of time, you know exactly who he is and what he believes.
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He believes in the beauty of the afterlife, evidenced by emotive masterpiece “Homesick For Heaven.” He believes in God’s passionate pursuit of His children, displayed on poetic showpieces “Flowers” and “Running To A Runaway.” He believes in the Word of God, which he consistently references across songs like the pop-centric “Able,” inspired by Ephesians 3:20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
On “Homesick For Heaven,” as well as on “Miracle Maker,” Wickham namechecks a laundry list of Biblical heroes, whose testimonies illuminate the depth of God’s character and spotlight the inductees of a spiritual Hall of Fame in whose footsteps we follow.
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Upbeat originals like lead single “The King Is In The Room” and obvious hit “Resurrection Story” continue the SoCal native’s legacy of crafting timeless anthems the global Church can (and will) easily adopt. Album opener “So So Good” — a massive, arena-ready refrain — is another immediate standout sure to make its way around the world. Prior to premiering his own choir-assisted studio rendering of the song on his new record, Wickham dropped a version with Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship’s Chris Brown captured live during a stop on this year’s “Summer Worship Nights” tour.
Lake and Brown aren’t featured on the frenetic album edit, but even without his frequent collaborators, Wickham leaves it all on the proverbial stage across a recording that finds him losing his voice by the song’s end.
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Although there’s plenty of offerings that build on Wickham’s reputation as a premier worship leader, an underrated vocalist and an articulate lyricist, there are also a few moments of experimentation where the chart-topping singer showcases his ability to stretch and grow as an artist. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the hip-hop laced “What If I Told You,” an unexpected detour that reveals Wickham delivering spoken-word verses across an original that’s ultimately a creative presentation of the Gospel, complete with a prayer of salvation given by the late Billy Graham.
Whether listeners side with his tried-and-true formula or appreciate his sonic deviations, “Song Of The Saints” is another feather in Wickham’s cap, offering 16 tracks that meet people not only on Sunday mornings, but also Monday through Saturday. A consistent companion, the three-time GRAMMY®-nominee has a knack for crafting songs for everyday faith that sustain believers on blissful days and hard days alike.
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Just as the anthems Wickham tributes on “Song Of The Saints” have personally shaped his faith, he’s writing songs future generations will still be singing decades from now. “Song Of The Saints” is a unifying collection that rallies believers around this central idea: The melodies might change, but the message never does.
This fall, fans will get the chance to hear selections from “Song Of The Saints” live on the “Air1 Worship Now Tour” as Wickham hits the road with Charity Gayle, Josh Baldwin and Benjamin William Hastings. The outing will visit a dozen cities throughout October.
