CD Review: Change Is Coming (Joseph Habedank)

Those of you who subscribe to Singing News might have seen a rather curious ad a couple months ago. It said something along the lines of "Change Is Coming April 30th—Daywind Records." I couldn't help but wonder what that meant. I soon found out that it was a reference to the CD I am reviewing today, which is by that title and was released by four-time Singing News Soloist of the Year (among other awards), Joseph Habedank. Before I review the songs on this CD, I would like to point out that Joseph co-wrote all of them. Moving right along...

1: Thief in the Night—This opening track is mid-tempo, funky, and in a minor key, which is a really neat combination. This song is a thought-provoking lyric about the return of Jesus, and Joseph actually released it as a single prior to releasing the CD. He also gets to show off a bit on this one. :) The melody really reminds me of "Pray While You Wait" by the Old Paths, although these two songs are very different stylistically. This one is a super fun listen either way!

2: Change is Coming—The title cut, this one is thematically similar to the previous track. It also talks about Jesus' return, but it concentrates more on how, when Jesus returns, he will end all the corruption and trouble that we currently face on the earth. The encouraging lyrics of this song, paired with its upbeat contemporary style, make for a very pleasurable listen!

3: Religion Isn't Working—Joseph also released this song as a single before releasing the whole album. The gist of this song is that legalism doesn't work. The first verse says, "Religion isn't working anymore," which, in the context of the rest of the song, I would say means that religion has never worked. Perfectionists like myself can't hear this reminder too many times.

4: Jericho—This song looks at the fact that God can deliver you from situations and circumstances that seem hopeless, even those that you might want to hide. This song is midtempo and also has a progressive style. As you might expect, the bridge references the Bible story in which Israel marched seven times around the walls of Jericho before the walls fell, delivering Jericho into Israel's hands. Another fun listen!

5: 24 Hours—This one is probably Joseph's most transparent song on the recording because it talks about his past struggle with addiction. If you are not familiar with Joseph's testimony, you can hear it here. If I had to pick a single favourite song from the recording, I'd say this one is it. It's much slower than the previous songs, which is appropriate given its message.

6: Child of the King—Nope, this is not the Cindy Walker one, although you probably guessed that since I already said Joseph wrote all the songs on here. ;) This one is more upbeat and is also progressive in style. Much like the other song by this title, it talks about believers' identity in Christ, which is so important to understand and is another message that I need reiterated to me many times. Who I am is who Jesus says I am, not what I do right.

7: Judas—In this song, Joseph ponders how Judas betrayed Jesus and wonders what he would have done in the same situation, but states that "...the only difference is that I believe." This is a really interesting perspective and one that I think drives home the point of the last track, even though these songs deal with completely different topics. Don't ever forget that, no matter what you've done, God still loves you and, if you're truly repentant (and that's really important), he wants to forgive you and welcome you into his family. This song is another standout.

8: Rebel with a Cause—This is a super creative look at how the Pharisees looked down on Jesus because he broke all their "rules." He certainly wasn't what anyone expected a king to be, and the Pharisees sure didn't agree with him on much of anything, but it was for a reason: to die on the cross and rise again after three days to forgive the sins of mankind. The second verse mentions the redemptive nature of this mission. The lyrics on the bridge are worded in a particularly cool way, but I don't want to spoil it for you, so you'll have to listen to the song yourself! ;)

9: Not Far From Home—Pulling back the tempo again, but not the contemporary style, this thoughtful lyric prompts us to remember through the trials of life that this world is not the end. Christians will inherit heaven one day, sooner than we realize. Another encouraging lyric, not to mention that key change is really cool!

10: Rise Above Eden—Another interesting perspective to close off this CD. This thoughtful lyric reminds us that, even though Adam and Eve sinned long before any of us ever existed, we shouldn't just use that as an excuse to keep on sinning. We should remember, too, that this isn't the end of the story and that Jesus died and rose again to pardon us. Super thought-provoking and a great closing song for this fantastic CD!

Well, I can certainly say that I think this album was worth all the suspense that its ad caused! :) From the fun and bouncy songs to the slower and more contemplative ones, all of the songs on this album are thought-provoking, grounded in biblical truth, and bound to inspire you in some way or another! Whether you need some encouragement or just want some great music that reiterates Scripture, this album delivers!