In the early to mid-2000s, Hillsong United was the dominant force when it came to energetic and rousing church anthems. However, starting in 2010 Hillsong United switched to a more intimate and mature sound, which left a “pop” void in the Hillsong catalogue. In 2013, Hillsong introduced a new band called Hillsong Young & Free. Young & Free brought the youthful and pop ordinated sound back to Hillsong and caught the eyes, or ears of many folks. Two years later, Young & Free are back with their sophomore release called "Youth Revival."
If there is a theme to this record it's that of offering encouragement in difficult circumstances. Songs like “Trust,” “Never Alone,” and “When the Fight Calls” tackle struggling with life’s unknown, and offering encouragement to continue in the good fight.
The only (small) complaint of this album is the length of some of the songs. As routine Hillsong fashion, some of the songs exceed the 4-5 minute mark (2 are passed the 7-minute mark) While I understand that Hillsong is known for having long built up songs, it comes across stretched out sometimes, and I feel the message could be more powerful in a shorter length.
A lot of Christian artists try to mimic the current pop sound and it comes across dull or uninspiring. However, Youth Revival sounds fresh and takes the current pop culture and builds on top of it rather than try and settle beneath it. With this sophomore release, Hillsong Young & Free is an example of modern Christian music done right. I am eager and excited to see where they land next!