Scott MacIntyre has come a long way from his days on season eight of American Idol. Not only has his already amazing voice improved significantly, but he has, with the release of Lighthouse, released one of the finest worship albums of 2014.
Musically, there is a lot going on – piano, guitars, drums, strings, synth, bass, etc. – and vocally Scott MacIntyre has never sounded so good. Add in some excellent Christ-centered lyrics, and BAM, you have an amazing album that fuses together various genres, that on paper shouldn’t work too well – singer/songwriter, pop, worship, and even light rock. But they do!
Lyrically, it doesn’t get much better – thought provoking and inspiring all the way.
“I wanna love and let go of my fears,
I wanna be the answer to somebody’s prayers,
I wanna see the world the way you do,
And be a light so others catch a glimpse of you.”
from “Sacred Space”
Musically the album sounds like Casting Crowns with hints of Newsboys, Hillsong United, and Audio Adrenaline thrown in for good measure. But Lighthouse is not a rip-off album by any means, as Scott has a distinctive and unique sound all of his own.
This is a big album, and as I listened I thought to myself that most of the songs on this album could easily be used on movie soundtracks – some of the tracks reminded me of soundtrack songs of the 1970’s, especially the piano driven tracks.
Standout tracks on the album include “Sacred Space”, “Through the Eyes of Jesus”, “Remarkable”, and the title track, “Lighthouse”. However, if I’m honest, all the tracks on this album are excellent.
Lighthouse is a beautiful and inspiring album, an authentic worship album that not only points to God as being The Way, The Truth, and The Life, but also edifies believers and tells them…
“Not just a number in line,
You are unique by design,
You’re an image of the divine.”
from “Remarkable”
Scott MacIntyre has a great voice and a worshiper’s heart, and Lighthouse is a standout release in his career. All that’s left for me to say is, if you like honest and real down-to-earth worship that can inspire you to walk out your faith, then check out Lighthouse.
Written by Christian St. John