Dan Macaulay

In the vein of fellow worship leader/pop artist Phil Wickham comes the modern worship songs of Dan Macaulay on his new EP, The Listening. While Macaulay’s vocal tends toward the raspiness of Michael W. Smith (not as abrasive, trust me), it’s the songwriting that envelops Passion song structures and emotional, building melodies that evokes the Wickham comparisons. In other words, you’re going to love these songs.

The Brit-pop piano progression on album opener “Win With Love” stands buoyant among the electric guitar riffs and tones that lend the track the full production sound. It’s a very solid song that, given enough of a chance, will find its way onto the CCLI charts at some level. The song is a prayer that God would show us the Christlike way of “winning with love” as seen in the lyrical direction here: “God breathe on us to bring what this world needs to be free/And teach our hearts to sing unselfishly/Let love be driven by wildfire/Blown by the wind.”

The slight epic rock leanings continue on the beginning measures of “Listening,” although the song gives way to more mellow territory and string arrangements to back the simple refrain asking God to speak to his children with lines like “light of the world/won’t you light my pathway.” The analogies and lines have all been spoken (and sung) before, but there’s a yearning in Macaulay’s delivery and such strong instrumentation (thanks, producer Nathan Nockels) that make these songs rise above any concerns of familiarity.

“Amazing” is the other original track here (of three present) and it’s the weakest of the bunch – although that’s more a testament to the strength of the first two than it is a mark against this one. Still, it’s definitely a been-done-before track that’s a bit close to Tomlin-esque acoustic territory and refrains of awe and wonder of God’s grace and mercy.

The last track is simply the radio edit of the previously near-seven-minute “Listening.” After all, the Christian music world, in particular, still relies heavily on the radio gatekeepers, so Macaulay is wise to develop a more palatable version of the music here. The song loses its Jason Upton quality of prayer-during-instrumental and open nature, but that’s what happens on radio. You gotta have enough time for the ads or “Scripture of the Day” segments.

In case you haven’t grasped the main point by now, let me say it in short: Dan Macaulay is fantastic. There are stronger lyricists out there, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a new artist crafting stronger melodies. It’s a young, budding artist whose heart beats beautifully on his sleeve and this EP should only give way to radio hits and church favorites.

Tagged as: Dan MacAulay, The Listening EP

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