Capitol Christian Music Group
Release Date: May 31st 2024
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Crowder– The EXILE (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- The EXILE Intro
- Grave Robber
- – [DASH] (feat. TobyMac)
- STILL
- Rinsed In The Blood
- Even In EXILE
- Somebody Prayed
- Hands Of Jesus
- Lord Of All
- Unstoppable
- All My Tears (feat. Buddy Miller)
- Truth Be Told
There have been many times that I’ve said it before. So this time I’ll say it again! David Crowder is an enigma. There. I’ve said it. It’s a well-known fact that you cannot put him in a box musically, as he’ll just jump right out of it and prove you wrong. Yet if you do not know who I am talking about, then I guess you need not look any further than the time in 2012- when David split from his bandmates from the band David Crowder*Band, then so soon after formed his own band titled Crowder. We may never have known why this occurred, and we all have many different viewpoints. Maybe there was animosity. Maybe his bandmates were difficult to get along with. Maybe David felt God calling him to go solo, and they split amicably. Whatever the case, what eventuated was The Digital Age (with Mark Waldrop and Mike Dodson as co-lead singers) and Crowder’s solo music ministry.
Now, don’t get me wrong, The Digital Age is a fantastic band. Evening:Morning and Galaxies are solid offerings. Though I suspect now The Digital Age are defunct at the moment for whatever reason. However the success of The Digital Age wasn’t even a fraction of the fame that Crowder has felt since then- even a split from his former bandmates didn’t hinder Crowder at all, as Crowder’s continued solo albums flourished with critical and commercial acclaim. Neon Steeple was one of my favourite albums of 2014, spawning hits such as “I Am”, “Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)” and “Come As You Are”; and American Prodigal, with its hits such as “Run Devil Run”, “Forgiven”, “Back To The Garden” and “My Victory”, was one of my favourite albums of 2016, so much so that I rated the album 5/5 (you can read my review here!). Crowder also unveiled the experimental yet thoroughly resonating 3rd solo effort titled I Know A Ghost and in 2021, he dropped the worshipful and solid studio album Milk & Honey. Despite a misstep and a hiccup in the remix EP Night Like This; the stellar albums kept coming with a Christmas record (Milk & Cookies) dropping in 2022- which we will voice our thoughts on later on in the year as part of our annual and ongoing series Christmas In July. But 2024 means brand new music (3 years since something new from Crowder!), and as we immerse ourselves with The EXILE, are we prepared for the eternal and biblical truths that Crowder has presented to us?
Though short at 38 minutes, Crowder has excelled in every sense of the word, and we are presented with one of my favourite albums of the year- only third to Kate Hudson’s Glorious and Tenille Arts’ to be honest. “The EXILE Intro” isa quirky 30 second track outlining that even in the darkest of times (the exile), Jesus is right here beside us, and everything will be alright because Jesus has our lives in the palm of his hands; but the real celebration and raucous party starts with the testimony-style country/rock/southern gospel/hybrid worship anthem “Grave Robber”, undoubtedly one of Crowder’s most ambitious yet resounding and engaging musical and worshipful anthems in recent memory. As Crowder outlines that Jesus has saved his life and that now he’ll never be the same again; the gospel is preached in full force, and kudos needs to be given to Crowder for not watering down what Jesus has done for all of us: ‘…I got stolen by the grave robber, picked me up from that rock bottom, washed my soul in that holy water, brought me back to life, one more stone rolled away, one more sinner been saved by grace, this dead man, he ain’t dead no longer, all because of that grave robber…’. Usually, we think of a grave robber as being a ‘bad’ person. But in the case of Jesus giving us freedom and bringing us new life… well, Jesus is the ultimate superhero and the One we can rely on most- and this motif in this song of Jesus being our saviour, is carried throughout the rest of the album.
The rest of The EXILE delivers in spades as Crowder’s unique brand of instrumentation is collided with earnest and true lyrics about Jesus to create a beautifully composed and sung and delivered masterpiece. The powerful and lyrically strong and poignant “STILL” is a prayerful and moving potential radio single about realising that even though we are a new creation, Jesus is still working in us and that we are continually being refined day by day- the sanctification process isn’t instant and still occurs up until the day we die; while a clear album highlight is “Rinsed In The Blood”, a head-banging rocker co-written with former Family Force 5 frontman Solomon Olds, with Crowder once again proclaiming the gospel and declaring with passion to us that we have been made new with Jesus, and that there isn’t any use running or hiding from Jesus’ unending love: ‘…when the good Lord coming, can’t slow Him down, ain’t a stone-cold sinner that can keep Him out, no use hiding when He’s on your tracks, God gonna get His man…’. The quasi-title track “Even In EXILE” is a subdued ballad of sorts, and features brilliant lyricism from Matthew West. With Crowder providing us inspiration and reassurance that even in the darkest moments of our lives, we can rest in the eternal promises of Jesus and know that in His timing, He will bring good things into our lives; the lyrics strike a chord as probably some of the most engaging and resounding on the album (musically, it’s quite different as this song isn’t radio friendly at all, and the experimental tune harkens back to the David Crowder*Band days in a good way!). While “Somebody Prayed” follows, and even if the part CCM, part country-style melody is semi-cliché, there’s still truth here that miracles and good things in our lives happen predominately because of prayer- prayer works and the evidence are the unexplainable in our lives that can only be attributed to God.
“Hands Of Jesus” is Crowder at his finest, with the eloquent, prayerful and resonating acoustic guitar driven ballad providing us hope and a future, with Crowder declaring that we can leave our worries and hurts and failures and broken pieces in the hands of Jesus, that ‘…the hands of Jesus, so precious and strong, they can calm the seas, they can right your wrongs, the hands of Jesus, holding everything, if they can take a nail, they can take your shame, so bring your hurt and all your broken pieces and put them in the miracle-working hands of Jesus…’. Similarly, “Lord Of All” is a lyrical masterpiece, with the explosive and powerful track proving to be a near-flawless work of art, where Crowder acknowledges God’s goodness and holiness and proclaims Him as the Lord of all. “Unstoppable” also brings a smile to my face, as this bluegrass/Americana ball of energy and fun is Crowder at his most wildest and zaniest, with lyrics here harkening back to “Run Devil Run” from 2015; while the album closer is “Truth Be Told”, where Crowder takes the age-old expression and reassurance and creates an inspirational song from that- he concludes that ‘…A day is coming for coming back home, back to where the heart belongs, feel the yearning, can you hear the groan? The day is coming, truth be told…’.
Yet on The EXILE, two songs stand tall above them all. “- [DASH]” is an introspective, mellow, and sobering track with TobyMac, focusing on mortality and our fragility and doing what really matters in life. Some people chase after money or material possessions. Some people chase after likes and follows on social media. Some people want more ‘friends’. Some people want fame. But this song points it out plainly. Our grave says that we are born on one day, and that we die on another. There’s a dash in between. And probably a sentence underneath. And that’s all. It’s a sobering and confronting thought, and with the deaths of Mandisa and GabeReal recently, this song is more than timely, as we look at ourselves in the mirror and take stock of our lives, wondering about what we can do better and how we can create a life of meaning, purpose, and pointing to Jesus. While “All My Tears” with alternative Americana legend Buddy Miller is an album standout, as the brilliant cover beautifully conveys and encapsulates the gospel and the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
With The EXILE having no fault at all, it’s a shame the profound and deep musical experience ends at 38 minutes. But that point is neither here nor there. Crowder remains one of the most progressive, experimental and encouraging worship artists ever, as he continues to play his music in an era without the DC*B- and here’s hoping that there are many more albums in the future from the talented singer/songwriter. Time and time again, Crowder has reminded us that a band break up isn’t gonna hold him down. In fact, I reckon he’s just getting started. So what are you waiting for, pick up some Crowder (The EXILE as well as Milk & Cookies and/or Milk & Honey and/or I Know A Ghost and/or “All My Hope” single and/or American Prodigal and/or Neon Steeple– yep, his whole discography!!), and let’s have a party with some banjos and harmonica, shall we? Maybe with some Steve-3PO as the drummer as well!
4 songs to listen to: DASH, Even In EXILE, Hands Of Jesus, All My Tears
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Royal Tailor, Group 1 Crew, Hollyn, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, TobyMac