The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the first movie that I ever saw in a cinema. I went with my aunt, my mother’s sister; I was a kid overtaken by the colours and characters, the script, and most of all, the soundtrack.
Up until this day it is one of my favourite Disney animation scores ever, and so naturally, I was super interested to hear what Leeland was going to do in an opening track with a name like Bells of Notre Dame Pt. 1 (there is a Pt. 2, too). The song (introductory track) is a chant-like chorus sung to the chime of multiple bells – a build up of ethereal sound, starting softly, and then rising in volume and vigour until it bursts into first verse of the title track, Invisible:
“They say what you see is what you get
There’s more to life than meets the eye
They don’t believe what they don’t understand
I’ve touched your hands
I’ve felt your side
Close enough to whisper – to hear my cry
In the light of morning – in the dead of night…
… I see you standing in the wind and waves, I’m never alone – You’re not invisible…
… I see you walking from an empty grave, I’m never alone – You’re not invisible…”
It was a bold production style that started the creative process for multi- Grammy-award-winning band Leeland’s first album release since joining the Bethel Music Collective in 2015. Those descriptive words are mine, and don’t let them put you off! This is no copy-cat band, or album, and if there’s one more “worship” album you buy for the year, let it be this one.
Anchored to themes of identity, joy, and freedom, Leeland (Leeland Mooring and Casey Moore) were inspired by the Bible verse Philippians 3:12 and the album as a whole speaks to the “acceptance available in Jesus and how such a love compels us to become like Him.”
I’ve been listening to the album non-stop for the last few weeks now, sometimes just stuck on one song for the whole day – or even a week – allowing for proper marinating!
In my second week of listening to the album, I was stuck on track number seven, Ever Love You, and was playing it every day. One of the days, I put the song on repeat while cooking dinner for the family, and (because we have an open plan lounge, dining room, and kitchen) I waltzed across them singing out the words of the song’s bridge loudly:
“Jesus you, had hope for me, believed in me, endured for me…
When I was still a sinner, Lord you bleed and died for me…
When I was still a sinner, You never gave up on me…”
One minute I was singing with passion, and the next minute I was caught up in the reality of the lyrics and just became so overcome by appreciation and love for Jesus that I started crying (ugly crying). I was so caught up that I didn’t hear my sister calling me to check on my pot, and then laughing, she said, “That’s how I know you really love a song – it’s hit home…”
Yes, it hits home when you can hear the authenticity of the message that the artist is trying to portray – when it’s real for them!
By beautifully presenting the simple gospel that “Jesus has made a way for authentic relationship with His people,” through 13 original songs, and co-writing efforts with the likes of Darlene Zschech (Beloved), Steffany Gretzinger (Perfect Love) and Brian Johnson (When The Son Was Lifted Up), the band hopes that Invisible would encourage the listener to seek deeper intimacy with God, and honestly, that’s exactly what the album did for me.
It’s been a little while since I last bought a worship album that embodied pure elation. Elation – “an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism”. Elation – where your spirit rises with the truth that you proclaim loudly through song, the truth of ones’ identity in Christ Jesus.
Edifying truth:
“But think about this: while we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed His powerful love to us in a tangible display — the Anointed One died for us.” – Romans 5:8
This is the kind of stuff I like to listen to after a long day at work, or just before a long day at work where there are very real distractions and circumstances, tests of my character, patience, and joy!