All Things New

1	All Things New 5:41
2	Much of You 4:51
3	Only Getting Started 3:44
4	Last Day on Earth 4:17
5	What Now 4:37
6	Please Only You 3:44
7	Coming Attractions 4:07
8	Big Story 4:20
9	Believe Me Now 4:34
10	Angels Wish 4:04
11	I Believe in You 3:43
12	Treasure of Jesus 6:01

Barnes & Noble

Perennial Dove Award winner Steven Curtis Chapman has long been one of CCM's trailblazers. Classics like 1992's The Great Adventure saw Chapman apply bright pop songwriting and snappy production values to faith lyrics at a time when most CCM fare was dismissed as so much cheese. The innovation has continued on up to 2002's All About Love, the first CCM album devoted to the topic of earthly love. With the bar raised this high, some listeners might find All Things New somewhat of a disappointment. A declaration of newfound spiritual devotion, All Things New in fact offers little to distinguish itself from other praise-pop ventures like MercyMe. Chapman's usually pitch-perfect writing is off-key on songs like the title track and "Much of You," which offer a vertical perspective. The problem is that these songs (and, indeed, much of today's worship music) are reminiscent of that old comedian's line: "Enough about me. What do you think of me?" -- they are an individual's expression that may be directed at God but often leaves God out of the picture entirely. Better is a more traditionally crafted song like "What Now," which reminds us that to know Jesus is to have compassion for the poor and forgotten. Jesus called His followers to service-a point the song makes clear. And that call to action is surely more worshipful than all of the choruses of "You are worthy" CCM has dished out of late. Lisa Zhito

All Music Guide

No one can churn out the hooky CCM quite like Steven Curtis Chapman, whose 13th album is a beautifully crafted and unabashedly, unambiguously devout set of Christian pop songs that will appeal to his large following and maybe even convince a few from outside that circle to give him a listen. Longstanding fans may be surprised by the amount of piano he plays on these tracks -- guitar is his usual instrument, but he acquits himself nicely on the keys on songs like the title track and "Last Day on Earth." Another slightly unusual element on this album is the thick layer of turntable scratching, courtesy of Ric Robbins, that fills in most of the empty sonic spaces on "Just Getting Started." Even when things threaten to get a bit dense and cluttered, though, Chapman's sweet melodic hooks manage to hold center stage; his lyrics generally manage to avoid both smugness and cuteness, frequently challenging his fellow Christians to examine critically both their lives and their commitment. The album ends with more of a whimper than a bang, with three slow numbers in a row: the rather saccharine "Angels Wish," the slightly more interesting "I Believe in You," and the much more rewarding "Treasure of Jesus." Recommended. Rick Anderson

Billboard

There's a freshness and exuberance permeating every track here.