Jeremy Camp: Reckless

Release Date: 12 February 2013

Genre: Contemporary Christian, Contemporary rock

Length: 41:04

Label: BEC Recordings

Similar artists: Todd Agnew; Jars of Clay; Mercyme; Natalie Grant; Matthew West

Rating: 4/5

Seven studio albums does something… it creates something… it sometimes makes an artist Reckless. Jeremy camp has been active for 13 years, and in those 13 years he has produced 7 albums. Of the 7 albums, there are very few which have fallen flat, most of them have been well received in the world markets.

In an interview about his new endeavour, Camp was asked what the significance of the ‘reckless’ theme was. In response to the question he stated that as believers we all need to live our lives with a sense of recklessness, living for Christ not concerned of the consequences. In this new album, he tells the story of that reckless faith, and he puts it to a pretty great beat too.

The album itself is one that is difficult to fault. The age old quality of Camp’s voice and the quality musicians all make for a very ear pleasing album. That goes to show how Camp tries to approach his music. He is not simply trying to get people to listen to his music by having a catchy tune. Instead he is trying to convey a message and he is trying to get people to take action with his music. The love of ministry Camp has is very clear from his lyrics. He is trying to get people to take that reckless step of faith, doing something they would not ordinarily do.

The album produces a rather varied feel. Not as diverse as some other artists have been, yet still diverse enough to appeal to everyone. Songs like Reckless, and My God give you a glimpse into the ‘rock-side’ of Camp. Then you get songs like Free and Without You which have a more contemporary feel to them. It would be an interesting project to determine how many fans prefer his rockier style or his more contemporary style. Personally I prefer his rockier style, but that’s because I am a fan of the musicality that Camp presents in his rockier songs.

The down side of the album is that some people have said it lacks originality, its typical Camp. To them I say that it is incredibly difficult to write your own songs constantly without there being some repetition, and even so, in this album, when there is repetition, it still feels original as contradictory as that sounds. The only complaint I would have about this album would be that perhaps in a couple songs, Camp isn’t as reckless as he could have been. But that’s just if I am nitpicking.

Camp has yet again managed to produce a superb album. No doubt about it. And if something isn’t broken, then why fix it? I reckon Camp will be around for many years to come, and you can bet that he will never stop being reckless for his Father.

I highly recommend this album to anyone wishing to add to their collection an album that can be listened to regardless of your mood. I also want to recommend his “Live Unplugged” album; it has a lot of acoustic tracks that will add quality to anyone’s collection.

Song of the week goes to… My God

Have a rocking week everyone

J

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