It’s no secret that worship is the foundation of Josh Baldwin’s music. The North Carolina native grew up playing drums for his dad, a worship pastor, and learned to lead people into God’s presence at a young age. While his original songs have always been undergirded by an atmosphere of reverence, his most recent efforts have also possessed a strong sense of place, showcasing Baldwin as a gifted storyteller and a country-leaning, campfire-sitting troubadour. With “Made For More (Live),” however, the singer/songwriter returns to his worship leading roots with a recording that encourages listeners to find their purpose and meaning solely in Christ.
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Baldwin, who now resides right outside of Nashville with his wife and two kids, captured the eight-track collection with a live audience in his new hometown of Thompson’s Station, Tenn. With simple choruses and acoustic-led melodies, “Made For More” underscores Baldwin’s best quality: his ability to distill the Gospel down into bitesize nuggets of truth we can cling to on both the mountaintop and in the valley. His honest, rugged vocal makes these songs all the more accessible. Sonically, the set is not overly produced, choosing instead to allow select instrumentation to highlight the LP’s lyrical richness.
On the whole, the album is inspired by Isaiah 43:1: “But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.’”
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Co-penning seven of the project’s selections, Baldwin wrote with a veritable list of who’s who writers in Christian music, including David Leonard, Passion’s Brett Younker, Mack Brock, Chris Davenport and Christine D’Clario, among others, to serve up an impassioned batch of both familiar and brand-new songs.
Record opener “You Are Our God” and sure-and-steady offering “Thank You Jesus” are stalwart examples of Baldwin’s penchant for carefully stewarding the Gospel with the utmost simplicity and purity. Additionally, the fresh release features anchor track “Crowns Down,” a song that began as a spontaneous moment of praise years ago while he was leading worship during a church service. The “Stand In Your Love” singer previously recorded a powerful version of the regal single with Gateway Worship.
Meanwhile, the title-cut offers another shining moment with Jenn Johnson lending her talents on background vocals and the refrain becoming an instant classic. “Made For More” will undoubtedly be a song Baldwin will be singing for the rest of his life.
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Amidst the larger, uncomplicated anthems, it would be easy to miss the album’s crown jewel, the poignant “Prince of Peace,” a chill-inducing ballad Baldwin wrote for his wife, Shelia, as she struggled with a season of anxiety. The emotive bridge pleads for peace to flow like a river. All of these songs, however, have wound their way through Baldwin’s life at various times over the past few years, preserving “Made For More” like a time capsule for his family.
“This album has been such an important project for me. What I love most about it is that all of these songs came out of different seasons my family and I have been and are still walking through — calling on the Lord to be our help and our Prince of Peace through all of the ups and downs of life,” Baldwin shares. “These songs are anthems that I’ve been singing over myself and my family, reminding myself who the Lord is in me and who He’s called me to be. The heart of this album, and my heart for every person who listens, is that they would be reminded that they’ve been redeemed and called by name.”
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Baldwin elevates the name above all names on the final track, “I Speak Jesus,” initially made famous by Charity Gayle. The “Evidence” singer puts his stamp on the powerful selection concluding his seventh solo project with an undeniable declaration.
Primed for the ebbs and flows of life and deeply ingrained in Baldwin’s own story, “Made For More” serves as a beautiful prompting that God has dreams for our lives that are sure to exceed our wildest expectations. It’s a call to fulfill all the good plans He has for us and a permission slip to step into everything He’s created us to be.
