Who Hopes For What They Always Had? - Lifetone

Kristen Young | 28 March 2007

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You can download three tracks from Who Hopes For What They Always Had? at Lifetone's official website.

To win one of five copies of Who Hopes For What They Always Had? answer the following question and . UPDATE: This competition is now over. Our five winners are: Joshua Street, Warren Esdale,
Chris Braga, Joe Wiltshire, Tom Magill.

What is the name of track number 8 on Who Hopes For What They Always Had??

According to their website, Lifetone are an Australian band of Christians who claim to be “gripped by the gospel of God’s grace and the power of his Word”. From a quick scan of their album lyrics, this certainly appears to be true.

Faith and dependence on the saving grace of God through Jesus shines out from virtually every song, from the opening anthem Salvation to the mellow finale Now My Eyes Have Seen You. There is not a single ‘Jesus is my boyfriend’ or ‘Fire, rain down on me’ lyric to be seen.

When I first put the CD on, I thought for a moment I’d accidentally played U2’s Rattle and Hum instead. The booming guitar riffs and drums on Salvation are heavily reminiscent of U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name and Desire. Wade Iedema’s vocals don’t quite match Bono’s grainy tones, but all is forgiven as you sit back to enjoy the wonderful songwriting. It gets even better on a second or third listening.

It’s the songwriting which really stands out in this album. Shades of U2 aside, Wade Iedema and company have put together a good mix of indie sound and solid lyrical foundations. The Gospel is one such foundation: see Salvation’s “I only believe/for you have brought me near/I only stand free/ for Jesus died for me”. As promised by the group, the Bible also features quite heavily: the upbeat workout of Psalm 103 in Praise the Lord O my Soul is one of the standouts, but there are slightly more subtle echoes, such as Philippians in Stars.

The band makes a big deal of the fact that ARIA award-winning producer Steve James mixed their debut album and it certainly seems to have paid off. Who Hopes for What They Always Had? avoids the too-crisp sound of many Christian albums with its earthy tones. It’s tight without being over-produced.

For the most part, the songs on this album would be just as much (if not more) at home in a trendy inner city café or university bar as in a church. As the album progresses, there’s a great balance between the mellow vocals of Stephanie Vanden Hengel and the slightly more rocky sound of Iedema’s lead. When I listened to Stephanie sing The Night is Nearly Over, for example, I had a strong desire to be sitting in a comfy lounge with a large cappuccino and a good book. That made Wade’s Pilot, which followed, all the more surprising with its throbbing and anthemic tempo.

All in all, Who Hopes for What they Always Had? is a promising debut for Lifetone. It’s well worth a listen – just find a good barista and a comfortable spot to do it.