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Album Review: The Undoing by Steffany Gretzinger

Posted in Product Reviews | April 2nd, 2016 | by
The Undoing by Steffany Gretzinger Album Cover

The Undoing by Steffany Gretzinger

I am a person with many ‘favorite albums’.  But very few of my ‘favorite albums’ carry the power that Steffany Gretzinger’s The Undoing has.  Along with the good instrumentation and Steffany’s powerful voice and intense passion, it also has a unique Holy Spirit anointing that is hard to find elsewhere.  It is an excellent album for anyone going through a hard season where the process is seeming to get endless and it feels like you’re never getting to your ‘promised land’.  If that is you, you might find The Undoing a very helpful album for worshipping through the process.

 

 

Quick Stats

 

Pros: It’s ‘different’ from many popular albums of today and Steffany’s powerful voice carries an anointing.

 

Cons: Although the overall style of the album is unique, it is fairly similar from song to song

 

A little about the album:The Undoing comes from the Bethel record label where Steffany has been singing since the beginning of Bethel Music (including One Thirst on Bethel’s 2011 Be Lifted High, with Jeremy Riddle, You Know Me on 2012’s The Loft Sessions, Closer, released later in 2012 on For the Sake of the World, Letting Go and Be Still on 2013’s Tides, We Dance on You Make Me Brave, released in 2014, and Pieces from 2016’s Have It All.  Steffany wrote all of the songs on The Undoing, many of them with her longtime friend Amanda Cook.  Steffany describes the album as learning to worship through the process.

Themes:  One of the biggest themes from the album is the Father Heart of God and that although getting to the end of the journey is good, the promised land is in the process.

 

Style: The Undoing has a very unique style.  Some of the songs are soft and sweet, while others are more driving.  All have a distinctive passion that is good for soaking to.  There is an intensity to Steffany’s heart and voice that carries into her music.

 

Transfer to Worship Service:  Some of the songs transfer quite well into a worship service, particularly Steady Heart, Constant One, and Letting Go (which appeared on Bethel Music’s 2013 album Tides).  Other ones, such as I Spoke Up or Cecie’s Lullaby, are better for a solo singer.

 

Chord Availability: All the chords are available on the Bethel Music website (https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/).  All are under the album The Undoing.

 

Album Tracklist/My Thoughts

 

  1. Morning Song—one of my favorites on the album, this song shares Steffany’s love of the morning and how she feels that God made the morning just for her, speaking to her heart as she awakens. Although I am not a ‘morning person’, I find that I am more open to hear the voice of God in the mornings as I wake up and this is definitely a song of my own heart.

 

  1. Constant One—this is one of those worship ones. Steffany is speaking to Jesus, thanking Him for being her Constant One the One who is always there and the God of Mercy. It is a beautiful reminder of how good our God is!  “Constant One/endless is Your love/Like a river, can’t be stopped, You’re faithful/Constant One, who is like You God/Your mercy’s like the sun/Always rising over us.”

 

  1. Come Out of Hiding (Father’s Song)—this one is a tear-jerker for me. It is a constant reminder that no matter what I do, no matter how far I’ve managed to drift, God is still Father and is still calling me out of hiding—and to receive the Love that He gives so freely. I love the chorus: “‘Cause I loved you before you knew what was love/And I saw it all, still I chose the cross/You were the one that I was thinking of/When I rose from the grave.”

 

  1. I Spoke Up—this one certainly isn’t a song that really describes me, but I’m sure that this was her life. It’s one of the shortest songs on the album, but it is quite memorable. “I learned that love don’t hold its tongue/and passion doesn’t bow to what they think.”

 

  1. Cecie’s Lullaby—probably my favorite song on the album. For me, it shows God’s heart for me. He is my Father and he knows far better than anyone else (and far better than me!) what I need.  It is His call to rest in His presence, relax in His love, and let Him love on you for a while.  “So rockabye baby, come and rest/you’ve been tired lately/come lay your head down/don’t you think baby, I know best/I’ve been a Father for a long time.”

 

  1. Letting Go—this one appeared on Bethel Music’s Tides in 2013 as a slightly more upbeat song. I probably prefer the one on Tides, but this one is a little more intimate worship. The song reminds me to let go and let Jesus take it all.  “I’m letting go/I’m letting go/I’m letting go/falling into You.”

 

  1. Promise I Always Will—this is a song that appears to be written to a friend who is broken. Steffany’s heart is to tell this person that she will love them forever because true love won’t give up. She reminds the person that love is patient, kind, unselfish and begs them that before they burn the bridge, they ask forgiveness and watch their love grow deeper.

 

  1. Steady Heart—this was the first song I heard from the album and I fell in love with it. It is a reminder that no matter what happens, God is the ‘steady heart’ that will always keep on going—even through the wind and the waves. “Steady heart that keeps on going/steady love that keeps on hoping/lead me on.”

 

  1. No Fear in Love—this song is a heart-cry to Jesus. As Steffany pours out her heart in the truth that there is no fear in love, she tells God that she just wants to be close to Him forever. “I wanna be close to You/It’s really that simple/I wanna stay close to You my whole life long.”

 

  1. Open Up Let the Light In—admittedly, this song can get a little monotonous, but I love the truth and power behind the words—which are nothing more than the name of the song. As Steffany sings them over and over again, crying out for us to let the light of God in and stop closing our hearts to His love and power, it teaches me (by nature, the type of person who has difficulty opening up and being vulnerable) to open myself up to His love for me.

 

  1. Getting There—if I was allowed to have two favorites, Getting There would be the second “favorite”. It speaks about the difficulty of walking further and further without seeing the promises God has given you coming to pass. But it explains that we’re getting there—and we can learn many important and useful things along the way and during the journey.  It ends with a passionate we won’t stop coming after You, God, and we will run after You with everything.

 

Star Rating:

Lyrics: [rating:5]

Arrangements: [rating:5]

Originality: [rating:5]

Anointing / Carrying the Spirit: [rating:5]

Singability: [rating:4]

My enjoyment: [rating:5]

 

Buy the Album here

 

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1 Comment »

  1. I always loved “Getting There”…”Further seems forever / Until you’ve seen, until you get there / Until you feel the promised land beneath your feet / But there’s a reason for the journey / There is purpose in the learning / That not everything in life comes naturally… / But we’re getting there…”

    Comment by GA — April 2, 2016 @ 11:23 am

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