Give Us Rest

Give Us Rest follows the former sextet's applauded Church Music, in which every track was infused with more electronic textures than used before. Critically, it was met with various descriptors for the songs' sounds, including techno, progressive rock, experimental, and even disco-rock, which was attributed to the 13th track "Church Music - Dance (!)". However, Jesus Freak Hideout's Michael Weaver hailed Give Us Rest as "the most diverse thing DC*B has released in one collection." A sentence earlier, he dubbed it "a masterpiece", a statement which various Christian music reviewers echoed radiantly. He noted it for consisting of "everything from the standard DC*B modern alt-worship you're accustomed to, as well as classical sounding pieces, shredding guitars, folk, bluegrass, a hint of Southern gospel, and a couple nicely covered hymns." Country and Southern-tinged tracks appear here that were scarce in the electronica of Church Music. Paul S. Ganney of Cross Rhythms found "I Am A Seed" "country-rock tinged." Michael Weaver noted "Jesus, Lead Me to Your Healing Waters" as having "a Southern rock feel" and "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" "a bluegrass feel." ==Composition==

Give Us Rest ranks as the lengthiest David Crowder*Band studio album at nearly 101 minutes, overtaking Church Music's 74 minutes. Physically consisting of 2 compact discs, AllMusic's James Christopher Monger would name it the sextet's "swan song." While Church Music and one of its predecessors A Collision or (3+4=7) contained two cover songs, Give Us Rest contains four covers. Disc one Six tracks on disc one were written solely by David Crowder: • Track #1: "Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis, Domine" • Track #2: "Lux Aeternam Shine" • Track #5: "God Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)" • Track #7: "Fall On Your Knees" • Track #10: "Reprise #1" • Track #19: "Sequence 6" The other 13 (excluding one cover) were written with bandmates and collaborator Matt Maher. The second track "Oh Great God, Give Us Rest" is Disc 1's first and final track to contain writing contributions from Canadian CWM musician Matt Maher. The sixth track "Why Me?" is the record's first cover. Written by actor and country singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, it originally appeared as the last track on his 1972 record Jesus Was a Capricorn. After the 13th track, an interlude simply tilted "Interlude" written by bass guitarist and keyboardist Mike Dodson, is a series of "Sequences" commence, containing seven instrumental tracks. ==Reception==

Critical The album Give Us Rest has received nearly universal acclaim. CCM Magazine, The Christian Manifesto, and Jesus Freak Hideout's Ryan Barbee all gave the album 5 out of 5 stars. Matt Conner of CCM Magazine commented on how the album "starts with footsteps of those walking to church and closes with the familiar hymn 'Because He Lives'", Jeremy Dunn of Gospel Music Channel wrote that the album is "the band's most extensive body of music to date", in which "the listener is taken through the poetic patterns of this time-honored liturgical funeral mass, not for the sole purpose of mourning but also to celebrate what has passed." The next week, the album fell to No. 23, selling 11,744 copies. ==Track listing==

David Crowder*Band • David Crowder – vocals, acoustic piano, programming, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, stomping • Jack Parker – acoustic piano, Rhodes electric piano, programming, electric guitars, banjo, stomping, vocals, co-lead vocals on "Sequence 5" • Mark Waldrop – programming, electric guitars, mandolin, glockenspiel, stomping, vocals, co-lead vocals on “Sequence 4” • Mike Dodson – acoustic piano, programming, banjo, bass guitar, clarinet, various horns, cello, stomping, backing vocals • Mike Hogan – programming, violin, vinyls, stomping • B-Wack – drums, programming, various electronic objects, stomping Additional musicians • Christopher Stevens – programming (7, 27), arrangements (7, 27) • Josh Moore – programming (29), arrangements (29) • Chris August – stomping • John Mark McMillan – stomping • Steven Samuels – stomping • Jack Abell – priest (voice actor) Bluegrass sing-along singers • Tye Barrett, John Bernhart, Wes Butler, Teal Dodrill, Kaley Eggers, Lauren Eggers, Monike Garabieta, Travis Harsch, Andrew Hulett, KC Kennicutt, Adair McGregor, Jameson McGregor, Matt O'Brien, Dan Padgett, Caleb Roberts, Jacob Robinson, Joshua Stone and Austin Tiffany Mass Choir (Tracks 3, 15 & 25) • LouAnna Arterburn, Wes Butler, Krista Dalton, Joshua Davis, Josh Dunn, Stacy Dunn, Kerry Etheridge, Andi Fuentes, Christina Gibson, Brandon Keys, Elliot Lee, Misti Lehman, Carrie Livesay, JR Pershall, Joy Pershall Neely, Adrielle Selke, Carolyn Still, Dawn Wible and Blake Willis – choir singers • Brett Mills and Emily Mills – choir direction == Production ==

• Louie Giglio – executive producer • Shelley Giglio – executive producer, art direction, management • Brad O'Donnell – executive producer • David Crowder*Band – producers, recording • Casey Giesson – field recordings (cathedral, car and funeral sounds) • Shane D. Wilson – mixing at Pentavarit (Nashville, Tennessee) • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Marcussen Mastering (Hollywood, California) • Jess Chambers – A&R administration • Jan Cook – art direction • Leighton Ching – art direction, design • Toni Crowder – design • Reid Rolls – photography • Mike McCloskey – management ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==References==