ISRAEL HOUGHTON
Since his humble debut as a recording artist in the '90s, dizzyingly chameleonic Israel Houghton has been injecting contemporary gospel with a blazing, youthful and musically masterful energy that has placed him among the most highly influential tastemakers in his field. As a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and worship leader, he has created a canon of songs that have become standards in houses of faith around the globe. He has accomplished this largely as the leader of Israel and New Breed, a GRAMMY®, Stellar and Dove Award-winning musical ensemble and ministry organization that has amassed gold-selling albums and critical platitudes reserved for the best of the best.
For his most current musical offering, Israel momentarily steps away from New Breed, whose members are also active in their own ministries, to record a solo album that is his most personal effort to date. The project, The Power of One, is a guest-filled tour de force that is galvanizing in both its inspirational power and Israel's bankable high standard of music making. The Power of One is a challenge to all of faith to be as impassioned and Christ-like in their earthly walk as humanly possible. And does "Iz" ever have the soundtrack for that spiritual walk! From roots reggae and head-banging rock to sanctified funk and power pop, The Power of One is a visceral rush of bravado and gratitude. Listening to this album - Israel's first solo studio offering after a string of highly successful New Breed concert sets - will surely set your soul on fire.
"This is the first time I've entered into a project with no premeditation," Israel explains. "In the past, I'd go into a project saying we need this kind of song here and that kind there - worrying if it would sell or if the Church would accept it. This time it was fun to go into creating a record with no rules and just do what was in our hearts...a very cathartic experience."
The seeds for The Power of One were planted last May at a friend's beach house in Southern California. "It's about two miles from where I was born in Carlsbad," says Israel. "I generally go there by myself to gather my thoughts, turn off the phone, read, write and get inspired. This time I had Tommy Sims and Aaron Lindsey come in to give a collective energy try. We had a couple of acoustic guitars, bass, keys, Pro Tools and a digital studio. We spent three days there...just looking at the ocean and writing the bulk of the album."
Recalling musical missions past, Israel states, "If you look at our albums thematically, the early ones were about the Church and what God is doing... 'a New Season is coming' and 'Another Level.' On the most recent records, our message has shifted into more social and global concerns, focusing on identity and the purpose of God in everyone's life. I strongly believe that those of us who consider ourselves worshippers need to have a heart for social justice. 'Power of One' is the song we wrote specifically around that thought for this album."
What if it all depended on me to change the world
What if my only responsibility were to change the world
Let me be the one to start a revolution
Let me sing my song to the people of the world
It all begins with one
The Power of One
Joining the hundreds of millions of people
Believing in One – The Power of One
Don't hang around
Stand up or sit down and believe
We can change the world together
We can change the world together
Both introspective and anthemic, the song "Power of One" is an instant high water mark in a catalog already rich in Israel classics. Interestingly, it wasn't originally intended to be recorded by Israel at all. He explains, "Two and a half years ago, I was asked to write a song for a mainstream artist who was looking for something based around a socially conscious idea. At that time I was just beginning to understand the connection between worship and justice, so this song came very quickly to me. I was about to send it to the artist's manager when my wife Meleasa asked me to play it again. When I did, she said, 'Don't you dare send that away! The time will soon come for you to sing that song.' Now is that time."
As an album, The Power of One overflows with exceptional material, all woven together by mesmerizing interludes. The experience begins with the percussive and grand "Everywhere I Go," a joyous jam about the relationship between The Lord and the faithful. That song and "Moving Forward," are the two tried and tested numbers of the collection as they had already become fan favorites, uplifting worship concert audiences before writing began for the new album. "Just Wanna Say" is a danceable confection reminiscent of OutKast's "Hey Ya." It's the infectious rave-fave of Israel's kids (ages 12, 7 and 5). Another highlight is the powerful gospel ballad "Every Prayer" which features Israel's old friends Mary Mary.
