Album Review – Rest by Beckah Shae
Katy Perry. Lady Gaga. Rihanna. Ke$ha. If you are familiar with the sound of any of today’s popular female pop musicians, then you are familiar with Beckah Shae’s sound.
The difference is that instead of being sold out to the music industry or fame, Shae is “souled out” to Jesus, and this fact is evident in the music she produces. Though all her albums have been worshipful, her latest album, Rest, is her first full-fledged worship album.
“It is my desire that this project sets an atmosphere for your time of devotion and intimacy with the Lord. That intimate ‘you and Him’ time, that ‘place’ where you can wrestle, cry, wait, and listen,” said Shae of her latest release.
And that’s exactly what she achieved with this album. This album speaks to my soul, and I hope it impacts every listener the same way.
The first song and album title track, Rest, is a smooth vocally rich song. No studio gimmicks here, folks. The song is so beautiful that it just awakens the soul while bringing one to the point of that rest in God. I think Isaiah 40:31 one of my favourite scriptures is the inspiration for the song’s poignant chorus.
Without You and You and I are love songs to God. In Without You Shae sings about her need for the Creator who she can’t do anything without. You and I is gripping and provocative; it centers around having a perfect relationship with Christ.
Everlasting sounds like something you’d hear on your local R&B station. I could easily picture Mary Mary or Mary J Blige singing this tune. Shae will gain a whole new set of fans with this song. My only criticism is that an increase in the tempo and rhythm wouldn’t have hurt because I kept expecting the tempo of the song to speed up because of the way it was going but it never did.
Have Your Way is a rhythm and blues song with a neat progression and some top-notch production. It’s one of the most “radio friendly” songs on the album.
In Overflow Shae sings about the desire for God and his goodness, glory and grace — the need to have His mercy, grace, favour, love overflow in us. The longing in her voice cannot be overlooked. “I am desperate for you, you are all I desire you are all I need overflow in me,” she sings. I loved the piano on the song, it was a nice touch.
Your Presence, her first single on the album, talks about God’s presence. If you still had doubt about the vibe and direction of Rest by the time you get to this song there’s no way you could still be clueless. In Forever Yours she makes a promise to God, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.” At this point of the album, the lyrical content still surprised me. I like how simple the song is, yet it is so powerfully peaceful.
Unique is a stellar record with a steady pace reminding us that our God is unique and He created every single one of us to be unique in our own way (in His own image).
In You Conquer, while the song carries the message of a mighty God who conquers and reigns victoriously in his Glory, the instrumentals drowned out Shae’s voice. Just too much was going on with the beats of the song which ended up making the song over-produced, confusing and directionless.
Rest is one of the best albums a female vocalist has released this year. The production on this album is pretty impressive and compliments Shae’s voice and personal vibe. Beckah did what she does best with her ministry; provide alternatives to counteract the negativity found in mainstream music. Rest is a worship album like no other, it has the smooth and soulful sounds of R&B Soul music. If you need a slow, uplifting, peaceful album to mediate, relax, unwind and bask in God’s greatness, then you need to go out and get this album.
Best Songs
Get Beckah Shae’s Rest below or HERE