Review

Is it fair to continually link someone to their past? I wonder if Jeff Deyo tires of the continual references to Sonic Flood. Does he long for a time when he's recognized for what he's done since that group disbanded? Whether or not, unfortunately he is joined to those golden days and will forever be marked as a "pioneer of modern worship music", which is a good thing.

"Surrender" is Deyo's third solo release. Happily, his trademark straight-ahead rock and roll songs, his between-song prayers and exhortations and his ability to take a familiar chorus and render it in a fresh way, are all present on this album. Recorded live at Parachute '05 (New Zealand's answer to Passion), "Surrender" is largely comprised of live versions of Jeff's previously released material. He does bring two new songs into the mix, with "Jesus, I Surrender" and "Nothing Less than All of Me".

The challenge for Jeff was, in my view, to record a live album in a foreign country, in front of people that would undoubtedly be familiar with Sonic Flood, but not necessarily with Jeff Deyo, nor his body of work since. Too his (and Parachute promotion) credit, he played several times during the festival to build a base, if you will, and teach people his songs.

I have long been a proponent of the live worship album. Live albums can capture the voices of all the participants in a way that moves the soul. Contrasting that is the mere live performance, which captures the band, but not the nuance of engagement.

The difficulty comes when the songs are unfamiliar. Any worship leaders reading this know that you can't throw too many new songs at a congregation all at once. So, for Deyo to succeed with this album, he must depend on an audience that can engage with his songs and sing along. I am pleased to report that he hits the mark.

If you don't know much about his work since Sonic Flood, check out rockers like "Lose Myself" and "Let It Flow". He also covers Paul Oakley's "Be Lifted Up". By the time track 6 comes along, the set kicks it up a notch... BAM! We are treated to 10 minutes of the "More Love, More Power" in a way you've never experienced it! This is what Deyo does... he'll take a song you've sung before, and make it his own, and then you make it your own. You'll forget you ever sang it any other way.

The album is not all full throttle. It slides into the main theme of the album with "Jesus, I Surrender" and stays at the foot of the Cross the rest of the way, before closing with his own "Bless the Lord".

All in all, this a great way to get exposed to life after the Flood.

Review by John Ausmus