I actually first discovered Audrey Assad not long after I started this blog and I added one of her songs to my St. Patrick's Day playlist. She has an absolutely beautiful voice, and her songwriting is different from a lot of other mainstream worship right now while still remaining familiar. I loved getting to explore her catalog this week and hear her musical journey from the beginning, and I'm excited to share these songs with you.
Here's our usual fact dump (information current as of April 2023):
-39 years old (she's a Cancer)
-Born in Secaucus, New Jersey (just under 64 miles northeast of Trenton)
-Singer, songwriter
-Vocalist and pianist
-Has two children
-Has released 6 solo studio albums (5 regular, 1 Christmas)
Let's go ahead and get to the music!
The House You're Building (2010)
Assad's debut CCM/singer-songwriter/jazz/folk pop/rock album was released July 13th, 2010 by Sparrow Records when she was 26 years old. With a run time of around 43 minutes, the album had two singles released: For Love of You (2010) and Restless (2011). Of all the genres both Wikipedia and Apple Music labeled this album as, I think CCM and singer-songwriter are the most accurate. There's a very distinct sound throughout that was very prevalent in the late 00's and early 10's, which works well with her voice and I ended up liking this album. My Top 3 were fairly easy to narrow down here:
Track 2: The House You're Building (written by A. Assad, B. Glover)
The vibe of this song felt almost John Mayer-esque to me in the instrumentation, but it works out pretty well in Assad's favor. I like the message here, her vocals are beautiful and light, and the music itself grooves really well. It's a good song to start the album off with.
Yeah, these are old shoes that I’ve been walking in/I’m wearing weary like it’s a second skin/I’ve been looking for a place to lay my head/All this time like a vagabond/A homeless stranger, I’ve been wandering/All my life You’ve been calling me/To a home You know I’ve been needing/I’m a broken stone/So lay me in the house You’re building
Track 5: Restless (written by A. Assad, M. Maher)
I get how this song got to be a single for the album; co-writer Matt Maher definitely knows how to write a banger. I love the piano on this track, and again no complaints about Assad's vocals whatsoever. This is a beautiful, meditative song to worship to.
You dwell in the songs that we are singing/Rising to the Heavens, rising to Your heart, Your heart/Our praises filling up the spaces/In between and frailty and everything You are/You are the keeper of my heart/And I’m restless, I’m restless/’Til I rest in You, ’til I rest in You/I’m restless, I’m restless/’Til I rest in You, ’til I rest I You/Oh God, I wanna rest in You
Track 6: Carry Me (written by A. Assad, P. LaRue)
The lyrics are what drew me to this particular track above anything else. There's some interesting synthy-piano deal going on throughout that could potentially be distracting, but as a whole this is another great song. Nothing truly overpowers any other part of the song here, and it all works well together.
Pain is a forest we all get lost in/Between the branches, hope can be so hard to see/And in the darkness, we’ve all got questions/We’re all just trying to make sense out of suffering, but/You say I’m blessed because of this/So I choose to believe/As I carry this cross, You’ll carry me
Heart (2012)
Assad's sophomore CCM/singer-songwriter/jazz/folk pop album was released February 14th, 2012 by Sparrow Records when she was 28 years old. With a run time of around 56 minutes, the album had one single released: Sparrow (2011). I enjoyed this album even more than The House You're Building. A lot of these songs have a vibe reminiscent of Sara Bareilles, which I really liked, and there's some great examples of Assad's songwriting on this track list. This Top 3 was a little tougher to decide, but here they are:
Track 4: Sparrow (written by A. Assad, K. Lee)
I'm a sucker for a modernized hymn, and this song taking so much inspiration from His Eye Is On The Sparrow really drew me in. It was more uptempo than I thought it would be going in, but the tempo is absolutely not to the song's detriment. Another great message mixed in with lovely vocals and great instrumentation.
Why should I be lonely/Long for heaven and home/When Jesus is my portion/And a constant friend I know/Oh, I sing because I’m happy/And I sing because I’m free/For His eye is on the sparrow/His eye is on the sparrow/And I know He’s watching me
Track 8: No Turning Back (written by A. Assad, B. Glover)
More sampling here: I love the inclusion of I Have Decided to Follow Jesus in the bridge of this song. I like the drums on this track as well, and while the clapping and snapping feels a little dated it's easy to move past it. Assad has some really strong vocals here, and it's overall a great, uplifting, motivational song.
My little heart is swelling with a song from somewhere else/It’s filling up with glory and I’m ringing like a bell, yeah/Oh my little heart, my little heart is racing/It’s racing just to keep up with Your love and live to tell/And live to tell/And it’s all I know/I’m following behind You, I’m staying close beside You/I’ve got nothing to lose and I’ve got everything to find/There’s something in Your laughter that keeps me running after/I’m breathing to the beat of Your heart and leaving the world behind/No turning back, no
Track 9: Lament (written by A. Assad, P. Kipley)
This is another instance where the lyrics are what grabbed me before anything else. The message of this song resonated with me very heavily, and this turned into one of my favorite listens of the whole week. I highly recommend listening to this one for sure.
I’m Mary and I’m Martha all at the same time/I’m sitting at His feet and yet I’m dying to be recognized/I am a picture of contentment and I am dissatisfied/Why is it easy to work but hard to rest sometimes/Sometimes/Sometimes/I’m restless and I rustle like a thousand tall trees/I’m twisting and I’m turning in an endless daydream/Oh, You wrestle me at night and I wake in search for You/But try as I might, I just can’t catch You/But I want to, oh, ‘cause I need You/Yeah, I need You/I can’t catch You but I want to
Fortunate Fall (2013)
Assad's third worship album was released August 13th, 2013 by Fortunate Fall Records when she was 30 years old. With a run time of around 47 minutes, the album has two songs listed as Popular on Apple Music: I Shall Not Want and Good to Me. There's a definitive vibe shift on this album from how the previous two sound, and it was exciting for me because this is the sound I'm used to hearing from her music. It's very ethereal and flowy, and has a richer, possibly more mature sound to it liked. This Top 3 was also a little difficult to decide on, but here they are:
Track 3: Humble (written by A. Assad)
Honestly, the opening of this one grabbed me because it sounded vocally like the Golden Egg song from Goblet of Fire (iykyk) before changing into something completely different. This is a beautiful song that would fit very nicely on an Easter playlist. I love the focus on Jesus and his attributes on this album, and this song is a great example of that.
Humble and human, willing to bend, You are/Fashioned of flesh and the fire of life, You are/Not too proud to wear our skin to know this weary world we’re in/Humble, humble Jesus, yeah/Humble in sorrow, You gladly carried Your cross/Never refusing Your life to the weakest of us/Not too proud to bear our sin to feel this brokenness we’re in/Humble, humble Jesus/We bow our knees/We must decrease/And You must increase/We lift You high
Track 4: O Happy Fault (written by A. Assad)
This song has some cool horn stuff and bell stuff going on, and is much more instrumental than the others I picked. The vocal layering along with the instrumentation feels like it would fit in beautifully in a medieval choral setting. It's intricate and simple at the same time.
O Felix, O Felix Culpa/O Felix, O Felix Culpa
Track 5: Lead Me On (written by A. Assad, M. Maher)
I love the direct inspiration of these lyrics from Psalm 23. It's beautiful and calming, and flows seamlessly from O Happy Fault right before it in an almost invisible transition. Another absolutely gorgeous song to be sure.
You are my Shepherd, there’s nothing I shall want/Beside still waters, You lead my spirit on/Your hand will guide me no matter where I walk/Through darkest valley, Your love is not far off/I will dwell in Your house forever/I will dwell in Your house forever/I will dwell in Your house forever/Lead me on
Inheritance (2016)
Assad's fourth gospel/Christian pop/worship album was released February 12th, 2016 by Fortunate Fall Records when she was 32 years old. With a run time of around 42 minutes, the album has five songs listed as Popular on Apple Music: Be Thou My Vision; How Can I Keep from Singing; Oh, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus; It Is Well With My Soul; and Abide With Me. It's probably because it was my first exposure to her, but this is my favorite of Assad's albums to date. Her arrangement of these classic hymns, as well as a couple of her originals, is stunning, and several of these are must plays on my phone. I feel very solidly about this Top 3:
Track 2: Holy, Holy, Holy (written by J. Dykes, R. Heber)
This is a hymn I've known almost my entire life, and this is probably my favorite version of it that I've heard. The way Assad layers the vocals along with a borderline hypnotic drum beat is so cool. I can't recommend this one enough.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty/Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee/Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty/God in three persons, blessed Trinity/Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide Thee/Though the eye of sinful man, Thy glory may not see/Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee/Perfect in power, in love and purity
Track 3: Be Thou My Vision (written by D. Forgaill)
This is the song I referenced in this post's intro and has truly become an all time favorite of mine. I again have to shout out the incredible drums, and the vocal harmonies on this one are unmatched. It's beyond gorgeous and does the hymn absolute justice.
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart/Naught be all else to me save that Thou art/Thou my best thought, by day or by night/Waking or sleeping, Thy presence, my light/Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word/I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord/Thou my great Father, I Thy true son/Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee One
Track 3: How Can I Keep from Singing (written by R. Lowry)
This isn't a hymn I was as familiar with, but it's definitely taken its place in the "frequently listened to" list on my phone. The vocal arrangement is so simple but still powerful, and is again accompanied by a cool drum beat as well as some cool guitar. Pretty much just listen to this whole album and you can't go wrong.
My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation/I hear the sweet, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation/Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear that music ringing/It finds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing/What though my joys and comforts die, the Lord my Savior liveth/What though the darkness gather round, songs in the night He giveth/No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that refuge clinging/Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing
Evergreen (2018)
Assad's fifth Christian album was released February 23rd, 2018 by Fortunate Fall Records when she was 34 years old. With a run time of around 53 minutes, the album has four songs listed as Popular on Apple Music: Evergreen, Deliverer, The Joy of the Lord, and Drawn to You. This album didn't hit me quite as hard as the previous three, but there's still some good stuff on here. The songwriting is very good, and the tone of the album is still pretty calming but still uplifting. Here's my Top 3:
Track 4: The Joy of the Lord (written by A. Assad)
The piano on this song is really beautiful, as are Assad's vocals. I like hearing a little bit slower song about joy as a reminder that it's not a fruit that always comes easily. It's a beautiful message woven into these lyrics.
Mountains ahead of me and valleys behind/The road may be narrow, but Your mercy is wide/Sorrow may linger and last for the night, but I am never alone/Sorrow may linger and last for the night, but I m never alone/The joy of the Lord is my strength/My strength/Oh, the joy of the Lord is my strength/My strength
Track 7: Teresa (written by A. Assad)
Whether you agree with her methods or not, Mother Teresa has been a prominent figure in the church for longer than most of us have been alive. I thought these lyrics, which are inspired by her work, were really beautiful, and they can be a prayer for any of us as we ask God to reveal Himself to us. Again, beautiful vocals and beautiful piano on this track.
Jesus, I need You; lover, don’t leave/Did You call my name/Just to plunge me deep into the darkness/Do You know that I can’t even hear Your voice/Accusers around me on every side/Whispering to me that I’m willfully blind/That I’m clinging to nothing, but all that I want is to clear the noise/So I reach out my hands to find You were You have been hiding/Maybe I’ll see You deep in the eyes of the dying
Track 9: Wounded Healer (written by A. Assad)
This was my favorite song on this album by quite a bit. Another great song for Easter, it's a declaration of praise and surrender to Jesus. This is a cool song all around, I recommend you check it out for sure.
Image of the Invisible/In our pain, we feel You near/God of heaven in flesh and bone/By Your wounds, we shall be healed/Wounded healer/We give our hearts to You/Wounded healer/We give our hearts to You
I hope you found some great music to explore from this talented artist today. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
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