| Come to the Well | ||||||||||
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| Studio album by Casting Crowns | ||||||||||
| Released | October 18, 2011[1] | |||||||||
| Recorded | Zoo Studio (Franklin, TN)[2] | |||||||||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian, pop rock, worship | |||||||||
| Length | 53:13 | |||||||||
| Label | Reunion[1] | |||||||||
| Producer | Mark A. Miller | |||||||||
| Casting Crowns chronology | ||||||||||
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Come to the Well is the fifth studio album by Contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns. Released on October 18, 2011, the album is a pop rock, worship, and rock album with influences from adult contemporary, pop, and country. The album discusses lyrical themes including forgiveness and grace, as well as commentary on denominationalism in the church. The album met with positive to mixed critical reception, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, slightly below commercial expectations.
The lead single from the album, "Courageous", was released on July 19, 2011 and has peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart, No. 2 on the Hot Christian AC chart, and No. 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
Contents |
"Come to the Well" was recorded at Zoo Studio in Franklin, Tennessee.[2] The album was produced by Mark A. Miller.[2]
The musical sound of "Come to the Well" is generally pop rock,[3] worship,[4] and rock.[4] Other genres such as adult contemporary,[5] pop,[6] and country[6] are influences on the project. "My Own Worst Enemy" is influenced by grunge[5] and hard rock,[7], while "Spirit Wind" is influenced by bluegrass[8], country,[4] and folk rock.[3] "Almost There" and "Wedding Day" have been compared to "Clocks-era Coldplay",[5] while "Courageous" is a soft rock song.[7] "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" has been described as a 'pop hymn'.[7]
Lyrical themes on Come to the Well include forgiveness and grace.[5] Christian singer Matthew West co-wrote several tracks on the album with Mark Hall.[6] "Courageous" is a call for men to live bold and uncompromising lives in their faith,[8] and to be better fathers and spiritual leaders.[7] The bridge of the song quotes the Book of Micah, calling the listener to "Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God".[3][8] "City on the Hill" is a commentary on denominationalism and the issues with 'rightness' in the church,[3][7] set from the perspective of two old men trying to remember what happened to the city on the hill, because it doesn't exist anymore.[9] Lead singer Mark Hall has noted that "If I were to walk in your church right now and ask five different people, “What is the most important emphasis in your church?” each would give a different answer. One would say the proclamation of God’s Word is most important, one would say discipleship, another would say small groups, and yet another would say missions. God designed us with different personalities and preferences. Unfortunately, we often make personalities and preferences the priority,"[9] also noting that "The Apostle Paul recognized the differences in us all — some of us are a hand, some are a foot, some an eye — but we all serve a distinct and important purpose and are interdependent. We have to dwell on our like-mindedness if we are ever going forge a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom".[9] "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" is a rebuke of the church for its emphasis on what it is against rather than what it is for.[7] "The Well" is about the love of Jesus, and calls the listener to 'come to the well' as opposed to religion.[3][7]
"Already There" is a song about God's faithfulness.[9] Regarding the song, Hall commented that "We have a God who is not bound by time or space. To him, space and time are mere creations. A thousand years is as one day to God, so if you have anxious thoughts try to remember Philippians 4:6-9. Paul encourages us to give our worries and fears to the Lord and pray with thanksgiving. How do we pray thanksgiving when we’re anxious? I like to simply whisper, “Thank you, Lord, that you are not anxious about this.” It reminds me that God is standing at the end of my days and looking back on them. Whatever comes, he’s already there".[9] "Spirit Wind" was inspired by a country preacher passionately preaching at what Hall described as "one of the deadest churches I had ever experienced.[9] The song recounts the tale of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones,[3] and calls out "believers living carnal lives".[8] "Just Another Birthday" is a first-person story from the perspective of a girl calling out to see her father again,[8] and is meant to both remind fathers of their priorities and encourage children who don’t have an involved dad on Earth.[9] "Wedding Day" is about the Second Coming of Christ[8][9] and the idea of the church being Christ's bride.[7][8] "Angel" was written for Mark Hall's wife, Melanie,[9][6] and references both the first time he met her and their wedding day.[9]
"My Own Worst Enemy" is about the inner conflict with sin.[9] "So Far to Find You" was written with Steven Curtis Chapman for Hall's adoptive daughter Meeka Hope.[9] Hall commented about the song that "When we traveled to China to get Meeka Hope, Steven’s wife, Mary Beth, accompanied us. We took all our kids and they got to play with their new sister, which was great. But Meeka Hope didn’t want me to hold her. Most white men that Chinese orphans see are doctors coming to do surgery on them. She was petrified of me... Only after a tearful session of pouring out my heart to God about Meeka Hope’s refusal to come to me did I realize that I often had done the same thing to my Lord. It took several weeks before Meeka Hope warmed up to me, and in the process I came to the realization that I need Jesus way more than his blessings. We are so quick to run to him for what he can do for us. We’re so slow just to sit with him and enjoy in his presence, and my crying out to him in China was really a God moment for me".[9] The song parallels these thoughts with those of God the Father toward man.[7][9]
"Courageous" was released as the lead single from the album on July 19, 2011.[10] It has currently peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart,[11] as well as at No. 2 on the Hot Christian AC chart,[12] and No. 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart,[13] and was also featured in the Sherwood Pictures movie Courageous.[3][8]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [5] |
| Christianity Today | [4] |
| Crosswalk.com | (positive) [7] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [3] |
| NewReleaseTuesday | [8] |
| WatchGMC | (positive) [6] |
Critical reception to Come to the Well was generally positive to mixed. Tincan Caldwell of Jesus Freak Hideout gave the album four stars out of five, commenting that "hats off to Casting Crowns, who with Come To The Well skillfully walk the thin tightrope act of balancing a heart for ministry and discipleship with a broadly appealing (if sometimes too broadly appealing) pop rock soundtrack"[3], lending particular praise to the songs "Courageous" and "City on the Hill".[3] Kevin Davis of New Release Tuesday also gave thew album four out of five stars, praising the album as "the best album by Casting Crowns since Lifesong"[8] and calling the track "The Well" "my favorite track by this band since "Who Am I"".[8] Allmusic reviewer James Christopher Monger gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, opining that "Opening with the one-two punch of first single “Courageous” and the lush, string-laden “City on the Hill,” Come to the Well feels a little front-loaded,"[5] and that "While the album’s mid-section features some nice, emotive moments in “Already There” and “Wedding Day,” both of which echo “Clocks”-era Coldplay, tracks like the grungy “My Own Worst Enemy” and the predictable “Angel” feel a bit tacked on, despite their good intentions".[5]
Robert Ham of Christianity Today gave the album three stars out of five, listing "Just Another Birthday", "Spirit Wind", and "So Far to Find You" as the top tracks on the album.[4] Ed Cardinal of Crosswalk.com gave the album a positive review, commenting that "the group’s fifth studio album, Come to the Well, is as strong and yet relatively safe as anything it has done before",[7] also opining that "If anything doesn’t work here, it’s the amped-up “My Own Worst Enemy” which attempts to be a hard rocker from a band that clearly does the adult contemporary thing much better. But that’s a minor quibble, and putting all art vs. ministry debate aside, Come to the Well is sure to be among 2011’s most popular and enduring Christian albums for good reason".[7] Lindsay Williams of WatchGMC noted that "The 12 new tracks are packed with hard-hitting lyrics that, if examined closely, could be controversial. However, it’s [Mark] Hall’s gentle delivery of truth that allows for effective ministry to break through",[6] also commenting that "Matthew West co-wrote half the tracks with [Mark] Hall, and the album is undoubtedly better for it".[6]
Come to the Well debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 99,000 copies its first week;[14] it was blocked from the top spot by Adele's album 21, which sold 106,000 copies.[14] Industry analysts had expected a No. 1 debut for "Come to the Well", which would have been the first Contemporary Christian album to peak at No. 1 on the BIllboard 200.[15] It also debuted at No. 2 on the Digital Albums chart and No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart.
In its second week, "Come to the Well" sold 30,000 copies, a 70% from first-week sales.[16] Accordingly, it slid from No. 2 to No. 10 on the chart.[16]
Casting Crowns has launched a fall tour to promote the album.[17] The "Come To The Well Tour", a 40-city tour featuring Christian rock bands The Afters and Sanctus Real[17][18] as well as new artist Lindsay McCaul[17][17] was launched on September 22 in El Paso, Texas.[18][19]
(Writing credits lifted from the inner notes of the album)[2]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Courageous" | Hall, West | 3:59 |
| 2. | "City On the Hill" | Hall, West | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" | Hall, West | 5:38 |
| 4. | "Already There" | Hall, West, Herms | 4:31 |
| 5. | "The Well" | Hall, West | 4:55 |
| 6. | "Spirit Wind" | Hall, Hoard | 5:18 |
| 7. | "Just Another Birthday" | Hall, Douglas | 4:27 |
| 8. | "Wedding Day" | Hall, Nordeman, Herms | 4:25 |
| 9. | "Angel" | Hall, West, Herms | 3:44 |
| 10. | "My Own Worst Enemy" | Hall, West | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Face Down" | Cervantes, Byrd | 3:37 |
| 12. | "So Far to Find You" | Hall, Chapman | 5:00 |
| iTunes pre-order bonus track | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 13. | "Listen to our Hearts (feat. Steven Curtis Chapman and Geoff Moore)" | ||||||||
(Credits lifted from the inner liner notes of the album)[2]
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| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[20] | 2 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[21] | 1 |
| US Digital Albums (Billboard)[22] | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 69[23] |
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[24] | 190 |
| US Billboard Christian Albums[25] | 6 |
| Year | Song | Peak Chart Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
Christ AC |
US | ||
| 2011 | "Courageous" | 1 | 2 | 104 |
| Preceded by Wow Hits 2012 |
U.S. Billboard Christian Albums number-one album November 5, 2011-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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