The Art of Celebration

The Art of Celebration
Studio album by Rend Collective
Released 17 March 2014
Genre CCM, Worship, folk, indie rock, roots rock,
Length 61:29
Label Integrity/Columbia
Rend Collective chronology

Campfire
(2013)		 The Art of Celebration
(2014)		 "Campfire Christmas (Vol. 1)"
(2014)

The Art of Celebration is the fourth studio album by folk-rock worship band Rend Collective. The album released on 17 March 2014 by Integrity Music and Columbia Records. The album has seen commercial successes and critical acclamation.

Background

This is the fourth studio album from the Northern Irish group that released on 17 March 2014 by Integrity Music and Columbia Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
365 Days of Inspiring Media [1]
CCM Magazine [2]
The Christian Music Review Blog [3]
CM Addict [4]
Cross Rhythms [5]
Indie Vision Music [6]
Jesus Freak Hideout [7]
Jesus Wired [8]
Louder Than the Music [9]
New Release Tuesday [10]
Worship Leader [11]

The Art of Celebration garnered critical acclaim from the ratings and reviews of music critics. At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner rated the album four stars out of five, calling this "Another passionate and powerful worship release from RCE."[2] Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms rated the album a perfect ten squares, remarking how this release "is quite simply a classic and the first three tracks alone will surely produce huge radio exposure and international popularity."[5] At Worship Leader, Jeremy Armstrong rated the album a perfect five stars, and according to him "Passion meets emotion in this wonderful example of a scripturally rich, highly affecting collection of worship anthems that will serve churches around the globe."[11] In addition, Armstrong states that "Everything matters in music designed for worship, and Rend Collective is not just aware of this, they deftly reveal the art of it."[11]

At New Release Tuesday, Kevin Davis rated the album a perfect five stars, writing that "The Art of Celebration is the most engaging and exciting worship album I've ever heard, a bold, artful celebration."[10] Jonathan Andre of Indie Vision Music rated the album four stars out of five, stating how the material on the release is "poignant and relatable" that "creates a great platform" for future release, and observing how there is a "sense of realness and authenticity" to the project. At Jesus Freak Hideout, Mark Rice rated the album three-and-a-half stars, saying that the release "isn't the best the Collective has offered, but fans of the group will find it hard to dislike, as will the band's worship base", and he calls it "a solid release."[7] Andrew Funderburk of CM Addict rated the album four out of five stars, writing that "Despite being light, there is a strength that exudes from each word sung" on the release.[4] At 365 Days of Inspiring Media, Joshua Andre rated the album four stars out of five, writing how "it's clear that Rend Collective bring so much lyrical and musical creativity throughout these 13 tracks, injecting fun, joy and life into worship."[1]

Maddy Agers of Jesus Wired Maddy Agers rated the album nine-and-a-half stars out of ten, saying that "There is a consistent pour of love and peace throughout this album."[8] At The Christian Music Review Blog, Jim Wilkerson rated the album a perfect five stars, stating that "If your heart desires something real - not something that was churned out to make hits and generate revenue, then I highly recommend this album."[3] Timothy Yap of Hallels gave a positive review, saying that "And all we hear are the raw and haunting vocals of Gareth Gilkeson worshipping; here you know you have entered God's Holy presence."[12] At Alpha Omega News, Rob Snyder graded the album an A-, writing that "The biggest clue as to what The Art of Celebration sounds like is in the title."[13]

Commercial performance

For the Billboard charting week of 5 April 2014, The Art of Celebration was the No. 13 most sold album in the entirety of the United States via the Billboard 200, and it was the No. 1 most sold album in the Christian Albums market.

Track listing

Tracklist
No. Title Length
1. "Joy"   3:58
2. "Burn Like a Star"   4:08
3. "My Lighthouse"   3:44
4. "More Than Conquerors"   5:21
5. "All That I Am"   3:37
6. "Immeasurably More"   5:33
7. "Finally Free"   4:57
8. "Create in Me"   3:40
9. "Strength of My Heart"   5:07
10. "Simplicity"   5:18
11. "Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration)"   6:02
12. "My Lighthouse (Live)"   5:39
13. "Joy (Remix)"   4:25
Total length:
 61:29

Chart performance

Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[14] 13
US Christian Albums (Billboard)[15] 1

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Andre, Joshua (May 19, 2014). "Rend Collective – The Art Of Celebration". 365 Days of Inspiring Media. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Conner, Matt (1 April 2014). "Rend Collective: The Art of Celebration (Integrity)". CCM Magazine. p. 36. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wilkerson, Jim (17 March 2014). "Rend Collective: The Art of Celebration". The Christian Music Review Blog. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Funderburk, Andrew (14 March 2014). "Review of The Art of Celebration by Rend Collective". CM Addict. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cummings, Tony (19 February 2014). "Review: The Art of Celebration - Rend Collective". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Andre, Jonathan (18 March 2014). "Rend Collective – The Art of Celebration | Reviews". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Rice, Mark (16 March 2014). "Rend Collective, "The Art of Celebration" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Agers, Maddy (18 May 2014). "Rend Collective Master “The Art Of Celebration” With Joyous New Album". Jesus Wired. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Davies, Jono (18 March 2014). "Reviews - Rend Collective - The Art of Celebration". Louder Than the Music. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Davis, Kevin (12 March 2014). "Bold, Artful Celebration". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Armstrong, Jeremy (18 March 2014). "The Art of Celebration". Worship Leader. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  12. ↑ Yap, Timothy (11 March 2014). "Rend Collective “The Art of Celebration” Album Review". Hallels. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  13. ↑ Snyder, Rob (18 February 2014). "Rend Collective Experiment "The Art of Celebration"". Alpha Omega News. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "Rend Collective Experiment Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Rend Collective Experiment. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Rend Collective Experiment Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Christian Albums for Rend Collective Experiment. Retrieved 5 April 2014.