Empty and Beautiful

A Review of Matt Maher

By: Brandon Garnreiter

Posted: 10/1/09

Matt Maher is a name that, for me, is synonymous with the Catholic youth organization Life Teen. Matt Maher got his start as the lead guitarist at a Catholic parish near my home parish in Scottsdale, Arizona. He crafted toe-tapping, driving, and incredibly prayerful songs that truly help you connect with God in worship and personal listening. His work has evolved over time and has truly influenced many of the wonderful big names that we know and love on the Christian radio stations. If you listen to any station religiously (no pun intended) you will undoubtedly hear a song by Maher. One of his most popular tunes you will most likely hear is "Your Grace Is Enough."

Maher received a formal contract a few years back, allowing him and his band to tour, and get some radio air play. I have grown up with Maher's music pervading my youth Mass at home, and he is now strongly embedded into my iTunes library, and has been for many years.

Maher's album Empty and Beautiful is his first album on this new contract, and he knew that this would be the first time many listeners would be able to hear his music. As such, he has re-released a number of his smash hits over his past three albums. "As It Is In Heaven," "Unwavering," and "Your Grace is Enough" have received an artistic facelift in various ways, and create a fresh look on old favorites. While the last oldie but goodie, "For Your Glory," is just the same as the version on the old album, it is still a great song that draws the mind and heart to try to live a life more fully for God.

Demonstrating his outstanding writing capabilities, Maher has crafted eight more wonderful songs that show off his ability to create a sense of fluidity, even from the hard driving songs to the quiet ballads. "Look Like a Fool" is a personal favorite of mine as it captures a fun awed perspective of God. Maher comments on how God's love is unending, no matter what we do, even if we look like fools sometimes. We are being fools for a Creator whose "love is so absurd" that we "don't care if [we] look like fool[s]".

"I Rejoice" is a perfect song for praise and worship that I have had the honor of hearing performed while worshipping in front of a Monstrance. It is a song that gives the audience the ability to sing the chorus and pour out their love to our Father and Brother, and keeps the mind focused on God in all ways. "Maranatha" is a song that pleads for God to come again into our broken lives. This flowing song that begins and ends as a slow piano ballad turns into a full-band praise to the Lord above and reminds us that we are God's in all ways.

"Great Things" reminds the listener how God "has done great things" and that we here on Earth cannot "boast a single thing," for all that is great is done only through Him. "Leave a Light On" touches on what all of us have experienced at some time: the doubt that we have that God is really with us right here and now. The song reminds the listeners not to lose hope, but instead to "leave a light on" for our Lord, knowing that he will come for us always because of "his spirit inside" us all. If you want a rock out song that proclaims how beautiful are our hands and feet that bring the good news to all of the world and to all God's children,"Shine Like the Sun"is excellent. The song tells us to shine like the sun for everyone we meet, and to be the best we can be at all times.

"Lay it Down" is a song that Maher has long played in praise and worship sessions that I have wanted him to put on an album for a long time. It is a deeply reflective and meditative song about (what else?) laying "it down at Your feet", giving all of our worries and everything we are to God. "Empty and Beautiful," the title track, ends the CD with a beautiful piano intro with an orchestral score throughout. The song tells of how even while we empty ourselves out for God, he remains with us through all and in spite of all. "Jesus You fought the fight in me." "You kept the faith in me." These words of Matt Maher's songs remind us that in a struggle of faith, God's love will always carry us through all our problems and when we make ourselves empty, He will fill us with something fully and utterly beautiful.

This album takes the listener on an incredible, graceful journey of faith, looking at the individual's relationship with God from all aspects. From the jubilant love God has given, to the sorrows of Sin, to the renewal and recognition of Love again, Maher has woven a variety of themes into a beautiful album that I highly recommend for anyone in search of heart-rousing and inspiring music and spiritual growth.

Brandon Garnreiter is a Junior at Gonzaga.