Empty & Beautiful

Empty & Beautiful
Studio album by Matt Maher
Released April 8, 2008
Genre CCM, worship
Length 52:38
Label Essential
Producer Matt Maher, Ed Cash
Matt Maher chronology
Overflow
(2006)		 Empty & Beautiful
(2008)		 Alive Again
(2009)

Empty & Beautiful is the debut studio album by Matt Maher, released on April 8, 2008. It was his first album with Essential Records. It reached No. 168 on the Billboard 200.[1] The album also debuted at No. 6 on the Top Heatseekers charts.

Track listing

CD track order
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Your Grace Is Enough"  Matt Maher 4:25
2. "Look Like a Fool"  Maher, Bill Staine 3:33
3. "For Your Glory"  Maher 3:54
4. "As It Is in Heaven"  Maher, Ed Cash 4:09
5. "I Rejoice"  Maher 4:14
6. "Maranatha (Come Again)"  Maher 3:22
7. "Great Things"  Maher 4:19
8. "Leave a Light On"  Maher 4:48
9. "Shine Like the Son"  Maher 3:13
10. "Unwavering"  Maher 5:59
11. "Lay It Down"  Maher, Brenton Brown 5:26
12. "Empty & Beautiful"  Maher 4:44
Total length:
 52:38

Charts

Album

Chart (2011) Peak
positions
US Billboard 200 168[2]
US Billboard Christian Albums 12[3]
US Billboard Heatseekers Albums 6[4]

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US Christian
2009 "Empty & Beautiful" 47

Critical review

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic
(Jared Johnson)		[5]
CCM Magazine
(Mike Parker)		[6]
Christian Music Review
(Jay Heilman)		[6][7]
Cross Rhythms
(Julie Porter)		[8]
Jesus Freak Hideout
(David Taylor)		[9]

Allmusic's Jared Johnson noted the album "may sound very familiar."[5] Also, he said "his music is on par with Tomlin, and even Matt Redman, but it sounds so much like them that listeners may not discover the true depth of his talents."[5]

CCM Magazine's Mike Parker evoked the album that "sounds effortless, familiar and inviting, even though it plumbs the depths of theological truth."[6]

Christian Music Review's Jay Heilman stated how much he "enjoyed it and was lifted up by his message, his honesty and his conviction to put forth an album that would personally challenge me to re-analyze my life and ask myself the simple question."[7]

Cross Rhythms's Julie Porter alluded to how Maher's music is "very much from the same kind of musical template as Chris Tomlin and to some extent Casting Crowns".[8] She summed up the album that it "is an album bringing us great music from a fine new singer/songwriter."[8]

Jesus Freak Hideout's David Taylor stated this album "is everything we've come to expect from recent modern worship albums: CCM radio-friendly pop with a hint of rock, piano ballads with lush string sections, and simple congregation-friendly lyrics. The only real weakness to this album is it stays a little too far inside that box to distinguish itself from the other artists in the genre."[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Matt Maher Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  2. ↑ Billboard (2012-01-13). "Matt Maher Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  3. ↑ Billboard (2012-01-13). "Matt Maher Album & Song Chart History: Christian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  4. ↑ Billboard (2012-01-14). "Matt Maher Album & Song Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  5. 1 2 3 Johnson, Jared. "Review: Empty & Beautiful". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  6. 1 2 3 Parker, Mike (2008-09-29). "Review: Empty & Beautiful". CCM Magazine thru New Release Tuesday. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  7. 1 2 Heilman, Jay (2008-04-07). "Review: Empty & Beautiful". Christian Music Review. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  8. 1 2 3 Porter, Julie (2008-11-12). "Review: Empty & Beautiful". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  9. 1 2 Taylor, David (2008-03-29). "Review: Empty & Beautiful". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2012-01-14.


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