Matthew West and Shinedown

Today I have some music for you by the singer-songwriter Matthew West. Now this is a man who is a popular artist in a lesser listened to genre. Yes, he does technically count as a Christian artist, but that doesn't stop me from listening to his music. Inspiration and an outstretched hand can come from anywhere, and I openly embrace music from all cultures and religions. That being said, if you are not a huge fan of the fact that this is considered Christian rock, I would like to thrown in this bit of two sense. This song never uses the words "God" or "Christ" or any other related words. This is a song that is about the human existence, the human desire to really live instead of going through life with no direction. Matthew West is a wonderful singer and I really like what he did with this song. There is a bit of cleverness to the lyrics of this song. Since the inspiration behind the song was about a surgery that could have been career shattering, there are some cleverly woven references to being in a hospital. I mean the first line is a great example of this! The lyrics in this song are very genuine, and Matthew West clearly means every word he sings since this is his experience. This whole album is a beautifully written one because of the muses who inspired it. Instead of using only his experiences to write this album, Matthew West asked fans to tell him their personal stories, and after going through these stories, wrote the music we hear on this album. He wrote this album for the listeners, built it because of the listeners. This is an homage to those that the songs really talk about, and that is something that is so fantastically moving. Now this song in particular is based off a personal incident, but Matthew West has taken an idea that every single one of us have grappled with. Wondering where we belong, what we are really meant to do? And it also addresses something that is a complexly large part of human nature. Going through the actions and emotions of life has the ability to come to one so easily, but, we are always told to grab a hold of life and be the one in control. Yet more of us than not have felt a sense of being lost, not having direction, wondering what life would have been like if we had done this thing better and another better. This song is a Christian song, yes, but it is more about the humanity inside each and everyone of us. This is one of Matthew West's best songs yet, and we will hopefully hear more from him, or at least, go through all the music he has already released. Today's instrumental song is by Shinedown. This is a band that rose to prominence after winning American Idol. A band that has an interesting sound, one similar to Nickleback but not quite right. It also has a more uplifting subject base. Although strangely enough, Shindeown has the same rough and gritty and gravelly sound as Nickleback. But I kind of like that vocalization! Anyway I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment