One Man In The Middle brings you regular, unbiased and honest reviews of music EPs and albums from Christian artists and musicians, of all styles and abilities, from all over the world. Here we have “A King Worth Celebrating” by Dance Like Kings with an overall review score of 7.8 out of 10.
Album Information:
Dance Like Kings are an energetic indie/pop collective based in Southern England. With key influences coming from Paramore, Mumford & Sons, and Rend Collective, the DLK team have set out to produce anthemic singalong’s that come pre-fitted with explosive energy and celebration. DLK hold an authentic message of hope at the heart of their songwriting, trusting that every release will reach beyond the music.
REVIEW:
Dance Like Kings have been working the UK Christian music scene since 2016 building up quite a bit of support from their shows. This is their first EP which features 5 tracks including a remix of one of their early songs, “Free To Move”. Up to now the band say that they have only “managed to release vibes & hype, rarely music! The reason it’s been slow is because we haven’t felt the material was quite finished, but I’m pleased to say that we’ve been exploring and adapting our sound.”
The EP opens with the title track “A King Worth Celebrating” which is a great worship song with some driving guitars. The song is about the idea that our redeemer is a hope for us that goes beyond what we can see. The next track moves things on with the horns taking the centre stage. This is another song of great praise as “Victory Horns” celebrates the victory to be found in praise, and using the praise to move us through the difficult times, waiting for the day when the final trumpets will sound in celebration, praise and victory.
“You put the kite in my hand and promised the breeze” sets up the metaphor behind “The Kite” which is our faith being built up. We come alive in the breeze of God, it’s not something that can be tamed. We cannot even comprehend the power that God has, but we come alive in and through God’s power. “Bright & Beautiful” is not, thankfully, a remix of the classic hymn, instead it is a look at how God is with us, and has gone before us, even when we can’t see it easily and we doubt. There is the promise that God will carry us forward in the hard times, God is faithful through it all.
This is a great release, even if it is a bit short! This has a good mature send balancing the guitars and other instrumentation carefully. Some of the tracks like “Bright & Beautiful” have overtones of Rend Collective in the style, a slightly Irish / celtic vibe is infused through the song. The “Victory Horns” track brings in the horns that have been a trademark of the band since the beginning. The vocals carry everything nicely, keeping the songs together and the lyrics the key part of these songs. If you have never caught these guys then they are regularly performing, get out and hear them, and make sure you pick up a copy of this EP in the meantime on your favourite music platform. It’s good worship and confident praise.
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