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Need You Now by Plumb  | CD Reviews And Information | NewReleaseToday

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Need You Now [edit]
by Plumb | Genre: Pop/Rock | Release Date: February 26, 2013
 

With chart topping hits spanning multiple genres over the course of her career, Plumb is well known by fans of Christian music. Need You Now delivers Plumb's signature sound in the top hits, "One Drop," "I Don't Deserve You" and "Beautiful." Plumb's infectious artistry is unique and timeless, offering up songs that fans of all ages can relate to.

Track Listing
Click here to add a video. Click to add lyrics if not listed.
01. Invisible
02. Drifting (w/ Dan Haseltine)
03. Beautiful
04. One Drop
05. I Want You Here
06. Say Your Name
07. Unlovable
08. Need You Now
09. Chocolate & Ice Cream
10. I Don't Deserve You
11. Cage
12. At Arms' Length
13. I Don't Deserve You (with Paul van Dyk)
Click To Add Lyrics

Entry last edited by liveheart on 07.09.17

Christian CD Reviews
(8) Total Review(s) | Average NRTeam Rating:
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Need This Album | Posted December 30, 2013
It is so good to see Plumb back on the scene. Back to crafting pop music. Back in front of audiences on major tour and festival stages. Back to inspiring us with creative music and engaging lyrics that come straight from her heart and personal struggles. It's been a long and dry wait for Plumb fans. The last album to really tap into her full potential was 2006's Chaotic Resolve. She followed that with the lovely, but sleepy by design, lullaby tinged Blink that fully abandoned her trajectory as a Christian music pop sensation. It left fans feeling a bit empty and we were teased for a full two years with Need You Now. The wait, as they say, was definitely worth it.

We've since learned what was holding this amazing artist back. Her own desire to raise her family and struggles with keeping her marriage intact were too consuming to properly balance the life of an artist, but with those struggles behind her and in control, we're back to the ballgame and it's those struggles that have inspired some of the most moving songs she has released.

"Need You Now (How Many Times)," "I Want You Here" and "Say Your Name" speaks to the challenges of keeping a strained relationship on the verge of implosion intact while dealing with loneliness and seclusion in the midst of a waning faith. It's some heavy subjects but Plumb has never been one to shy away from tough topics. "Unlovable" is about our inability to put politics and judgments above the love Christ wants us to reach out with. "Cage," the album's break out rock song, speaks above loving through rage and anger and admits "I've got issues, that's for sure / But it's kind of why you like me".

Plumb is, by far, one of the most interesting female voices in Christian music today and Need You Now prove she deserves your attention. She can speak to both sexes with an honesty and purity not found on many other albums. Her honesty and vulnerability can be heartbreaking and healing at the same time. Her need to be loved not only by her Creator but her partner in life and those around her is something we can all relate with.

Closing Thoughts:
Christian music is once again in this cycle of declining female voices that I hope to see reversed as we head into 2014. In fact, on this list of twenty albums, females make up just three selections. We need more female artists like Plumb who can come at issues from a different perspective and encourage us all in the process. This is an album that Plumb fans have been waiting for for entirely too long. It should hold them over for whatever's next from this amazing artist.

Songs to Download:
"Don't Deserve You" and "Say Your Name"



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Plumb [Need You Now] | Posted February 21, 2013
With chart topping hits across multiple genres over the course of her career, Plumb presents yet again another brilliant studio collection. Titled Need You Now after the six week number one hit, "Need You Now (How Many Times)," the album delivers Plumb’s signature sound in top hits, "One Drop," "I Don’t Deserve You" and "Beautiful." Plumb’s infectious artistry has been featured in major motion pictures and TV shows. I remember the first time I heard Plumb’s song “God-Shaped Hole.” I immediately connected to the catchy melody and poignant lyrics. Throughout her career, she has continued to entertain and challenge listeners looking to fill that “God-shaped hole in all of us.” 

Proving her lyrical prowess, Plumb aptly captures her essence on the opener "Invisible” when she sings, "I’m sick and then I’m well / So full so empty still / You leave me wanting / Oh tell me where’d you go / Don’t be invisible / Cause I am reaching / Save me." Therein lies the beautiful paradox of Plumb's art; she molds elements of rock, pop, and electronica together and does so while singing about some difficult subjects like physical abuse, alienation, and depression. "Beautiful,” I Want You Here" and "Say Your Name" are telling examples with Plumb's edgy rock mixing perfectly with strings. “Beautiful” perfectly displays the reality of marriage with the poignant lyrics: “Oh I don't deserve youcause I always hurt you / then you say the perfect thing / you're beautiful, so beautiful to me.” I've been married for eighteen years, and the "crazy cycle" of marriage is one that hinges on compromise and asking for forgiveness. Just like in "Real Life Fairytale," Plumb captures the marriage dynamic in a catchy song. Now a mother of three, she seasons her lyrics with her life experience, making her lyrics even more relatable to listeners.

“I Want You Here” features Plumb’s signature epic sound layered around Tiffany’s powerful vocals, as she belts out “An ache, so deep, that I can hardly breathe…God help me, God help me, God help me, Breathe.” Tiffany struggled with panic attacks and shortness of breath and has learned to reach out to God in prayer for healing as also reflected in her hit song "Need You Now (How Many Times)." The title track is a wonderful song of encouragement and prayer to ask God to break your pride, live redemption's story, and move closer to who we're meant to be in Christ. Allow God and His Holy Spirit to change you to be more like Jesus, and move closer to His glory. The chorus of the song says it all, "How many times have You heard me cry out, "God please take this"? How many times have You given me strength to just keep breathing? Oh I need You, God, I need You now." God wants us to know that He's faithful to complete what's He's started in all of us who've put all of our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation.

The stark and majestically beautiful songs "Unlovable” and “I Don’t Deserve You” both showcase Plumb's wonderful voice, and don't miss how she soars with eagles on these dramatic songs. Both songs bring me to tears as I pray along with Tiffany with the incredible lyrics of “Unlovable.” She brings out the truth of our fallen and judgmental selves when she proclaims: “So we say we love Jesus / But didn’t we kill Him / ‘cause we thought He was different / I bet He was saying…Why Me? Why am I not welcome in your company? Why do you treat Me like an enemy? If you believe the way you say you do / then why am I unlovable to you?” Oh my, the tears just flow when I listen to that gorgeous song. Have a box of tissues when you listen to the Prodigal Son inspired “I Don’t Deserve You.”  Tiffany wrote the song directly to her song Oliver and as a father of three daughters, and a chosen son of my Heavenly Father, I can’t listen to this gorgeous song without being moved. The picture of God’s unconditional love for us after all that we’ve done wrong is profoundly captured in the chorus—I don't deserve Your love / But You give it to me anyway / Can't get enough / You're everything I need / And when I walk away / You take off running and come right after me / It's what You do / And I don't deserve You.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS
Need You Now has been one of my favorite albums to savor in many years, as the combination of Tiffany Arbuckle-Lee’s incredible vocal range and her compelling and relevant lyrics have never been more perfectly combined than with this stellar and flawless masterpiece. Plumb’s longtime producer Matt Bronleewe perfectly describes her unique sound as "raw, lyrically introspective vocals floating across an epic soundscape." Every Plumb album is an immersion into her life. Each is unique, tied to the emotions and circumstances that inspired it, and yet each is timeless, identifiable as the outpouring of a singular artistic vision. Every song on this album is excellent, and Need You Now is the album of the year.



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Plumb Delivers a Dynamic Punch | Posted January 28, 2013
It's been quite a long time since the last full-length album by popular crossover artist Plumb released. It's been more than five years, to be exact, since 2007's Blink. And since that was a softer, lullaby approach. It's been a full seven years since 2006's Chaotic Resolve when we last had a Plumb album like what we've come to expect from Tiffany Arbuckle Lee. Sure, we've had a greatest hits collection with some terrific singles, but no complete album.
 
Over the past few years, this long-awaited release has been teased through clips and radio singles. It's been delayed I don't know how many times, and has even undergone a name change after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. However, after what seems like forever, Need You Now finally seems like it will make it to the hands of eager fans. 
 
Now the question is: does it live up to all the hype built by the long wait? Definitely.
 
In 2011 and 2012 respectively, Plumb released "Drifting" and the title track as singles from the album. The former is a catchy radio song featuring the familiar vocals of Jars of Clay's Dan Hastletine. The two sound great together and the track almost feels old now since it's well over a year old. But it's a great song nonetheless and it's great that it finally has an album it can call home. 
 
As for "Need You Now," and I am sure radio fans will agree… WOW! It's truly one of the most emotional and powerful tunes that Plumb has ever released, and that's saying something given the track record of amazing emotional ballads. But this song just takes that power and runs with it to a whole new level. 
 
Plumb's vocals slam into your ears with an emotional power that makes every word resonate as an honest and heartfelt prayer. "How many times have you heard me cry out 'God please take this' / How many times have you given me strength to just keep breathing / Oh, I need you / God I need you now.
 
It's one of the most powerful choruses on the radio in recent years and one of the best songs released in 2012. It certainly merits being upgraded to the title track and still stands as an album highlight amidst a great album.
 
As for the new material, there's plenty of it, and it's quite varied. (I expect most of these songs will find new life in future remixes that Plumb songs are famous for becoming.) "Invisible" opens the record with a guitar-driven kick and the song itself is dark and mysterious. "Cage" brings the rock back towards the end of the album. This was the first song listeners got a preview to more than two years ago now.
 
Of course the real gems come in the form of the emotional ballads. "I Want You Here" is a heartbreaking song about the loss of a child and I suppose it fits into the tradition of "Boys Don't Cry" and "Cut" from earlier releases, dealing with deep emotional issues in an honest first-person account. The song itself feels heartbreaking in its honest portrayal of that unimaginable pain and Plumb's vocals meet the tough task of selling it too. I think given the aforementioned recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn., the lyrics carry a relevant weight. This and the title track are intense portrayals of crying out for God in the midst of trials.
 
It's not all glum though. "Say Your Name" and "I Don't Deserve You" are also terrific and emotional musical journeys with great melodies and vocals. There are truly a lot of potential hits here. Plumb does an excellent job with balancing radio friendliness with amazing music.
 
"Beautiful," "One Drop," "Unlovable," and "At Arm's Length" all add their musical touches to a terrific selection of great emotional music. "At Arm's Length" builds slowly into an emotional and epic finish. (I don't know why the quieter first half of the song has a "closing moments of a television drama" vibe to me.) The musical journey through this album is memorable and rewarding. With so many great songs, this album is already set this as one of 2013's most promising releases.
 
I suppose if there were a misstep, it'd be the quirky "Chocolate & Ice Cream." It's not a bad song by any means. It's peppy and likable. However, sandwiched between the powerful title track and the rousing "I Don't Deserve You," it sort of feels like the odd song out. The heavy themes and emotional delivery of the rest of the songs in the album feel like they lead into each other and belong together. While I suppose this does offer a happy counterbalance to the others, I do feel it sort of breaks up the emotional momentum. Perhaps it might have fared better being released as a B-side, as it is still a very good song.
 
Closing Thoughts: 
Can I say "WOW" again? Plumb's really knocked this out of the park. The music is packed with a myriad of different emotions and Plumb sells all of it with passionate vocals. The music is top-notch and the lyrics honest. There's really little more you could ask for in music. The sound's very accessible. I'd bet this album could easily appeal to fans of top-selling mainstream pop, while still being more than pleasing to those of us who like some lyrical meat in our music. Start to finish, this latest album from Plumb is pretty darn amazing.  

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Grab this if you don't already have it | Posted October 09, 2014

‘Need You Now’ is the first release from Plumb in over 5 years. It was originally supposed to be released in September 2012 with the title of ‘Faster than a Bullet’, but was pushed back by her record company to a 2013 release. The title of the album was changed to honor the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims, which was a good move since ‘Need You Now’ fits better with the overall feel of the record.

The CD starts off with Invisible, an upbeat song that sounds like a classic Plumb track. I cannot see you / But I can feel you / I just wanna be with you / I’ve nowhere else to go are the words of someone that is at a crossroads in their life. At some point in all of our lives we will find ourselves lost with nowhere to go and at that point we have to put our faith in something. Sometimes that is a higher power, sometimes it’s a person and sometimes it’s just a basic belief that things will get better. Songs like this are there to let the listener know they are not alone in these struggles. Drifting, which features Jars of Clay singer Dan Haseltine, is a song about being there for someone when they are in need. It is a reminder to us all that When you lose the will to live / You will see the sun.

In Beautiful she (Tiffany Arbuckle Lee is the musician who goes by the moniker/artist name Plumb) sings about all the faults she sees in herself and how just hearing her husband tell her that she is beautiful makes everything seem better. One Drop continues that sentiment as she sings I need you / And you need me / Left alone / We will never be / Who we could be.

Plumb’s One Drop

I Want You Here is a very personal song about turning to God when obstacles get in your way. In this case her struggles are panic attacks, which is also the subject of Need You Now (How Many Times). Heartbreak is the topic of Say Your Name, a haunting rock ballad that features a string section that would have felt at home on radio stations in the late 80’s.

Why me / Why am I not welcome in your company  / Why do you treat me like an enemy / If you believe the way you say you do / Then why am I unlovable to you she sings, calling out supposed Christians with Unlovable, a song suggesting that we should love everyone despite their differences. It is refreshing to hear a Christian artist speak out against discrimination.

Switching gears from loving others to loving your spouse is Chocolate and Ice Cream, a fun little song where she sings about all of the differences between her and her husband and how those differences make her feel complete. I Don’t Deserve You is about loving someone so much that you can’t believe they are with you.

Making mistakes is common in relationships, which is the subject of Cage. Even when you love someone there are days when you aren’t at your best. One of those days must have prompted At Arm’s Length in which she sings If we don’t get our way right now / We act like children.

‘Need You Now’ is that rare record offering both thought provoking lyrics and a singer with an amazing vocal range. Even though it is marketed as a Christian album it never gets too preachy like others in that genre. Instead of singing worship songs, Plumb crafts beautiful tracks based on life experiences which makes her music palatable to fans of all types of music. This is easily one of the best records released in 2013 due to the songwriting alone.



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Awesome! | Posted February 04, 2014
I couldn't wait for this cd to come out. Plumb has such a great voice and her songs hold so much meaning. My favorites from this cd are Need You Now, One Drop, Unloveable and I Don't Deserve You.

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Chills | Posted February 22, 2013
I have waited anxiously for months for this album to come out and it's almost here. Plumb performs so well and has such an amazing voice that she's using for the Lord. and I was hooked. Her lyrics express so many feelings..

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Great sound, lyrics that make you think | Posted February 20, 2013
Love this album! Her voice is gorgeous, the sound is serious but in a hopeful way, not a depressing way, and the lyrics have real substance. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes music that is a little on the harder side, but it will also appeal to those with a more "mainstream" taste. 

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justink (115)


Hmmmm... Not CHaotic Resolve | Posted February 19, 2013
Plumb has been one of those artists that either hits in right on the head or misses completely - This album is somewhere in between the two- She's not the same artist she was on Chaotic Resolve before- seems like her focus has shifted but she still doesn't want to lose the edge- BUT wants to be more commericially accepted

I thought the opener (Invisible) lacked substance- and just tried to use strange/eerie chord progressions to get that edgy/dark vibe without really having any lyrical power. 

Drifting was ok. Could have done without Dan H.

Beautiful is a pretty love song----you can tell that life has changed for Tiffany (marriage/kids)

One Drop- got on the Jason Mraz/Ingrid Michaelson (sounds a lot like Blood Brothers) band wagon- w/ ukelele and a breezy pop song 
 
I Want You Here is a beautiful song. Again- you can tell that life has changed. but It's beautiful 

Say Your Name is an ok pop/rock song - lyrically it's pretty much the same theme as all the songs on this album

Unlovable is a great message/song- it's challenging 

Need You Now- I don't like this song- when I heard it- it's depressing and never really moves anywhere musically

Chocolate and Ice Cream- Again with the kind of breezy  piano pop that is (One Drop)- think a little Sara Bareallis thrown in. 

I Don't Deserve You- same theme as drifting/Say your name/ Need you now/ 

Cage- I WISH there were more songs like this. THIS is the plumb that I'VE WAITED FOR. 

At Arms Length- lyrically it's great- musically there are two many songs that are similar to it on the album that by the time you get to this song- you feel like you've already heard it. 

Download: Cage/ At Arm's Lenght/ Unlovable. 


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