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Anomaly by Lecrae  | CD Reviews And Information | NewReleaseToday

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Anomaly [edit]
by Lecrae | Genre: Rap/Urban | Release Date: September 09, 2014
 

Anomaly will be the seventh official studio album from Lecrae, and a follow up to his Grammy Award winning album Gravity. "Conceptually," says Lecrae, "it’s about how I deviate from the norm just being a product of Hip-Hop, but yet staying true to who I am and what I’m about, even though the culture is going its own route. It’s saying ‘Man, I don’t care. I’ll be different.’"




Track Listing
Click here to add a video. Click to add lyrics if not listed.
01. Outsiders
02. Welcome to America
03. Say I Won't (feat. Andy Mineo)
04. Nuthin'
05. Fear
06. Anomaly
07. Timepiece
08. Dirty Water
09. Wish
10. Runners
11. All I Need is You
12. Give In (feat. Crystal Nicole)
13. Good, Bad, Ugly
14. Broken (feat. Kari Jobe)
15. Messengers (feat. for King & Country)

Entry last edited by NRTeamAdmin on 09.11.14

Christian CD Reviews
(5) Total Review(s) | Average NRTeam Rating:
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A True Anomaly | Posted September 27, 2014
Once in a while, an album is released that changes the face of a genre. An album that garners so much attention that it cannot be ignored. Lecrae has done exactly this with his latest installment, Anomaly.

This is a fitting title for an album in a sub-genre of music that has typically been identified as poor quality from the mainstream market. A lot of mainstream music fans speak jokingly of Christian music in general, and even Christian music fans regularly discuss how the general market of Christian music lags behind other popular music by about a year in terms of style.

Lecrae has set each one of us straight, showing us that excellence in the name of Jesus is achievable and that we don't have to crossover to mainstream in order to gain mainstream attention. Excellent music cannot be denied its just place in our music libraries.

This is demonstrated by the fact that this album reached #1 in the Billboard Top 200 after its first week of sales, has spent two weeks as #1 Rap Album, #1 Christian Album and #1 Gospel Album. "All I Need Is You," a song devoted to his wife, has spent the last 2 weeks as the #1 Hot Gospel Song and "Messengers (feat. For KING AND COUNTRY)" is the #1 Digital Gospel Song with three other tracks rounding out the top four of the Digital Gospel Songs on Billboard.

This album ranges from calling out the privileged and showing how America cares neither for its own or immigrants on "Welcome to America" to calling out the mainstream hip hop industry for talking about "Nuthin." It excels both when having fun with Andy Mineo on "Say I Won't" and getting personal on "Good, Bad, Ugly," in which he talks about some of his past issues including a girlfriend have an abortion and being sexually assaulted as a child.

Closing Thoughts:
When I first downloaded the album, I heard something different, something new from Lecrae. I was not a huge fan of Gravity or either of the Church Clothes albums, so I had set an extraordinarily high bar for Mr. Moore here. He easily cleared it with this album.

As always, the production quality from Reach Records is second to none. The use of chanting and foreign languages as background sounds keeps our ears perked up, always wondering what is being said.

This is the new bar for all other Christian artists, hip hop or otherwise, to look at and know is possible. This album is as important to the Christian music industry as Roger Banister's four-minute mile was to distance running: it is evidence that something once thought near impossible can happen once, and in just a few years may become common place.

Song to Download Now:
"Welcome to America" (Get it on iTunes here.)

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The System Didn't Prepare for This | Posted September 17, 2014
The definition of anomaly: "Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected." This is something that should describe Christians. We are the ones called to step beyond societal norms. This is a word that absolutely describes Christian crossover rapper Lecrae, who fittingly titled his new album to reflect this concept.

"Fear" has Lecrae delivering an honest look at some of his apprehensions concerning whether his life is pleasing to God. He explores fear of failing in front of his critics and some of the thoughts in his head that could cause people to look at him differently.

The beat on "Welcome to America" is pulsating, and the echoing chants in the background provide the punch to send this one over the edge. The music takes a backseat to the lyrical look at stories of those in America who have faced horrible experiences, from ignored military vets to desperate immigrants.

With the upbeat "Runners," Lecrae warns men not to "creep" on their wives, and warns of the consequences if they do. The dialogue in this song is quite humorous and enjoyable. Lecrae also pays homage to his wife (or God depending on your interpretation) on the R&B laced "All I Need Is You." It's starting to gain more airplay on the radio waves and hopefully it will build more momentum. 

It is not always easy to be candid and transparent when you have a following. Thankfully, Lecrae does this throughout Anomaly, reminding us why he relies on God. He gives a sobering look at the fact that Christians are broken people who must rely on a God that has it all together. This is done in the form of "Broken," which has a slight alternative edge highlighted by the vocals of Kari Jobe. Jobe, who usually sings in her soprano voice, gives us a hint of contralto on this one.

In another fantastic collaboration, Lecrae enlists the help of the talented for KING & COUNTRY as he calls on the "Messengers" of the Gospel to rise up and share Christ with the world. You can never go wrong with the Smallbone brothers, and this track is no exception.

Closing Thoughts:
This is a complete album with great delivery and a great message. This project is one of Lecrae's best, and the world is taking notice. He obviously does not want to fit into the norms of society, nor does he want to be boxed in. He, along with so many of us, is truly an Anomaly. I'm grateful that he continues to bring the "heat" and grow as an artist.

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Love It | Posted September 12, 2014

Earlier this year when Christian hip-hop royalty Lecrae Moore announced he would be releasing his seventh studio album named Anomaly, it sent social media into a spin and showed many (including myself) how difficult the title is to spell. Then when single Nuthin dropped, there was some surprise about Lecrae’s blast on the music industry, stating that most songs are little more than meaningless.

With Nuthin and another few leaked singles massaging my eardrums over the last few months, I was wondering whether Anomaly would indeed rise to the self-imposed challenge of talking about something. Fortunately, listening to this record, it’s clear that Lecrae is not only willing to be meaningful, but also completely transparent in the process.

Anomaly is an album of real, intentional, tightly-produced music focussed on identity. Who are we as believers? How do we fit into this world? Will we ever fit into this world? And what defines us? These questions are all in the spotlight as Lecrae spills his heart, his hurts, his struggles and his life into music. To be as raw as he is on this album takes a whole lot of guts but challenges us to stand out in a world filled with brokenness.

Anomaly opens with cinematic bombast on Outsiders. It talks about who we are as Christians. We are bound to have struggles with identity because really, we aren’t at home on this earth. It reminded me of 1 Peter 2:11-12:

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Welcome to America contains a threatening beat with world music influences. Lecrae talks about his past and his issues with the nation he (temporarily) calls home, over great piano movement. Say I Won’t (feat. Andy Mineo) continues the outsiders idea with a grunty sound but a hopeful message. It speaks about not fitting into a mould and goes to the next level of a call to action. And Lecrae confesses he smuggles mineral water into the movies, which is pretty wild.

Lead single Nuthin boasts a great beat with grimy 80s bass. Lecrae admits he’s keen to be real: ‘Imma talk about it!’

 

 

 

It’s followed by title track/interlude Anomaly, which is packed with jazzy punch and a smooth bass line. It seems to be a summary of the tracks heard so far on the album, and praises God for the new identity we are given in Christ: ‘Thank God my kingdom was overthrown by the soul redeemer.’

Our use of time is questioned on Timepiece and Lecrae challenges himself on his desire for material possessions: ‘Fame, money success are competing for my investments but I can’t take them with me when it’s time for me to exit.’ Dirty Water contains a menacing grind and confronts about our  intentions behind good deeds, and slavery to materialism.

Wish is full of dreamy, poppy production and speaks about regrets and struggles with sin. It appeals to our universal desire to change the past, when we should trust control to God: ‘Maybe I can turn it around?’

Runners is a pretty honest track about lust, in a similar vein to Swoope’s LSD from earlier this year. ‘I was on the trail of another female.’ Lecrae spits out the verses and warns himself and us with a repeated ‘Don’t do it!’ It’s short but direct, and memorable.

Single All I Need is You is one of the biggest, bounciest songs on the album, and slots in thematically after Runners. It’s a love song from Lecrae to his wife and contains one of the best grinds on the album.

 

 

 

Give In (feat. Crystal Nicole) is probably the first loaded pop track on the album. The backing track is great but Lecrae’s singing falls a little flat.

With only a few tracks to go, Lecrae raises the bar on Good, Bad, Ugly. It continues talking about the struggle of sin with extremely transparent lyrics. As Lecrae shared on the Bad Christian podcast, this is an honest reflection on an abortion that Lecrae went through with his girlfriend more than a decade ago and the burden he carried that is now taken away by Jesus. The song is dark but opens up into light when he talks of his Saviour: ‘The future looks bright, I see the light on’.

Some special guests are saved for the closing moments on Anomaly. Broken (feat. Kari Jobe) is all about the brokenness of humanity and it gets real. ‘We all need grace in the face of each other.’ Through clever wordplay Lecrae takes the nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty and brings some truth to the tale:

‘Fell off the wall of purity doing the Humpty dance.

Forget the kings horses, forget the king’s men,

the King is coming to put us back together again.’

It’s about asking God to restore us from our brokenness and to make us whole again, and is incredibly positive and hopeful. The album closes with Messengers (feat. for KING & COUNTRY) and it seems like a natural sequel to Lecrae’s 2012 hit Tell the World. It’s an anthemic pop track to close the album and is filled with the pounding drums you’d expect from for KING & COUNTRY.

Thematically Lecrae hits the nail on the head on this album. Anomaly is perhaps his most honest record to date and proves that he is willing to talk about something real, something true, and something he cares about. In a world that wants us to be shaped by it, material wealth, or past regrets, we’re reminded that our identity comes from Christ and Christ alone. I’m giving Anomaly 5ive out of five stars.



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One of Lecrae's Best | Posted September 21, 2014
This is one of the best albums I have heard from Lecrae, if not, the best.  I really liked how he included non-rap artists like Kari Jobe and for King & Country.  If you have not listened to at least two songs on this album, you need to.
 


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namzy (134)


Album is amazing | Posted August 15, 2014
The album is amazing with All I need is you, fear, Good bad & ugly, broken and nuthin' amazing . Most of all Lecrae you have managed to maintain the word of God in all your songs and this is the point. Yeap! I pray that God keeps on using you to bring more to his kingdom. Loving the album.

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