"I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)" by The City Harmonic View All Reviews

No worship band in recent history has created the kind of reaction The City Harmonic has with their EP, Introducing The City Harmonic. The band, consisting of frontman Elias Dummer, bassist Eric Fusilier, guitarist Aaron Powell and drummer Josh Vanderlaan, isn’t as interested in finding fans as they are looking for participants in the journey. Their single "Manifesto" has climbed both the Christian CHR and AC charts and their album has remained in the top 15 of all of Christian music. “Manifesto” is the type of song I wish I was singing at my church right now. The song boldly declares a statement of faith: “We believe in the one true God, We believe in Father Spirit Son, We believe that good has won, And all of the people of God sing along, Amen.” This worship anthem is just the type of infusion that the church needs with its honesty and bold lyrics. The song ends with “The Lord’s Prayer.”  The single edit version of the hit song is included as the last track of this very solid album.

I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home), their new full length album contains 11 brand new songs that continue the musical journey, with lyrics that point to the wonders of our God combined with sweeping melodies and infectious choruses that will be replayed in your mind over and over again. Experience the majestic nature of God in the music of The City Harmonic.  The opening four tracks set the tone brilliantly for this exceptional alternative rock worship album, one of the best of the year. “Yours” is an unashamed declaration of faith to God in the same rock style as “Manifesto.” Elias Dummer belts out the sincere chorus, “You can have it all, It’s Yours, all of it, Yours…” What a great reminder that everything we have is a gift from God. That Truth is manifested in the “I’m Yours” bridge to close out the song. I love the next song, “Spark,” which reminds me of “My God” from the EP. The Brit-Rock guitar riff and Coldplay-esque harmonies make this a signature tune by this incredibly talented band. “Just a spark can change my heart, just a spark is just a start, light a fire in my heart!” is the bold testimonial of this song which is a great anthem for Christians everywhere praying to be filled with The Holy Spirit.

In a poignant moment, there’s an excerpt of Martin Luther King’s “Mountaintop” speech where he prays “I just want to do God’s will, I may not get there with you, but we as a people will get to the promised land…” which leads into the drumbeat intro of “Mountaintop.” The song is filled with challenging lyrics, “We’ll be the glory of our King, in His Kingdom come…We’ve been to the mountaintop, we’ve seen the glory of our God, He’s here in the valley low, I feel it in my bones…We are the body of our God!” I am very moved by these opening songs. I find myself raising my hands in worship after those opening tracks, and then I'm compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus. The title track and first single, which was written even before the songs on the EP,  “I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)” is a soaring, melodic anthem that sings the hope of heaven imprinted on our hearts before the foundation of the world. According to the band, the song has always been the lynchpin on which the full-length record would hinge. “The dream, like Martin Luther King’s, is that there is another way,” Elias explains, “that it can be what we say it is, the eventual truth that we will awaken, just as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz awakened from her dream, to find ourselves home at last.” 

CLOSING THOUGHTS
What’s most impressive is how these catchy songs will have you singing along at the top of your lungs after just a couple of listens. This is the best new worship band I’ve heard since Delirious, which is absolutely incredible. Just like Delirious, I think The City Harmonic has a great opportunity to reach the lost for the Kingdom of God with their transparent lyrics and incredible musical talent. This album I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home), completely rocks and is loaded with songs you can proudly share with your friends and family. The themes of this album are Trusting God, loving Him and loving others as He loved us. All of the songs are catchy, exciting and worshipful. After listening to the album, I am stirred with compassion to love people as Jesus loves us. That's the heart behind this album, and thank you The City Harmonic for blessing us with your music and for singing the Truth of the Gospel for the Kingdom of God.

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