Road Acoustic

Jadon Lavik | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bec Recordings / Emd
• ASIN: B002NULL2G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,104 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

CD Road Acoustic by Lavik Jadon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jadon Lavik [The Road Acoustic], October 20, 2009

By 

Kevin Davis "NewReleaseTuesday" (Perkasie, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Road Acoustic (Audio CD)

Jadon Lavik has performed on numerous Saddleback Church albums and sings in front of nearly 20,000 parishioners every weekend when combining all the services which has truly been an education in praise directed ministry. All those goods, combined with an incredibly appealing voice, cozy croon and down to earth demeanor drew attention from BEC Recordings and his official recording career was born. After releasing "Moving On Faith" in 2004 to critical acclaim, consistent touring and the meteoric single "What If", the stage was set for a much anticipated follow-up found in "Life On the Inside". Last year, Jadon released the praise & worship album "Roots Run Deep" and now he is releasing "The Road", an acoustic collection.

First song "Hear Our Song" is a simple yet passionate plea of praise with these worshipful lyrics: "Father hear our song, A song of praise to the worthy one, In joyous surrender With our eyes fixed on You, May our lives bring you glory to serve you in all that we do". The acoustic version of "Moving On Faith" reminded me of "Tell Me" by Josh Wilson. Jadon's version of "Come Thou Fount" is done as though he's in my living room leading worship and I can't help but sing along in worship to the all-time great hymn. "Father" was a hit song from "Life On the Inside" and this stripped down version really captures the passion of this prayer-song with the sincere lyrics: " I cry out and You answer, I cry out and You answer, Father I know You listen when I pray, Father would You hear these simple words I say". Such song and stylistic explanations further lay the ground work for the overarching meaning of the song "On The Outside". Not only does it possess a reflective and meditative tone, but the moniker also exposes this singer/songwriter as incredibly authentic and unabashedly honest who genuinely wants to impact listeners with his beliefs.

"What If" is my favorite overall song by Jadon. I can't help but get emotional listening to the bridge: "What have I done to deserve Your son sent to die for me, What can I give, I want to live, give me eyes to see, In a world that keeps changin' there's one thing that I know is true, Your love is stayin', there's nothing else I'll hold onto". The whole album has a classic acoustic feel which is well suited to Jadon's singer-songwriter style and his smooth vocals. If you like this album, you need to also check out Jadon's album "Life On the Inside".

If you like Bebo Norman, Josh Wilson, Paul Colman and Jimmy Needham, then you should enjoy Jadon Lavik's "The Road". For me, the standout songs are "Hear Our Song", "Come Thou Fount", "Father", "On The Outside" and "What If".

5.0 out of 5 stars Jadon Lavik is the BEST, November 3, 2010

By 

worship1 "Jo And da Gang" (TN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road Acoustic (MP3 Download)

Great CD.... I love anything put out by Jadon Lavik! Awesome Christian artist!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Comtemplative Music, November 6, 2009

By 

Matthew Robbins (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Road Acoustic (Audio CD)

My familiarity with Jadon Lavik extended no further than recognizing his song "What If," which I enjoyed for its exploration of works versus grace a few years back. Lavik has released 2 full-length studio albums (2005's Moving on Faith and 2006's Life on the Inside) as well as a collection of hymns on Roots Run Deep (2008). His acoustic pop sound, combined with a solid theological grounding, has gained him a modest following. Now, he's stripped things completely down on The Road Acoustic, capturing a truly intimate sound with just his voice, some sparse backup vocals, and a couple guitars.

When I first started listening to this album, I was in my car on the way somewhere, not exactly fully engaged in the music. I wasn't hugely impressed based on that listen. In fact, I thought it was somewhat boring. The problem, I discovered, wasn't the music so much as it was me. This is simply music you need to be prepared to listen to, or least you have to be in the mood to slow down and contemplate a little. As I said, there are no bells and whistles here; it's just acoustic guitars, a couple voices, and the content of the songs. It really does an admirable job capturing that elusive "coffeehouse" feel. It's not a live show recording, but it sure feels like one at times.

As I said, I hadn't heard Lavik's earlier stuff which makes up a lot of this collection. Two of my favorites, however, were from Roots Run Deep: "Come Thou Fount" and "Wonderous Love." His takes on these classics are fantastic, adding enough acoustic pop flair without trampling on the reverence present in the hymns. He's just bringing them to a new generation. Another standout was clearly "Father." The emotion is weighty in this song, as Lavik sings a prayer to God, pouring out his heart in thankfulness against a beautiful acoustic backdrop. Extremely powerful.

Things are picked up a little bit on songs like "Come To Me" and a good version of the aforementioned "What If." These work well to change things up a bit, but I really think the main strength of this album is the transparency of emotion and performance of the toned down songs. There's simply no hiding when you have nothing but your acoustic guitar. The songs have to stand on their own when you have nothing with which to distract listeners.

As I said, you'll have to be in the right mood to appreciate this album. I'd put it in the category with Shawn McDonald's Live in Seattle in terms of good contemplative acoustic albums (but not quite as good - I love McDonald and Lavik is not at that level in my opinion). Numerous times while listening to this album, I encountered emotions that turned me towards God. That's the essence of worship, and Lavik is able to take listeners to that place, provided you're ready to be taken there.