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CD Review: Worship Leader Magazine All I Owe (December 2007)
For those of you who thought you couldn't rock out to a classical hymn, you haven't heard Matthew Smith's musical approach. In All I Owe, Smith takes on ancient hymns and weaves them into his own creation, which by his own admission “has become part of his thoughts and actions as he seeks the love of God in his life.” He has a gift of arranging modern melodies with hymn texts to offer a fresh approach to songs that might otherwise not hold the popularity of today’s musical trends. Smith introduces this album with the familiar hymn “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing.” Then the title track offers lyrical power that will drive any believer to reflect on their personal relationship with our Creator. The album ends with another familiar hymn, “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” The solid acoustic tone and heavy background drums make its originality shine through and even make it tough to recognize anything familiar about it. Smith’s personal approach to this album makes it unique and though provoking and is a great find for the church looking to re-purpose the classic hymns.

WL TAKEAWAY: This is one that can introduce classical hymns back to the church, go to his Web site for free chord charts to many of his songs.