Michael W. Smith                                                                        Grade: B+

Stand

Reunion Records

            With each release, Michael W. Smith continues to reinvent himself. With his latest release, titled “Stand,” he does so again.  This time he has done it with the assistance of a youthful up and comer named Leeland Dayton Mooring (Leeland).  Together Smith and Leeland co-wrote the majority of the album. 

Smith was also assisted by long time friend Amy Grant on “How To Say Goodbye,” and Martin Smith on “Grace.”  Additionally there are a couple of tracks that were not written by MWS, “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful” by Keith Green and “The Stand” by Joel Houston.”  The new album is also somewhat of a family affair, with a few of the Smith family members showing up on the album and in the credits.

The end result is a vibrant pop-rock album with a strong message to take a stand for the Cross.  A stand that is not to be static, but instead one that is reaching outside the walls of the church as Smith states, “It is a call to stand outside of the walls of the church, rubbing shoulders with the lost. It is a call to stand because you’ve captured a glimpse of something so powerful you cannot stay seated. It is a call to stand for the One who gave it all.” 

Michael W. Smith has had an impressive recording career, and “Stand” is a remarkable addition that solidifies his position in the industry.  Not that it needed to be reaffirmed, but with all the directions Smith is going it seems that he is still willing to put his all into everything he does. 

- Ken W.