| tobyMac - Portable Sounds (2007) |
| Written by Susan P. | |
| Wednesday, 12 March 2008 11:48 | |
 tobyMac has done it again. February 20, tobyMac released his 3rd solo album, Portable Sounds. Toby intertwines thought-provoking, personal ideas into his lyrics, and combines the lyrics with catchy tunes to make this album one you cannot put down. Toby opens the album with “One World,” a song that continues the message of Welcome to Diverse City—that diversity is a God-given idea and should be embraced and strived for. The first radio single from the album, “Made to Love,” reminds us all that we were made solely for God’s glory and that one of our main purposes in life is to love Him. We are called to deny ourselves and take up our crosses, and tobyMac makes that clear in the lines “Anything, I would give up for You,/Everything, I give it all away…” In addition to loving God, we were created to be loved by God. Being loved by God gives us strength to live, and in living our lives as a sacrifice to God, we love God. Toby takes the listeners on a personal trip of sorts during the song “Face of the Earth.” He wrote the song initially because he had thought he had lost a connection with one of his friends, and the song grew from there. The song has a conversational feel to it, making it that much more personal-feeling. In “No Ordinary Love,” tobyMac uses a toe-tapping beat to hook the listener and keeps them listening because of the song's message. This song is all about how the love of Christ “ain’t no ordinary love” that you would find on the Earth—it is “extraordinary love.” Truett “TruDog” McKeehan once again makes an appearance on his Dad's album, with his own song. This one is called “Hype Man” and instantly brings a smile to the listener’s face with the fun lyrics. “Feelin’ So Fly” has to be the catchiest song on the album. If there is one song that will get stuck in your head, it is this one for sure. If the song doesn’t get stuck in your head, it will make you want to get up and dance. The message behind the song is how there is never a day when God is not being praised. The line “Can’t help but glorify my Adonai” is the basic message of the song. The energy of the song mimics the energy that is felt from praising God with a lot of enthusiasm. The song that means the most to me is the last song of the album, “Lose My Soul.” This song ties into the same scripture as “Made to Love.” Matthew 16:26 says, “‘What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?’” This song focuses on easy it is for us to gain the whole world, but if we do that, we are at risk of losing our souls. The listener can tell the lyrics are heartfelt and passionate just by the way they are sung. It is clear that this song was initially a prayer of Toby’s, and expanded to become a prayer for many. Too often, we focus on the things of this world and not on God. This song is a reminder that our mislaid priorities puts us at risk of losing our souls. Lyrically speaking, this honestly is one of the best songs that I’ve heard in a long time. |
