What happens when we live?
That’s the question Sean Curran attempts to address on his full-length debut, “Basic Faith.” Across the 12-track collection, the prolific lyricist and worship leader grapples with the complexities of the answer through the lens of unwavering belief in Jesus. Curran’s brand of faith, however, is one that isn’t afraid to ask questions and express doubts.
Nevertheless, the father of two admits to overcomplicating the Gospel more than once, and his convicting pop implores listeners to return to the basics of what we know to be true of Jesus and to keep it simple.
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“I think we can tend to build in our imagination a world where we only relate to God in spectacular settings, but that is not where we spend most of our time. That’s why I like the word ‘basic.’ It’s less about simple or easy, and more akin to something like fundamental or foundational,” Curran asserts of the message behind his new album. “Often, we want something from faith that it isn’t trying to give us. Faith isn’t about knowing what’s around every corner, it’s about trusting who is leading the way.”
The vibey, piano-fueled title-cut leads followers of Jesus back to the foundational tenets of faith with Curran’s vulnerable vocal exploring what it might look like to strip away the artifice and simply return to an honest posture of belief. “I surrender all the ways I complicate this common grace,” Curran sings. “Reignite that holy flame. The purest praise is a basic faith.”
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While the “1,000 Names” singer returns to basics, the production backing his lyrical wrestling is anything but basic. In fact, the multi-instrumentalist turns out adventurous tones and wild, experimental textures not readily replicated during a Sunday morning gathering, despite many of his songs already being staples on church setlists.
An integral part of the annual Passion Conference in recent years, Curran has co-written significant songs for Passion, like “Glorious Day” and “He Who Is To Come.” In addition, he’s also penned selections recorded by Phil Wickham and Matt Maher, among others.
As the former lead singer of Christian rock collective Bellarive, Curran signed his first record deal at just 22. “Basic Faith” opens a fresh chapter for the burgeoning artist as he embarks on a solo career rife with nuanced sonic elements, perfectly placed stacked vocals and heavy electric guitars. Like his labelmate, Crowder, Curran isn’t afraid to color outside the lines and stretch the boundaries of what worship can look like.
A quirky monologue on the life-changing language of the Psalms opens “Basic Faith” and simultaneously introduces Curran’s eccentrically intriguing personality. From the jump, listeners know this project isn’t just a random amalgamation of favorite selections from what is sure to already be an abundant catalog. Instead, “Basic Faith” is set up as a thoughtful, two-year labor of love.
Urgent strings intro the album’s lead offering, “Led Me To You,” a song that feels more like a conversation than a straightforward worship anthem. Meanwhile, its successor, “Come Now,” echoes the truth discovered in the hide-and-seek ethos of Jeremiah 29:13: “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
Anchor track “Same Jesus” intertwines biblical references with Curran’s own musings on the state of the world, ultimately landing on the resolution that the supernatural God of Scripture is still moving mountains and parting seas in the present day. He continues his awe of the miraculous nature of Jesus on the pop-fueled “Ain’t Seen Nothing.” Then, on “Another Glimpse,” he provides a compelling fusion of congregational worship and unconventional pop.
Curran, who regularly leads worship at Atlanta’s Passion City Church, also puts his own distinct stamp on Passion standard “He Who Is To Come,” once again consenting to his pop tendencies and allowing innovative production to back a more intimate vocal that crescendos into a broad chorus propelled as much by its modern beats as it is by its expectant lyrics.
Crafted during one of the hardest periods of his life personally, Curran’s “Basic Faith” is poetically encapsulated in the album’s closing track, “Let It Take The Time It Takes.” Part introspective singer/songwriter record, part worship collection, part disruptive pop effort, “Basic Faith” blooms today because of seeds Curran planted years ago. These dozen originals are a testament to the harvest that can be produced when you keep watering the ground, cultivating what’s in front of you and asking the hard questions.
