Jeremy Camp's CD will "Stay" in your player

Jeremy Camp – “Stay”

Have you seen “A Walk to Remember”? Jeremy Camp could have written that story. The woman he was in love with was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was undergoing treatment in the hospital. Five months later, as her hair was growing back and she was feeling better, Jeremy decided, after much fasting and prayer, that he was going to ask her to marry him. They married and on their honeymoon she began to suffer from terrible stomach pain and later received news from the doctors that she had only a few months to live. As she lay dying and taking her last breathe, Jeremy and her family stood and worshipped God with songs he had played for her during her hospital stays. Camp said “I didn’t want to do it, but I knew I was learning something about obedience.”

“I Still Believe” is the song he wrote in response to that experience in his life, of watching his young, beautiful bride die, yet still keeping his faith in the Lord through all his pain. He also wrote the song “Walk by Faith” which is included on the album during his honeymoon. It somewhat foreshadowed the faith he was going to need to draw upon in his near future:

“I will walk by faith
Even when I can not see
Because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me”

The CD is filled with wonderful balladry and all out rock anthems like “Stay” and “Take My Life” in which Jeremy heartily pleads, in this song of submission, for God to take his life. Camp is singing about giving over his life, his soul, his will and his entire being, entrusting it all to God.

Camp’s voice is a deep tenor and strong. It commands attention and the listener is immediately taken in from the moment one hears it on the first track “Understand”. Leading off the album, and as the first single released for CCM airplay, “Understand” is a rock song with an uptempo beat and melodic guitars that leave the listener wanting more.

This is a straight-out rock CD that includes some beautiful ballads with heartfelt lyrics that demonstrate the love Camp has for his savior. Each song is God-breathed and has its own flavor, yet they all flow together well on this album to create a collection of prayers, poetry and life observations. The music that carries all these words is just as interesting and holds ones attention with creative melodies and purposeful guitar-driven rhythms and drumming.

This is an awesome debut from Camp and if this CD is any indication of what is to come from this young man, then start saving now because his catalogue will definitely grow. He is a talented songwriter and his talent will only be honed as he gains even more life experience. I recommend this CD to those who enjoy the balladry of a Steven Curtis Chapman or Michael W. Smith as well as the rock n’ roll of DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline or Kutless.

4 of 5 stars

Review by Susan L. Prince