Review by Daniel Deprè
“All Glory & Honour” is a glistening praise to God that reaches epic heights. It features some incredible vocal performances both from lead singer Ida Maree and the gospel-inspired background vocalists. The song begins with a slow but confident pace, starting with military-esque snare drums. It continues to slowly build and grow until it sends chills down your spine. This is the kind of song that you can sing out loud while pumping your fist in the air. Epic songs like this can help us release so many bottled-up emotions. This is a classic church hymn mixed with the classic rock band setup.
Lyrically, Ida Maree has written the ultimate thanks to who she worships passionately, God. She has written lyrics that are equally as epic as the arrangement of the song. The writing style is done with short phrases, and in the verses a clever repetition of certain words allows the lyrics to flow effortlessly from line to line.
“You alone are holy, holy is your name, you alone are worthy, worthy of all praise.”
The chorus lyrics are truly monumental and deserve to be shouted out loud from atop a mountain.
“All honour and glory, all power and praise, all honour and glory, all power and praise, as the heaven’s shout, the Earth proclaims, mighty is your name.”
The arrangement is very heavy on the vocals which allow the song to tap into our emotional core as human beings. Adding to the song's epic vibe are some beautiful and rhythmic strings that sit comfortably behind the vocals and drums. The background vocals are incredibly robust and fill out the mix perfectly. The gospel-style background vocals aptly support Ida Maree’s equally powerful voice that so often soars high into the sky. Ida Maree’s voice is so full and vibrant. This is especially the case when she sings a high note and holds it for what feels like an eternity, and it’s glorious. “All Glory & Honour” is a song brimming with passion and its uplifting attitude is sure to make you smile.
About Ida Maree
Australian artist Ida Maree has had quite a musical journey. From the clubs of the Gold Coast to the theatres of Sydney, and into Black Gospel Churches of Melbourne, Houston, DC, Birmingham, LA, her travels and singing have encompassed the true path of a musician searching for truth in her life.
Her debut album Saving Grace was acclaimed as The Album of the Year by Australia’s leading Christian Radio Charts, best known for the success of her songs Saving Grace and Butterfly. But while in Nashville in 2014, Ida came into contact with Grammy-nominated producer Billy Smiley (White Heart, Johnny Cash, Clay Aikens, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sandy Patty), and they formed a partnership, which didn't come around to making the music until all the pieces seemed to fit together in 2018.
Bringing her new album Chapter 2 to the forefront of music in 2020 will be the culminating effort of these 2 kindred souls. Smiley said, “Working with Ida has been a complete joy and effortless endeavor to create the music we both love and envisioned for this project.”
With him coming from Detroit carrying the sounds of Motown and Stevie Wonder in his soul, and the lyrical depth of Bob Seger, he brought in a great cast of young musicians and engineers who are shaping the Nashville landscape; like Australian Jared Kneale on drums (Kacey Musgraves, Ben Rector, Hunter Hayes), Brennan Smiley of the rock group “The Technicolors” on electric guitars, Akil Thompson on bass (Little Big Town), Blair Masters on Keys (Garth Brooks, Peter Frampton), and musician/engineer Jonathan Crone.
Mixed by Billy Whittington (Amy Grant, Be Be and Ce Ce Winans, and Michael W Smith) and Jonathan Crone, the project has come full circle to a national release of incredible and soaring vocals and passion from Maree in Chapter 2. Along with BGV gospel singers Larysa Jackson, Dwanna Hughes, and Martrell Harris, they have come up with an incredible soulful body of work not often heard in the marketplace; one that is both fresh, musically compelling, and yet with a special sense of power and vulnerability all rolled into this slim and quiet young artist named Ida Maree.