Give Yourself Away (2009)

Give Yourself Away is the 14th studio album by the Christian music group NewSong. It was released on their own record label HHM Records in association with NewSong Ministries and marketed and distributed by EMI Christian Music Group on November 24, 2009.

Give Yourself Away marked a return to NewSong with their first new studio album in six years. During that time, the band went through personnel changes. Drew Cline left after only appearing on their 2006 Christmas album The Christmas Hope. Christian vocalist Nate Sallie took Cline's place as the lead singer in 2007, but has only appeared in concerts while NewSong was on recording hiatus. In 2009, Russ Lee returned to the band as lead singer, just as Sallie departed.

Lee recorded Give Yourself Away with NewSong throughout 2009 before it was released. The album marked the band's first collaboration with artist -producer Charlie Peacock, giving it a more modern rock sound, but still keeping some adult contemporary elements when it comes to ballads. In addition to producing Give Yourself Away, Peacock co-wrote six songs with Eddie Carswell. Lee, Matthew West and Michael O'Brien contributed co-writing tracks. The final song on the album, "Every Child (Deserves a Home)," was produced by Kevin Ward. Highlights include the title track, "That's What Mercy Is" and "Too Wonderful."

In a promotional campaign reminiscent of DeGarmo & Key's D&K album, the Give Yourself Away CD comes with a "giveaway" CD that comes with a card-sleeve to give to a friend or to someone who needs it as an evangelistic tool. The album charted in 2010 and peaked on the following Billboard albums charts:

-#10 Top Christian Albums

-#5 Heatseekers Albums

-#149 Billboard 200 Albums

Give Yourself Away is not available for streaming or for digital download purchasing. Some specific tracks are available to search for on YouTube.

Track listing

1. Hope (Eddie Carswell, Charlie Peacock) -4:32

2. That's What Mercy Is (Eddie Carswell, Matthew West) -4:23

3. Too Wonderful (Eddie Carswell, Matt Hammitt) -4:53

4. Give Yourself Away (Eddie Carswell, Russ Lee, Charlie Peacock) -4:25

5. Magnet (Eddie Carswell, Charlie Peacock) -4:42

6. Song of Songs (Eddie Carswell, Michael O'Brien) -4:49

7. God Hears (Russ Lee, James Isaac Elliot) -4:16

8. Thousand Steps (Eddie Carswell, Charlie Peacock) -4:48

9. Beauty of Our God (Eddie Carswell, Russ Lee, Charlie Peacock, James Isaac

Elliot) -4:19

10. First Day on Earth (Eddie Carswell, Charlie Peacock) -3:50

11. Every Child (Deserves a Home) (Eddie Carswell, Matthew West) -4:06

Personnel

NewSong:

Billy Goodwin -lead vocals, guitar

Eddie Carswell -vocals

Russ Lee -lead vocals, guitar

Matt Butler -vocals, keyboards, violin, cello

additional musicians:

Jack Pumphery and Steve Brewster -drums

Marc Clay, Mark Hill -bass guitar

Rico Thomas -electric guitar (tracks 4, 5 and 9)

Jerry McPherson -electric guitar

Scott Denté -acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9)

Production credits

Charlie Peacock -producer (tracks 1 -10)

Kevin Ward -producer (track 11)

Previous release: The Christmas Hope (2006)

Next release: One True God (2011)

AUDIO NOT AVAILABLE