Where Fear And Faith Collide
From the Publisher: A talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Rocketown recording artist Michael Olson unveils an album of hope and healing. Born from living in the midst of life"s ambiguities, Fear and Faith examines how difficult surprises can be made rich in God"s constancy. Olson"s insightful lyrics melt seamlessly into modern, intelligent pop tracks in the vein of Steven Curtis Chapman, John Mayer and Matthew West. Where do fear and faith collide? In moments of temptation? Times of desperate circumstances? Instances when life itself seems thoroughly overwhelming? In all these times and more, life shows an uncanny ability to throw a sucker punch that can leave its victims questioning their very source of hope. These are the occasions where all that frightens us comes face to face with the only thing that can save us: faith in Someone bigger than ourselves. For 28-year-old Michael Olson, the two years since Rocketown released his independent debut, Long Arm of Love, have been filled with countless clashes between fear and faith. From moving to a new city to finding his career niche to ongoing family trials, Olson is learning what his faith means in a very real, very personal way. "We can be afraid of life and the difficult circumstances that come our way, " remarks Olson, "and let that adversity define us completely. Or, we can lean on God and let our faith be what provides our basic identity in the midst of whatever happens." It"s an apt description of the theme that pervades his new album, Where Fear and Faith Collide, a project written and recorded in Olson"s current hometown near Nashville, Tenn., with producers Jason Ingram (Bebo Norman) and Nathan Dantzler (The Turning, Tree63). Despite a seemingly introspective theme, the album bursts forth with a dynamic and upbeat reaffirmation of faith and a renewed conviction of God"s steadfastness. A gifted multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, drums) and producer himself, Olson lent his creative energy to every step of the process, bringing to the table the ber-pop sensibilities of a kid raised on everything from James Taylor to Sting. The title track, "Fear and Faith, " perhaps sums up the project"s themes the best. Co-written with Big Daddy Weave frontman Mike Weaver, the song outlines how individuals often find themselves in frightening and unfamiliar territory, unsure of how to respond: I"m being brought to the brink/Stepping up to the line/And I"m not giving up this time/It seems more than I can take/It takes more than I"ve got/But I"m gonna live this life/Where fear and faith collide Olson elaborates, "This is a theme that I think resonates with everybody. Everyone"s in process"as individuals, as churches, as families and even as a nation"and we"re all asking defining questions. Understanding the reality of what it is we are afraid of and why we"re afraid enables us to find the true value of our faith. After all, our fear comes from a false or incomplete understanding of who we are in