Tommy Walker

Tommy Walker has been one of the leading worship songsters of the last 15 years, and he’s never released a full-length studio album of his own. Frequently associated with Promise Keepers and ministers Greg Laurie and Franklin Graham, he’s contributed over 100 songs to the worship music movement and served as a music minister at his home church since 1990. Now, on praise label Maranatha! Music, Walker prepares to take the lead as the market cries out for a fresh face to keep the “praise genre” alive and kicking.

I Have A Hope isn’t exactly the most mind-blazingly original project I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, and I won’t attempt to give it more credence by recounting a pleasant story of my own worship experiences set to its soundtrack. The fact of the matter is, it runs the risk of being pretty run of the mill: acoustic guitar, straight-ahead lyrics, and a mildly charismatic frontman—all staples of the worship movement.

What’s most important to Walker, and what should be most important to we as listeners, is that he does his job competently by adding to the repertoire of potential worship hits in any church’s Sunday morning songbook. In this he succeeds in spades; each one of these tracks is perfect for the public congregation’s consumption. There are no great bits of divinely-inspired poetry or sophisticated looks at the world we live in through a believer’s eyes—only accessible worship for the masses, a tool of bringing loads of different men and women together as they get excited over this man Jesus who lived 2,000 years ago and whose ideas and claims inspire legions even today. The gravity of that is what makes this album (and other projects like it) so remarkable. It isn’t through the ingenuity of Walker himself, except perhaps his uncanny knack for appealing simplicity.

Will I Have A Hope make waves in the market? Most definitely! The persona of male worship leaders has been quite a drawing point for buyers over the past couple years (think Phil Wickham, Robbie Seay, Chris Tomlin, and David Crowder) and Walker makes a perfect addition to that roster. What I’m most excited about is the point in his career where he can reach a place of complete freedom and takes some chances in experimentation. That’ll be a great day for the industry, if only because he’s got an inviting voice and warm appearance enough to make even the staunchest listeners take a leap of faith and try something new. Even now, with his debut, he’s managed to hint at the fact that this is only the beginning for him. Listeners such as myself will be waiting patiently for Tommy Walker to take his talents and shake the world with them.

Stand out tracks include “Hallelujah, We Will Sing” and “Pass It On,” both anthemic jams with memorable melodies that get better with multiple listens.

I Have A Hope is perfect for worship leaders looking for new additions to their setlists and casual listeners who need a good “worship fix.” Take heed: Tommy Walker is most definitely a man to watch out for—his name will be cropping up in a few years, synonymous with both originality and accessibility.

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