Album Review: The Bigger Picture – Jerry Fee

For those unfamiliar with Jerry, he’s a thirty-five-year-old singer-songwriter from Spring Hill, Tennessee and this will be his third full-length studio album, having released two EPs prior to that back in 2014. To think he’s released so much music over a four year period is certainly a testament to his prolific songwriting and recording. He has already garnered comparisons to twenty-one pilots, Imagine Dragons, TobyMac and Mutemath, which may give readers an indication of what to expect here – twenty-five minutes of unadulterated synthy-pop goodness.

The album opens up with the funky ‘Learning To Love (Like You)’, which definitely sounds like some kind of 80s throwback, with its toe-tapping beat and infectious chorus, it wouldn’t sound out of place on a Wham record. Except it’s about Jesus, which obviously makes things a lot better – “remedy’s got a name: Jesus”. It definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album, immediately making you want to get up and dance, or at least rock about in your seat a bit.

Title track ‘The Bigger Picture’ addresses the important issue of how easy it is to drift our focus away from God in the busy, over-commercialised and sin-centered world we currently occupy, with Jerry begging the Lord to help him see that “bigger picture” and “lift the veil away” so that he can better walk in the light.

‘Stars (More Of Who You Are)’ has a bit of a reggae feel to it, and again starts with a bit of an 80s island throwback, with plenty of pop synths and delicate guitars, then moves to a rap in the middle, crossing genres into hip-hop. The uplifting and positive chorus declares that God is “proven in the stars, written on our hearts”, the theme of the message here being that evidence of the Lord’s works is all around us if we open our eyes and hearts to see his blessings and receive his grace.

‘Color The World’ was the first single off the album, which Jerry has described as being about “this life, our one time around, is our one shot to ask God how we can join Him in making the world more beautiful – to colour the world”. It’s upbeat in its electro-pop style, with a solid rhythm section and slick production.

This collection of eight delightful songs finishes off with ‘Never Gonna Quit’, with a synth riff that you can’t help bopping to, and a determined message that “fear will not rule me” and with God’s love we can achieve anything.

None of these songs particularly sound like overly in your face worship music, but if you actually pay attention to the lyrics, the meanings behind them are very clear. It’s the type of music you could play to a secular friend to try and bring them to salvation and it wouldn’t totally freak them out (hint: you should try that)!

The musicianship is of a high calibre, the instrument choices diverse, the vocal delivery spot on, and with the occasional dabble into different genres, it’s certainly an enjoyable little album that shows promise of more in the future.

Jerry Fee is an artist who’s still making a name for himself in the industry but is definitely one to watch out for. His releases can be found on Spotify, Apple Music and all the usual digital outlets and are well worth checking out. Wind your way over to his Facebook too and hit like to support an up and coming Christian artist.

Rating: 7/10