Where Fear and Faith Collide saw
Michael Olson prove his musical chops, two years after his debut album on Rocketown received a warm welcome from Christian radio. The album leaves the door open for more musical experimentation on future releases, yet
Olson deviates very little from his formula. For this reason,
Olson was criticized for not taking more creative liberties and sounding too much like the adult contemporary pop/rock of
MercyMe and
Steven Curtis Chapman. Yet, lyrically and musically, the album celebrates leaps of faith.
Olson seems more confident that his acoustic-based pop has found a devoted following. He takes charge with steadier rock tracks like "If You Can Stop the World" and "God Is with Us," the latter of which soars with a dynamic Hallelujah chorus. Again, he shows a high quality of songwriting for a relative newcomer, yet seems to hold back just enough for the listener to wonder what he might do next. ~ Jared Johnson