''Rivers in the Wasteland'' is the fifth studio album by American

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

band

Needtobreathe Needtobreathe (stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE) is an American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina. The band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Seth Bolt (backing vocals, bass), Josh Lovelace (backing vocals, keys), Randall H ...

, released on April 15, 2014, through

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

Curb Records Curb Records (also known as Asylum-Curb and formerly known as MCG Curb) is an American record label started by Mike Curb, originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973, Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of ...

and

Word Records Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records (the former Warner Bros. Records). History In 1 ...

. The album was produced by the band along with Kevin Augunas,

Ed Cash Edmond Martin Cash (born August 6, 1971) is a producer, songwriter, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. AllMusic/ref> He was named the "Producer of the Year" at the Gospel Music Awards for four consecutive years (2004–2007) and gains recogn ...

Joe Chiccarelli Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

and Jerrod Bettis at various studios. The album debuted at No. 1 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Christian Albums Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...

chart, No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The album's fourth single, "Multiplied", was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

at the

57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...

in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category. The album's fifth and final single, "

Brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

", proved to be the band's biggest hit to date, peaking at No. 98 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Background and recording

''Rivers in the Wasteland'' was recorded from December 2012 through December 2013. It was produced by the band along with Kevin Augunas,

and Jerrod Bettis. The album was recorded at Plantation Studios in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, Fairfax Recordings in

Van Nuys, California Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

, Blackbird Studios in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

and Ed's in

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454 ...

.According to the inner liner notes of the album.

Critical reception

''Rivers in the Wasteland'' received mostly positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

Tony Cummings Tony Cummings is the founding editor of the magazine '' Cross Rhythms''. Biography Cummings' journalistic career started in 1963. He started a black music fanzine originally called ''Soul'', then ''Soul Music Monthly'', and finally ''Shout'' ...

, founder of

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

, rated the album a perfect ten squares, calling it a "delicious album" that "demonstrates once again that when you've got quality songwriting and a band on the top of their game, all resistance melts away." At ''

CCM Magazine ''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has bee ...

'', Matt Conner rated the album four stars out of five, calling the release a "spirited" affair on which has "Needtobreathe's signature Southern rock stomps circles 'round Bear Rinehart's distinct vocal for another 11-song feast that just might be their best yet." At ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

'', Piet Levy gave the album a positive review, writing that "the inspiration can be found in the beauty of its lyrics", and that when the band gets around to praising the Lord that "the effect is more powerful than anything on the latest albums from Christian acts like

Casting Crowns Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall, who serves as the band's lead vocalist, as part of a youth group at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida. They lat ...

MercyMe MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Edmond, Oklahoma. The band consists of lead vocalist Bart Millard, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul. The b ...

Chris Tomlin Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas, United States, who has sold over 7 million records. He is a member of Passion Conferences an ...

TobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...

." Timothy Monger of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of four, remarking that "If Needtobreathe's intention was to deliver a more down-to-earth and reflective record following The Reckoning's big-budget glitz, they've succeeded." At New Release Tuesday, Kevin Davis rated the album a perfect five stars, writing that "Every song is absolutely amazing" because " e very relatable and transparent words of these songs use poetic descriptions and biblical language throughout eleven stellar tracks". Kate Padilla of ''The Spencer Daily Reporter'' liked Bear's vocal tone, claiming that singling out a few standout tracks would be a shear lesson in futility because "The entire thing is great, from beginning to end and back again." At

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

, Jeff Koch rated the album five discs out of ten, cautioning how "these rivers run too shallow to irrigate this wasteland." At Jesus Freak Hideout, four reviewers, Jen Rose, Jerrold Wallace, John DiBiase, and Timothy Estabrooks, all gave the same rating of four-and-a-half stars out of five. Rose says that the release "represents an already great band at their finest". Wallace writes that "The appropriately titled ''Rivers in the Wasteland'' is a tale of redemption and perseverance" because the band had its share of "ups and down," and that they have "pushed through and created some of their finest work to date." DiBiase remarked that the release "is a refreshing listening experience", while Estabrooks called the release simply "phenomenal." At Christian Music Zine, Graeme Jones rated the album a perfect five stars, remarking how the release "doesn’t disappoint" because it is "quality musically and lyrically." Andrew Funderburk of CM Addict rated the album four stars out of five, stating that "It’s an album filled with strength down to the last track." At 365 Days of Inspiring Media, Jonathan Andre rated the album four stars out of five, writing how it is "a gem of an album". Timothy Yap of Hallels gave the album a modestly positive review, saying while some songs on the release don't work well that "Gone are the thinly cloaked inspirational songs, and moving right in are songs that penetrate from the superficial to the eternal."

Commercial performance

''Rivers in the Wasteland'' debuted at No. 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 49,000 copies in its first week of release. The sales were good enough for No. 1 on the

Top Christian Albums Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...

and

Top Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

charts, and No. 6 on the

Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...

. As of January 2015, the album has sold 150,000 copies in the US.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from

Needtobreathe *

Bear Rinehart William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart III (born September 6, 1980; also known by the stage name Wilder Woods) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who is a founding member and lead singer of the rock band, Needtobreathe. In 2019, he ann ...

– lead vocals, synthesizers, guitars,

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

* Bo Rinehart – synthesizers, guitars,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

mandola The mandola (US and Canada) or tenor mandola (Ireland and UK) is a fretted, stringed musical instrument. It is to the mandolin what the viola is to the violin: the four double courses of strings tuned in fifths to the same pitches as the viola ...

, percussion, backing vocals * Seth Bolt – bass guitar,

electric upright bass The electric upright bass (EUB) is an instrument that can perform the musical function of a double bass. It requires only a minimal or 'skeleton' body to produce sound because it uses a pickup and electronic amplifier and loudspeaker. Therefore, ...

, percussion, backing vocals Additional musicians * Josh Lovelace – keyboards, organ, backing vocals *

Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (born May 27, 1966) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the bands Jellyfish (band), Jellyfish, the Moog Cookbook, and Imperial Drag. He has also spent several years as a member of Beck's ba ...

– keyboards *

– acoustic piano, programming, electric guitar, bass guitar * Jonathan Smith – programming, acoustic guitar, banjo * Randall Harris – synthesizers, drums, percussion * Scott Cash – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals *

Michael Trent Michael Trent is an American musician from Denver. He performs as a solo act and in the band Shovels & Rope since 2008. Career Trent first performed as the lead singer in the Denver, Colorado band Tinker's Punishment, before moving to the South ...

– acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals, additional arrangements *

Carl Broemel Carl Broemel (born January 30, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock musician. He currently plays guitar, pedal steel guitar, saxophone and sings back-up vocals for the Louisville, Kentucky band My Morning Jacket. He played guitar in the pop/rock ...

–

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...

* Paul Mabury – drums *

Jason Freese Jason Freese is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums, including for artists Green Day, Dr. Dre, Pitbull, Avenged Sevenfold, Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel. He is the so ...

– saxophone * Francisco Torres – trombone * Ron Blake – trumpet * Ivory Layne – backing vocals Technical * Seth Bolt – engineer (1-9, 11), mixing (1, 2, 7) * Randall Harris – engineer (1, 2, 5-9), mixing (1, 2), additional engineer * Lowell Reynolds – engineer (2, 3, 5, 7, 11) *

Clif Norrell Clif Norrell is an American record producer, recording engineer, music mixer, and musician. He has worked with many prominent artists including Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Jeff Buckley, No Doubt, Rush, Faith No More, Shania Twain, Mick Jagger, ...

– engineer (2, 4, 6) * Gavin Paddock – engineer (2, 4, 6) * Bo Rinehart – mixing (2, 7) * Ryan Hewitt – mixing (3-6, 11) *

– engineer (5) * Mikey Reaves – engineer (6, 7, 11) * Ed Cash – engineer (9, 10), mixing (9, 10) * Neil B. Young – additional engineer (2), engineer (6) * Scott Cash – additional engineer (9, 10) * David Leonard – additional engineer (9) * Ben Levy – mix assistant (3-6, 11) * Roman Urazov – mix assistant (3-6, 11) *

Bob Ludwig Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...

– mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine) ;Design * Pete Ganbarg – A&R * Fuller Moehagen for AKT – layout * Bo Rinehart – art direction, design * Bryan Nash Gills –

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

imagery * Sully Sullivan – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Singles

References

Notes Footnotes

External links

''Rivers in the Wasteland'' album
{{Authority control 2014 albums Needtobreathe albums Atlantic Records albums Word Records albums Curb Records albums Albums produced by Joe Chiccarelli