It feels that music and Narnia go hand in hand. Considering the world itself echoes with the Song of Creation breathed into it by Aslan it’s an appropriate connection. Further considering the “deeper magic of Narnia” and “The other name” by which Aslan is known by in our world, for artists versed in the Gospel, folk, and Christian genres it’s nothing short of a match made in Aslan’s Kingdom.
From the album Roar of Love by Second Chapter of Acts in 1980, to the Inspired by album for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe that featured the likes of Rebecca St James, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, Kutless, and Jars of Clay, to Switchfoot’s “This is Home” from Prince Caspian which is universally considered by fans o have been a more appropriate choice for the Last Battle, to Scott Krippyane’s Voyage and Relient K’s In Like a Lion ( Always Winter), to even Chris Rice’s “Nony-Nony” that refers to the “Pevensies’ Adventures”, there is no shortage of artists who’ve sought to capture Narnia in song.
This year, Christian folk group, Rend Collective released a brand-new single “Wild Love” that is just the latest to capture the magic land of CS Lewis in song. Hailing from Northern Ireland, their music, like that of the American band Imagine Dragons, or perhaps more like Rend Collective’s Australian based CCM counterparts, for King and Country, their music is a fusion of folk and rock styles, creating a special blend. Considering Narnia is a world in which two realms, our world and Narnia, collide a band that fuses to styles of music, the rock music of today with the Celtic folk music of the past, is perfect choice.
The very minute I saw the album art for the single on Spotify, I could tell its influence. Drawing inspiration from Pauline Baynes’ illustrations it depicted a boy and a girl, like Peter and Lucy, riding on the back of a majestic Lion in a fantasy land with a Lamppost in the background. Where it really cements the Narnia influence however is in the refrain, repeated though out the chronicles of “Not safe, but good” and “wild” and “Can’t be tamed.”
Now it may be jarring for some NarniaFans to hear the words “Algorithm” in the opening, considering the term has it’s origins in the computer age. However, like other CCM artists the song’s writers Stephen Mitchell and Chris Llewellyn, understand that Aslan, isn’t just a magical anthropomorphic lion, He’s Jesus. This isn’t just a song about Narnia, but one that cuts right to the core of the stories, braces the Deeper Magic, acknowledges Aslan by His “other name” and redirects the praise back to Heaven. This is further hinted at how they refer to “Judah’s Lion,” using clear biblical imagery and language.
More importantly, it really, really rocks. From the mandolin, hammered dulcimer, steel guitar, and percussion, and containing an almost Celtic dance feel, it sounds like the sort of song, it feels like the sort of song that the Narnians would have been dancing to at the Great Winter Dance in The Silver Chair that Eustace, Jill and Puddleglum and Rillian stumble into when they escape the Underworld.
Check it out bellow!
“Wild Love” is a great new track from a hot musical act, and it’s a welcome addition to the wonderful library of music inspired by the land of Narnia. More importantly it’s a celebration of what Aslan’s “Other Name”, and what His true magic is. Aslan’s love can’t be controlled, tamed, or understood. It’s fierce, it’s wild, but, more importantly, it’s good.
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