Ivoryline | Vessels “Track By Track”
Written By: Jeremy Gray

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Ivoryline Track by Track - Hopecore.com Magazine

ne of our favorite albums this year came from our good friend Jeremy Gray and his band Ivoryline. Although we covered this record upon its release, the lyrics resonated for months and months afterward, so much so that we asked Gray to do a track by track analysis of the record entitled Vessels.

1. The Healing

“You can’t live a full life standing just outside the truth.” That line sums up the purpose of this song lyrically. As Christians, it seems most of us are too easily placated in our relationships with God. We think once we’re saved that’s it. But there’s so much more. God invites us to live life abundantly in Him and it’s a daily process of strengthening our relationship with Him so we become more like Jesus. I feel that too many of us as believers feel like saying a prayer of salvation is enough, and we end up being the people God warns about – just hearers of the word and not doers. We should be transformed in Christ – new creatures. And if we aren’t living the new life he promises us, then something is up. We need to “live a life worthy of the calling we have felt inside.”

The chorus is God speaking to us saying “You didn’t earn my love. No, you never could.” It’s not a bad thing. It’s meant to emphasize that His grace is totally sufficient for us. No works would ever be good enough to save ourselves.

2. With The Daylight

This is the first and only song we’ve ever written completely in the studio. We had a day off one Saturday and just started jamming and it eventually became a finished song. It’s a song about struggle and pain, and the process of navigating through it. One day it hit me that the lyrics were somewhat prophetic of the struggles one of our members was going through. I  didn’t have that intention in mind at all, but I hope the songs resonates with other people who are struggling and gives them encouragement that joy will conquer pain.

3. Search Me Out

This song is about the battle that rages inside us everyday. The battle between on our flesh and our spirit. I’ve gotten to the point in my spiritual journey that I’m tired of the sin that’s still left inside me. We all have certain areas of weakness where we struggle that we can’t seem to overcome. I just want God to cut those dark places out of me so I can be free of them. Of course, this can only be done by the Spirit of God working inside us to change us from the inside out. But we must be resolved to put to death the deeds of the flesh.

4. Instincts

The theme of “Instincts” was birthed just from living and repeatedly falling short of God. After a while (the time frame is different for everybody) you realize that you cannot measure up to the life Christ lived and the example He showed. Your natural inclinations and instincts “There’s been many things I’ve experienced that were very hard and confusing while I was going through them, specifically my Father’s untimely death; but looking back God has allowed me to see that He was there all along, especially in those hard times, working all things out for the good”will steer you wrong. It’s not until you have the new Spirit of God put within you that you can begin living life in the full. We all sin. We all mess up. And we all deal with the consequences of those failures. But God never turns his back His back on us, no matter what.

5. Hearts Open

Unity is the central message of this song. We are all in need of a Savior. The only catch is, we don’t all realize it. Another idea this song touches is in seeing God’s hand or design in your life when you look back. There’s been many things I’ve experienced that were very hard and confusing while I was going through them, specifically my Father’s untimely death; but looking back God has allowed me to see that He was there all along, especially in those hard times, working all things out for the good.

6. Vessels

Jesus said we are to be salt in light in this world. What does that mean? Really? While writing the record I was contemplating that question and “Vessels” is what came out. In this modern age of iphone 4s, Twitter, Facebook, etc there are soooo many distractions. It feels like you can never get away. Everybody’s nose is buried in their work (myself included often). In all of this madness, we are called to be vessels of God. I’m still figuring all that out, but I do know this. If we ask Him to use us for His glory and His purposes, He will. Whether it’s in huge ways of saving thousands of people, or giving someone thirsty a glass of water. He sees it all. And when He comes through us, we are the lights of this world calling people toward Jesus.

7. No One Else

“No One Else” is a little different than any song on the record. It’s definitely a “love song.” I wrote it for my wife, to my wife. We were engaged when I wrote it, so I wanted to be sure she understand my heart’s desires for her. One of the main themes is love conquering lust. It’s so hard in this age where we must have everything NOW. And it’s a continual struggle for most guys I know. God is gracious though and slowly He’s teaching me how to love like Him, and giving us guys strength to be pure love warriors. And He blessed

me with an amazing wife to sharpen me and love me.

8. Walking Dead

This is probably the most gritty and pointed songs on the record. It’s a call to speak the truth and cut through all the surface level stuff that dominates our lives for the most part. It comments on the fact that many Christians have become increasingly hesitant to share their faith in Christ all in the name of political correctness or not wanting any sort of confrontation. Unfortunately, Christ Himself said “blessed are those who take no offense at my name.” We are called to spread His name, not worry about whether people will receive it happily or not. That’s the work reserved for the Holy Spirit. Its time we let Christ take the throne of our hearts back from all our stuff, and we start sharing Him with others. There’s nothing more important.

9. Broken Bodies

We all feel the grind of the days, months, and years our bodies and souls. We live in temporary, sinful bodies and as believers, we understand their frailty. Sometimes we could want all the struggle to end. We want all the promises of God in Christ now! That’s what this song touches on; the ache to go home. Thank God we’re not the ones pulling the trigger on when that happens though. We definitely lack the vision to see how complex and masterful God’s plan and timing really are.

10. The Greatest Love

I have two great loves in my life. God and my wife. This song is an interweaving of both subjects. “The greatest love” is actually Christ’s love for us, which is the bedrock of all our love. We love because He first loved us. The coolest thing about this song was how the chorus came about. I was in the studio, taking a little break, when this melody shortly followed by lyrics came into my head. I started singing it over to over to myself,  not knowing what it was. Well, it turns out the lyrics and melody fit perfectly in this song and became the chorus. Total God thing.

11. Made from Dust

This song was born out of the ache to be intimate with God. There’s always a desire in my heart for more of Him. For that reason, this song was probably the hardest for me to record. It’s definitely an emotional one for me. The chorus of this song came about in a moment of inspiration as well. It was about 1:30 in the morning and I had been laying down for about an hour, but I couldn’t sleep. An idea came to me, so I rolled over, pulled out my phone and wrote down these lyrics: “the last time you close your eyes, you’ll open them in paradise.”

The chorus style melodically is way different for us. On the first record I didn’t use falsetto at all, which was partly because I wanted to show people that I could sing. But I’m a little bit wiser now, and got over myself, and actually used it several places on the record. None work better than the chorus of this song. I like it because it sounds ethereal and pulls the song into a heavenly, spiritual mood.

12. Naked

“With hearts turned away…” Unfortunately, that lyric sums up the cause of all our problems. I wanted this song to discuss the story we all know so well, but from a slightly different angle. In the garden, Adam and Eve turned their hearts away from God, and we have felt the consequences ever since. One common misconception about original sin is that it Adam wasn’t around when Eve was deceived, and that he just sort of walked up and took the fruit from his wife because she told him to. Actually, when the serpent was speaking to Eve, Adam was standing right at here side – elbow to elbow. He stood there “oh so cowardly” and let the snake lie and deceive her. He didn’t fight for her. Didn’t raise his fist, or even his voice. He just let it happen. That’s the original sin of man – passivity. Sorry ladies. We’re sorry we didn’t fight for your hearts from the very beginning. Let’s break that pattern of sin now.

13. You Bring Fire

This might be my favorite song on the album. I almost titled this song “Losing Control” and kind of wish I had. This song is about when God really started getting a hold on my heart and pulling me (through whatever means necessary) into a deeper relationship with Him. I didn’t understand it fully, but I knew that I was losing control and he was gaining it. It’s a incredible thing to be wanted, loved, and sought out by your heavenly Father. That’s the story of this song. He brought fire to my soul when I needed it most.