Manchester-based faith-based music family, Vessels United, are establishing themselves as one of the pioneering voices in the modern worship space. Their sonic mission pivots around accessibility and relatability, both in their lyrical expressions of belief and their genre-fluidity.
Vessels United’s new single, ‘Only You’, epitomises this. The family’s vocals glide across a sleek, R&B-inspired instrumental, with each member’s contribution complementing the other.
The unique harmony – in more than one sense – that Vessels United are able to create is a testament to the close-knit bond they share. Lucky, a long-time worship leader at the World Harvest Christian Centre, set up Vessels United with his wife, Busola, and their two children, Ofure and David.
‘Only You’ was originally composed as a solo track by Lucky, and the family would dance and sing along to the demo in their home long before it got recorded. Seeing the way in which it was being received by their son and daughter, Lucky and Busola decided ‘Only You’ would be enhanced by making it a family affair.
The emotional gravitas that underpins each line is undoubtedly amplified by the warmth and familiarity of including the entire family on the song. They sing, “You are God / You’re the bright and only star / You are near and never far / Everlasting God you are / Only you”.
Lyrically, ‘Only You’ is a traditional Gospel song rooted inextricably in scripture – but these ancient words are wrapped in a refreshing, contemporary soundscape that has been carefully crafted by Lucky. He speaks about his aim of packaging up key passages of the Bible and transformative words of Jesus into a modern, accessible format that deviates from the classic Gospel music format.
‘Only You’ is an R&B earworm with an unshakeable scriptural foundation. Lucky explains the message behind the new release, “I am forever in awe of God’s power, love and grace, and in His ability to do all things. At its heart, ‘Only You’ is an appreciation of who we believe God is and what he’s doing for us as a family”.
Lucky goes on to outline the rationale behind its out-of-the-box composition, “Growing up in Nigeria, most of the Christian songs I heard were Afrobeats. I want the spirit of Vessels United’s music to reach as many people as possible, and giving ‘Only You’ this contemporary sound and feel helps to make this possible. The Bible offers a universally applicable message, and we therefore want to present it through a universally applicable style of music”.
