Prime Cuts: "Holy Spirit," "Unlearning," "Ancient of Days"
Overall Grade: 2.5/5
Lizzie Morgan steps fully into the spotlight with her solo debut Not My Will (Deluxe), a live worship project recorded in Nashville after years of singing alongside artists like Lauren Daigle and collaborating with Maverick City Music. The deluxe edition adds a notable inclusion: Morgan's live cover of Francisca Battistelli's Holy Spirit, which will be familiar to many worship leaders and listeners.
From the start, this album makes its intentions clear. With nine tracks, several running well over eight minutes, this is performance worship rather than concise congregational songwriting. Long instrumental builds, repeated refrains, and spontaneous moments dominate the runtime. On "Let the Alabaster Break," layers of sound stack quickly, creating atmosphere but little melodic direction. Lyrics are repeated so often that momentum stalls instead of deepens.
Morgan's voice is strong, and when she exercises restraint, it works. "Ancient of Days," a duet with Jonathan Stamper, shows her vocal power and control, though Stamper is often lost in the live mix. The same imbalance appears elsewhere, where sheer volume overwhelms clarity. The deluxe track "Holy Spirit" fits comfortably within this framework, but it adds little reinterpretation beyond extended length and heightened dynamics.
The album's best moment comes with "Unlearning." It is a soaring ballad that finally prioritizes melody and structure over excess. It feels focused, emotionally grounded, and genuinely affecting, precisely because it resists the urge to overbuild.
The title track "Not My Will," featuring Seph Schlueter, begins with promise. Their voices blend well, and the Luke 22 theme gives the song theological depth. As the track progresses, however, it falls into familiar territory as repetition increases and intensity replaces nuance. The closing pairing with "Yes Lord, Yes" ends the album much as it began, with dense instrumentation and unfiltered spontaneity.
There is no question about Morgan's sincerity or calling. Her background in church ministry and worship culture is evident throughout, and the project has clearly resonated with many listeners. Still, Not My Will (Deluxe) often equates length with depth and volume with impact. With tighter arrangements and stronger melodic focus, Lizzie Morgan's future releases could land with far more force. For now, this debut feels heartfelt but overstretched.
