Reviewed by Chris Berry

An album that goes under the subtitle 'Australia Wor­ships'. Why is it that our Antipodean cousins find things so easy these days? This album has all the sim­plicity of a 'Neighbours' in its appeal. No messing around, just straight to the point lyrics and good music. It's very reminiscent of late 60s/early 70s in its deliv­ery, in that you're hit smack between the eyes with the power and gutsiness of the message. As with most Aussies, there's the traditional banner-waving bit of their homeland and the title track, sung in raucous rock by Steve Grace, is well worth your ears. Our Aussie brethren don't seem to be too hot on chorus-style wor­ship, "Let It Shine" being poor in comparison to the rest of the alburn. Their talent seems to lie, at least in this collection, in their ability to master the emotional. "Your Name" and "Draw Near To Me" being two prime examples. For beauty look no further than "Swept Away", delving into Beach Boys "Lady Lynda" territory of the 80s. And then there's the climax to the album -"Abide With Me", yes, that one. They've turned it into a rock ballad and whilst not being a great lover of alter­ing the original music I have to say that it impressed me greatly. At times this is light years ahead of wor­ship in the UK

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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