Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Some members of Emmaus Road from Simi Valley, California have already gained plaudits from the hard nose Cross Rhythms reviews team for their contributions to the Blessed Hope Chapel live worship albums. Now Dean Palacio (vocals, guitar), Tony Palacio (bass), Charlotte Laystom (vocals) and Robbie Destocki (drums) offer a pretty impressive album debut full of gutsy praise, tender-hearted worship and an occasional musical surprise (a funky arrangement of Rick Cua's "On A Clear Night"). Lyrically, it stays in pretty straight-down-the-line declarations of love and devotion to the King of Kings with rather over familiar rhymes and images (but the same could be said of 99 per cent of worship albums). But the singing is strong (with Charlotte's vocals particularly impressive on a couple of more acoustic-orientated songs), the guitar work is excellent and there are a couple of songs here which would lift any congregation. All in all, a pretty good debut.

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