Reviewed by Matt McChlery

Jordan Feliz used to be the frontman for the heavy rock group A Current Affair. Since then, he has transitioned into becoming a worship pastor and is now pursuing a music career in Nashville. Having recently signed to Centricity Music 'Beloved' is his first release with them and is a CCM gem. The musicality contains no pretence and no special frills intentionally creating uncluttered tracks. This in turn gives space for the lyrics and melodies to breathe. The lyrics are fresh and thought provoking and contain a strong uncompromising gospel message expressed in contemporary language packaged in a very current, mainstream pop sound. The combination works extremely well and these radio-friendly masterpieces will most certainly have a wide appeal. Released as a pre-album single "The River" is an infectious track that expertly balances Jordan's tight soulful vocals against an energetic arrangement. The title track was written from a more personal point of view. A few days before the birth of his daughter, Jolie, Jordan wanted to communicate his love for her and to let her know that as she grows up, she is beloved. Parallels can be drawn between this love of a father for his daughter and the unconditional love that God has for us. The song itself contains a slow build of towering vocal hooks that pull together to create an anthemic, poptastic track. The final four tracks on the album are called the 'Song Sessions' and contain acoustic versions of "Beloved" and "The River" and two covers: Ed Sheeran's "Photograph" and an extremely powerful version of Needtobreathe's "Brother". This album raises the bar in the CCM scene as it is very contemporary yet uncompromising in the message it preaches.

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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