Reviewed by Elliot Rose

Following their 2009 debut album 'Mercy Giver', the church's chief songwriters Phil Varley and Justin Ashworth have been busy writing 12 new songs and this disc, recorded live in July 2012, captures all the emotion and energy of the church's sizeable worship team. 'Everything' takes no time getting started with the jazzy "You Are Good" flowing straight into "All I Want", which initially emphasises the skill of lead guitarists Luke Catley and Leo Thomas, before the 16-piece choir adds some vocal depth. Nathan Prime's vocals pour out on the heart-wrenching "Worthy Is The Lamb" and compliment the mushy piano on "No Other Name". Though Prime's and Varley's vocals are certainly up to scratch, the album reaches its peak with "Set Apart", led by the soaring tones of co-writer Charlene Jones. However, even if one ignores the occasional timing mistakes, this album still seems to fall at the same hurdle as its predecessor with many of the songs unnecessarily repetitive and lyrics full of cliché. Despite the melodic and vocal quality 'Everything''s deficiencies take it down a tad.

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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