Late Late Service - Music From The Late Late Service 3
STYLE: Dance/Electronic RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 8188-7941 LABEL: Sticky Music GUM25CD FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Tony Cummings
Andy Thornton rather took Cross Rhythms by surprise this Greenbelt, taking 'alternative worship' into territories new at the communion service with a 'choir' of Greenbelt worshippers crammed onto Mainstage who over the weekend had been trained to sing 'beat box'. Over their vocal percussion we all sang some simple words of worship, taught by the so-talented Andy. On this album, the third stemming from the producer/songwriter/engineer/singer/musician and his team of Glaswegian alternative worship pioneers, we have more of what he's done before, house-orientated dance music mixed with some quieter meditative pieces with drum computers and layers of synths creating the bulk of the instrumental stuff. Frustratingly the Late Late Service are following the long tradition of MOR praise and worship albums in not identifying lead vocalists, but in no other way does this resemble the saccharine sweet output of much of the praise and worship. But neither is it particularly on the edge if you're dance-orientated things like industrial dance like Deitraphobia or R&B-orientated worship from Scott Blackwell. But for alternative worship without being so rad it alienates all but a few hipsters this is a marvellous album, from the Song Of Ascent opener "Going To Jerusalem" to the absolutely haunting "Love One Another". The voice (Thornton's) and piano version of the spiritual chestnut seems a tad out of place, and doing a dancey version of "Hail Mary" won't please hot prots. But there's freshness, creativity and considerable integrity on this album and I urge readers seeking to escape from dusky hymnody or happy clappy strums to get this album and begin to explore alternatives.
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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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