Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

If you like your praise music in a sort of 80s MOR fashion with lovely singing, glossy production and the odd twang of electric guitar then this is for you. It's actually rather jolly and very nice and occasionally heads into MOR black gospel mode with small group singing and twiddly piano on a song like "Everytime We Are Gathered". If this had been released in 1982, it would have been hailed as a major step forward for praise music but in 1996, it's safe, calculated to appeal to a perceived audience. Sad really because the songs are good, the singing is sincerely performed and the playing is great. Excellence without creating anything lasting. Like so many worship albums these days, it's a bit like a Chinese meal. Quite pleasant to eat but give it a couple of hours and you've forgotten all about it. Maranatha were once pioneers of worship music but these days like a lot of producers of worship material, they're stuck in a sickeningly familiar rut of ordinary releases when they should be searching to be extraordinary.

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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