Richard Birch, Simon Van Downham - From The Blue Sky

Published Saturday 15th May 2010
Richard Birch, Simon Van Downham - From The Blue Sky
Richard Birch, Simon Van Downham - From The Blue Sky

STYLE: Pop
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 92550-16460
LABEL: Independent RB006
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RELEASE DATE: 2009-11-01

Reviewed by Anthony Longville

Richard Birch is a man with a vision, a vision to make music. And it certainly is a big vision as he has released no fewer than five albums in a six month period to raise money for a number of Christian charities (he has set a goal of raising £100,000 in two years). Birch is from Darwen in Lancashire and his album projects include spoken prayers, trance/dance music and rock-tinged worship. On 'From The Blue Sky' Birch brings us 11 praise and worship songs co-written with Simon Van Downham, who also sings the lead vocals along with the man himself. Van Downham is a journeyman rocker who sings with a band that bears his name and performs music in a classic rock mould not dissimilar to the Doobie Brothers. So the vocal style is very country rock and though well played and produced the songs are hardly groundbreaking. The tour de force of this work is the closing track "Be In Awe" with its funky opening and Dire Straits guitar stylings. An album unlikely to appeal to a youth worship audience fed on Redman and Hughes but to those a little older who are looking for God-centred worship lyrics married to a classic rock music style this could be just the ticket.

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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