Reviewed by Tom Lennie

It's perhaps natural to think of Messianic music as gently melodic songs with an infectious Yiddish rhythm. But as a number of Messianic Jewish musicians get more and more adventurous, it's kind of difficult to classify their output under one all-encompassing banner. This is especially true of Ted Pearce, who incidentally hails, not from the Holy Land, but from Texas. I was first impacted by Pearce's music when I came across the title track from his 2002 album, 'Zealous Over Zion', which deftly imposes Hebrew themes onto a decidedly modern dance beat. Ted's latest recording sees him take on a number of styles, including blues-jazz (on the delightfully funky "Hinei Lo Yanum", Philadelphia soul, with great female group backing (on "The Great Shofar") and rock (eg "Yavo"). The guy truly has a fine singing voice, and his sizeable team of musicians are manifestly talented and versatile. Guitar riffs on various tracks are magnificent - listen to the five-minute instrumental break on track 11 for striking evidence. Despite the experimentation with varied styles, Hebraic musical influences are obvious throughout and come over as authentic - note, for example, the delightful "Yishtabach" (on this and others Hebrew lyrics are juxtaposed with English). Meanwhile, thematically and lyrically, this album is utterly Messianic, whether our singer is praying for the peace of Jerusalem, battling for Zion, or beholding the King of Glory. These are wonderfully diverse, Scripture-soaked songs. Quite a few are upbeat and joyous and make you want to get up and dance - the title-cut is an example, while "Festival Of Lights" also, is charmingly celebratory and utterly infectious. This is a most creative recording - Pearce's music isn't just for Messianic Jews or those actively supporting Messianic ministries - his sound deserves to be heard far and wide across the whole Church.

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