Reviewed by Alison Burnett

Maybe it was the chocolate covered pretzels mentioned in the credits which gave this album its infectious energy. Or maybe it is just that the Imperials go on getting better and better. After a quarter of a century of progress from their southern roots, shedding vocalists along the way which lesser bands could ill-afford to miss, they have still succeeded in producing a collection of songs strong enough to stand as singles - yet with enough variety of arrangement to avoid the conveyer-belt feel of many commercial pop works. A wide range of authorship certainly helps, but can't on its own produce the funk rhythms of "Original Love", the evocative harmonies of "Come Let Us Worship" or the R&B-style "It's Gonna Be A'right". There's a haunting, repetitive character to "Goin' Away" which has you returning to the track again and again, while the wistful "It's Raining Again" captures the longing in many hearts for a touch from God, in a way which more triumphalistic treatments miss. "His love is a consummate shower/That rains down glory and power...And no feeling compares/When it's rainin' on you." Love's still changing hearts - and the Imperials are still a safe bet for anyone's library.

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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