Reviewed by David George

Youth group Casanovas have doubtless found that Pila's 'Romantic Rock' series comes in handy as a Christian alternative to putting Dire Straits or Phil Collins on the CD. But the series' appeal to the rest of us can best be described as limited. This fourth instalment follows the same format as the previous three and features 18 tracks, presumably chosen for their romantic appeal, from recent albums by the likes of Michael W Smith, Petra and Phil Keaggy. Unfortunately whoever compiled this CD seems to have equated "romantic" with "slow", thus only one or two of the selections get above half speed with no regard at all for any lyrical content. The overall effect tends to be rather soporific and I needed a strong cup of coffee after track 10 to keep me awake to the end. For a newcomer to CCM who wants a sampler of recent releases this could prove to be of some use. But many CCM.buffs are likely to possess the tracks included herein, the only "obscurity" to Brits being the pleasant German group One Way Ticket. 'Romantic Rock Vol 4', like its three predecessors, is something of a white elephant. Hopefully Pila can be persuaded to spare us another one and invest their resources in something a little more exciting.

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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