Zach Williams - Survivor: Live from Harding Prison
STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 172130-27882 LABEL: Essential 083061108922 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2018-09-14 RRP: £12.99
Reviewed by Lins Honeyman
Following on from his smash hit 'Chain Breaker' album, the Grammy Award-winning CCM singer/songwriter has issued this live EP recorded within the confines of Tennessee's Harding Prison. With all but one song taken from 'Chain Breaker', this could so easily have had the feel of a stop-gap release while Zach assembles new material, but such are his sensitive yet passionate renditions of his beautifully crafted songs, plus his ability to connect directly with his target audience with tracks like the opener "Survivor" and the epic Gold disc-certified "Chain Breaker", that even Zach's legion of supporters will be drawn to this release. One particularly affecting moment is the inmates' sung response at the end of the Bethel Music song "No Longer Slaves". No stranger to hard times himself, Williams tells of his battle with alcohol and drugs at the start of the highly emotive song of invitation "To The Table" and succeeds in bringing the message of redemption to where it's needed the most - in the frontline before a group of men with very little hope in their lives. The soulful song of joy "Old Church Choir" keeps proceedings rolling along on a set of tunes that showcase Williams' gritty vocals, his earthy but top notch band and his desire and innate ability to shine God's light into some very dark places.
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