Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Over a synth wash powerful and dramatic enough to soundtrack the vast vistas of space on a TV documentary, a male voice gently informs that God is our compass through life. Then, with the entrance of some rhythm, a female voice picks up the theme and the song judders to a climax before closing gently. Then there's a surprise with audience applause - it hadn't sounded like a live recording until that point. In many ways, "Compass" could have fitted on Hillsong United's ground-breaking 'Wonder' album and it certainly created the same spine-tingling sensation. 29:11 Worship are a collective of musicians, singers and songwriters from Phoenix, Arizona and they've clearly gone to a lot of trouble with this eight-song mini-album. Two standouts are the surging "Rise Up" with its heavy percussion, sounding like the kind of song that would have any youthful congregation up and dancing, and "Beatitudes", where a delicate female lead powerfully intones God's blessings. The mid-tempo "In God We Trust" also sounds like it could be a radio hit, though it might need a bit of remixing. Clearly 29:11 are another of the ever-growing list of church-connected aggregations able to source congregations outside of their sphere of influence with uplifting songs.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.