Reviewed by Norman Smith

Here is a valid effort in merging strong western pop melodies with unabashed, overt worship lyrics. This is the debut album from Nigerian Abiodun Jesusanmi and a highly promising one it is, too. His voice fits the self-penned collection and the opening track, "Praise Be To The Name Of The Lord"' is as good an uptempo worship song as you'll hear anywhere on the globe. Abi is an undoubtedly talented songwriter but if there is one slight criticism in an accomplished set it is that a lot of the songs would benefit from stronger arrangements: harmonies are particularly scarce, for instance, so his solo vocals suffer from over-familiarity after awhile, giving a one dimensional feel. Helen Monks, for instance, adds real bite when she joins Abi on "You Are God", underlining the point. Nevertheless, this album shows an effective ministry in music at work in our churches, and a bright future beckons!

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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