Reviewed by Paul Kerslake

From the youth worship ministry of New Life Church, Colorado Springs comes this exceptional new release. With the instrumental opening, reminiscent of Faithless, you know you're about to experience a full on sonic assault. Unlike previous Desperation Band releases, this is their first studio-based recording. "You Hold it All", the first song on the album starts with chiming guitars and low key vocals, building and building with the resounding lines "You hold it all together/You hold it all forever". Being in the studio has allowed the band to experiment, and there are some creative synth lines and guitar effects that lift the songs. "Great God" is a standout, speaking of God's creation and with a soaring melody that would not be out of place on a U2 album. Like previous releases, there are also two instrumental "soaking sessions" here. The closing track, "Angel Song" is an eight minute epic starting with a solitary guitar and ending with the band all turning the volume up to 11. In addition to the 14 songs on the album there are also two MP3s of older songs and a short video that highlights the work New Life Church are undertaking with orphanages in Uganda. An outstanding project with many songs that deserve to find their place in our Sunday worship.

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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