Reviewed by Dave Harris

I can’t pretend to be an aficionado of gospel music, but what I do know is that Robbie Lewis is a man of some considerable talent. For it is he who takes the credit for much of the writing, playing, arranging and producing on ‘Giving You Nothing But Praise’; and what he presents is a good hour’s worth of slick gospel music. Stand out tracks include the soulful “Show Me The Way”, the funky “You Don’t Have To Be Afraid”, and the simple but powerful “We Praise Your Name”. Yet, just as there’s a few squares missing from the album’s overall rating, so there’s something missing in the music. Yes, it’s good quality and there’s a nice variety of sounds, but many of the songs still sound rather similar to these ears. The lead vocals are good without being outstanding, and even the occasional lush string arrangements don’t quite work. This is a solid, upbeat album that has some attention grabbing moments, but not enough of them. It’s a sound start, but I suspect there is much better to come from Here II Praise.

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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