Reviewed by Tom Lennie

By entitling this "The Best Of. . .', Kingsway are letting (uninitiated) folk know that this is a musician with a formidable legacy and one they need to sit up and take note of. For the truth remains, Dutch worship leader Kraayenoord is far from being a household name among British believers, and many will be asking "The Best Of Keith who?" for some time to come. In his homeland he's as popular as Tim Hughes or Matt Redman are here, and he and band have opened for such acts as Michael W Smith, Third Day and Delirious?, as well as being popular at festivals like Flevo. A couple of previous albums have in fact been distributed in the UK, and it's songs from the latest of these, "Letting Go", that forms the larger share of this collection, a truly formidable 16 song volume running at over 70 minutes. Comparisons might be made to Gareth Robinson and aforementioned Hughes in terms of sound and style, KK's music coming over with an incisive pop rock edge that captivates your attention from start to finish. The lyrics, too, are thoughtful, pertinent and solidly scriptural. It's only when you scrutinize the liner-notes that you realise this is in no way a sole venture. Playing a part in proceedings are such notables as Paul Field, Chris Eaton and Graham Kendrick each serving as co-writers; the latter dueting on his contribution); Phil Madeira (accordion), Phil Hartley (b/vs), and fellow Dutchmen Henk Pool (producer and songwriter), Frank Van Essen and Luca Genta (instrumentalists), along with a string of other musicians. Talking about strings, I nearly forgot to mention contributions from the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and, additionally, The Letting Go choir. Clearly the stops have been pulled out for this one, the result being a first rate worship feast, one you'll want to enjoy over and over.

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.

The Dutch worship leader, songwriter and speaker has become a leading voice over the last eight years. Calling for a wholesale increase in compassion, honesty and a bolder search for truth, Kees is a unique talent with a great back catalogue.

With seven albums to draw from, and collaborations with songwriters like Graham Kendrick, Noel Richards, Chris Eaton and Aaron Keyes, the story so far is as strong as they come.

Best Of features the songs God Of The Moon And Stars, This Is My Cry and Living Sacrifice.