Reviewed by Pauline Muir

Larnelle Harris is an artist with many accolades to his name. He has written more than 18 albums, won five Grammys and 11 Dove Awards. He was featured soloist at the Vice Presidential Debate in 1999 and has been awarded an honorary doctorate of music from Campbellsville University in Kentucky. But having stated all that, personally I found this album to be a little boring. There is no doubt that the vocals are crisp, the musical arrangements varied, the lyrics meaningful. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help thinking that I had heard it all before, and despite Larnelle's efforts to move away from the inspirational style of old to a more modern R&B approach it all comes across here as rather dated. The final track, “The American Spirit”, caught me by surprise - a response to 9/11. Perhaps at this politically charged moment, Larnelle should not be surprised if this track is not greeted with enthusiasm by Christians worldwide, all of whom may not view America or indeed the American Spirit with the same degree of triumphalism.

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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