Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Leicestershire-based worship leader Matt Hill has released a collection of self-penned praise songs that have been recorded at church and at home with the help of his wife, co-producer and backing vocalist Becky and an able backing band. Kicking off with the wah wah guitar-infused "King Of Glory", Hill has chosen to not stray from the modern worship path and contained within much of this release are songs that have a faint U2 feel to them whilst communicating what God has done in the writer's life. Whilst pleasant enough, Hill's vocals often lack the power required to make an emotional impact although the inclusion of wife Becky's harmonies on the likes of the contemplative "I Love You For The Cross" certainly bolster things. With most of the songs stuck at a middle of the road and slightly plodding tempo without too many musical surprises, the more upbeat "God Of The Impossible" is arguably the album's highlight although a propensity to use well-worn but nonetheless earnest worship phrases such as "I surrender all to you", "I want to see your face" and "I offer up my life" doesn't help Hill's work to stand out from the crowd. Having adopted the standard guitar, drums and bass format for much of the release, the last four tracks are stripped right back to just acoustic guitar and voice and, whilst feeling like a completely different album has just been slotted into the CD player, it gives Becky a chance to take the vocal spotlight whilst proving that Hill himself has the potential to turn out something worthwhile.

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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