Reviewed by Stephen Luff

With some worship albums I sometimes feel the style has got into a MOR rut, then I listen to artists like Meredith Andrews and I realise the boundaries are being challenged. Our Editor Tony Cummings stated in the review for her previous album 'Worth It All' that it was a delight. . . "Top rate musicianship bringing out the nuances of her pop-orientated worship songs." But that was three years ago and since then Meredith has had to struggle with personal issues, publicly discussing marital difficulties. The fact that she's come back with an even better album, one which speaks much to the modern Church, says much about the faith of this so-gifted singer/songwriter who leads worship with the Vertical Church Band at Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. Songs like "Extravagant" and "Spirit Of The Living God" would sit easily in a large gathering, while "I Look To The King" is a declaration of faith in difficult times, embraced in a radio friendly-style ballad. Pride of place has to go to the country-tinged title track. It's a beautiful song though it's not the well-known Delirious? anthem. This "Deeper" was written by Meredith's husband Jacob Sooter and Australian singer/songwriter Mia Fieldes. Said Andrews, "They wrote this song with me in mind to sing it which blows me away every time. When I sang it for the first time at a staff meeting at church it was an atmosphere-changer and it sets the tone. When you start praying this prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to come and to speak we remove all of the distractions and the only thing we want is to hear from God and to know him more." There is another confusing thing about "Deeper" however. On her second album 'The Invitation' she recorded another song called "Deeper" - that one written by Jason Ingram. But leaving such discographic complexities aside, let me state boldly that alongside Jesus Culture's 'Let It Echo' this is truly an album which will feed the spirit for months and probably years to come.

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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