Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

Ransomed are three brothers, Lee, Chris and Steve Berry, who hail from Texas. The group as it now stands has only been together since February 2003, and despite my heading to this review, Lee claims that the stuff they sing is really Southern inspirational music, or as he terms it, "Southern gospel without the twang." Sadly I have to say that technically this offering is a ways behind some of the best trio and quartet albums that these old ears have heard recently: I'm thinking in particular of bands like Greater Vision and CrossWay, who really cut the mustard with their smooth tight harmonies and classy arrangements; sometimes Ransomed struggle to blend effectively and their voices often sound decidedly strained. The material is cheese-free, thankfully, so there's no OTT cornball moments such as occur on other people's Southern gospel albums (no names, no pack drill), it's just a shame that most of it seems too much like hard work. Try and relax, guys, and let it flow....

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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