Reviewed by Andrew Rolfe

This entire album sounds way too much like a school play to be taken seriously at all - the singing kiddies would make their parents weep with joy, but I could only manage crying for more sombre reasons. Yes, translate "new tunes" as "theatrical tunes". "Stories Of Jesus" is sung by a bunch of screeching kids straight out of a Dickens musical. "God Of Mercy, God Of Grace" has a male/female duet just back from filming a Disney cartoon lovey scene. "For The Beauty" is definitely Dick Van Dyke and a load of custard-cream rabbits trotting down an Austrian mountainside on their way to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Don't misunderstand me, the singers are obviously trained and know how to hit the right key at the right time, and their voices are often soothing, but there is far too much midi instrumental, which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't done during playtime on the school's £17.99 Yamaha. But this album if you like the idea of teachers and classroom tinies whipping grandma into a frenzy. Don't buy if you want resounding organs, string quartets and can't stand Disney, Dickens or school theatre.

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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