Reviewed by Pippa Rimmer

Is it possible to capture a live worship event on a CD and relive the experience in your living room? That’s what I wanted to find out as I listened to this. Soul Survivor as a live event is a heady mixture of raucous praise and often painfully intimate worship which makes it one of those ‘you had to be there’ events. I attended SS last summer, where the songs for this album were recorded. It’s a worship experience that everyone should attend at least once in their lifetime. Anyway… I digress! What we have here is a selection of spanking new stuff from Matt R & Co which got its airing at Now To Live The Life, SS’98 (to coincide with a songbook of the same name). Matt R is in top form as worship leader and is joined by up-and-coming Tim Hughes and Martin Layzell (watch out for those names!). The vibrant “Saved” kicks off the whole thing with a bang and has a fab if not shortened intro by the Psalm Drummers. (But they make a comeback in “O Come Let Us Adore Him”). “Saved” was definitely one of the anthems of SS’98 (complete with air punching!). Astute that I am, I spotted Delirious? pressman Craig Borlase on stage strumming a guitar having a whale of a time. Sure enough, here he is again! If you’re looking for something deeper than the raucous bits, you won’t be disappointed. “The Eyes Of My Heart” is a beautiful worship ballad which draws our attention to Jesus and will pull a tear or two from you eyes – an intimate, honest declaration to God which has to be one of THE worship songs of ’98. There are several spontaneous bits as the Spirit took over and these are great for encouraging us to express our hearts to God without the help of a song sheet. Tim Hughes’ “I’ll Always Love” is a 10 star song with the catchiest chorus and poignant words. “For The Cross” was another one of those anthems which we are now singing in our church! What I love so much about this album is its prophetic nature – it has the innocent honesty, passion and desire for intimacy which we’re seeing restored to the church. In reality, you can’t beat being at the actual event, but his CD manages to capture the essence of Soul Survivor and the greater move of God which is happening at youth events and churches all over the country. If youth groups and churches are not singing off this hymn sheet in 1999, then I’ll eat my socks!

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