Reviewed by Ian Whitwood

An accomplished and occasionally brilliant live, 11 track fifth album from this talented contemporary worship duo, with David Gungor's lead vocals reminiscent at times of Elbow's Guy Garvey and some of John Arndt's musical arrangements bringing the likes of Owl City and Lemon Jelly to mind. The merging of "Night Has Passed/Morning Has Broken" in track three works well, with the refrain of the chorus "We rejoice, we rejoice" followed by David's stark, but effective, solo conclusion, "In the gift of this day." Touching on social themes such as injustice and, in the case of "See This Love", war and pain, David plaintively appeals for love to be expressed as he cries, "See how it lights you up." The chorus echoes the declaration powerfully as this peach of a track hits the heights of brilliance! Guest vocalist Hannah Gingrich features on "Holy, Holy", a hauntingly beautiful hymn of praise with the subtle combination of guitar, strings and percussion adding depth and atmosphere. A whole host of supporting musicians and a few guest vocalists help to create a special blend of high quality musicianship (with John Arndt's synthesiser to the fore) and stirring vocals inspired by thought- provoking lyrics such as the final words of the final track "All Is Not Lost", featuring vocalist Charles Jones, expressing the wish "May the seeds of peace be scattered/Birthing trees whose shade gives us rest," summing up the ideals of the composers and musicians perfectly.

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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