STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 16846-CAS3009 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: Cassette Album
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
An independent release masterminded by Derek Beavis. a worship leader in Edinburgh and featuring 11 of his songs. Hitting a style which draws on mainly acoustic styles, this is in the same musical ballpark as the recent recordings from Dave Clifton and Andy Piercy. Many of the songs here have a psalmlike quality lyrically and some just rock out! "Dance, Dance. Dance", "If God Is For Us" and "I Will Love Only You" tumble along in fine fashion. But there are a couple of moments when this album seems to hit a new level and step out of the "pretty good actually" into the "brilliant". On "Come Before The Precious Lamb" everything builds on top of a fluid rhythm line and power chords before guest singer Neil Alton lets loose with a surging song of adoration. Just great! It's Alton again who sings my favourite song here - "You Lead Me Through The Darkest Valley" demonstrates Derek Beavis's songwriting at its most emotional creating a psalm of security that in the toughest times. God leads us through. Alton memorably sings. "I may get knocked down but I'm not knocked out" and I rejoice that Beavis has more depth in his writing than the average happy clappy worship writer. Plenty here worthy of investigation and the guys have managed a clean production sound too.
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