Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Gathering together a selection of soulful gospel to create some interest for this inspirational music in the mainstream is the purpose of this compilation. There's always going to be a market for life affirming, upbeat gospel music when it contains this much soul. Kicking off with Angelo & Veronica's gospelisation of Grover Washington's "Just The Two Of Us" (you might have heard Will Smith murdering it a while back) seems the perfect place to start. As well as a couple of songs from them, there's some gorgeous sweet soul from Nancey Jackson whose voice slithers sensationally on "You Never Change" before she delivers a swampy "Secret Place". There's two top quality tunes from Dawkins And Dawkins before Lionel Peterson presents a stripped down version of "Amazing Grace" backed simply by world beat percussion and acapella voices. It's beautiful and so is his African tinged "Somlandela". The compilation is completed by a live gospel track from Pastor Benjamin Dube which is rippling with passion before two final songs from Pastor Bam Crawford's Purpoze from their album 'The Book Of Life'. The final cut is a gospel version of "Mercy Seat", made famous as a key song in the Pensacola revival. Here, every second of drama spills from the speakers as the song builds to its spiritual climax. Stunning stuff and an album's worth of soulful gospel songs worth sampling.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.