Reviewed by Jon Tulloch

Aided no doubt by the efforts of U2 and the Spice Girls, pop music seems to be evolving out of its image as the nice people's alternative to rock 'n' roll. Bono. Edge and co have added something dark and dangerous, while Scary, Ginger and friends have injected sassiness and bite. The pop tracks on this album, designed to introduce new artists, belong firmly to the old school of pop: all syrup and no lemon. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially with songwriting as good as Lori Willcut's on "Young Love". Deborah Anderson cheats rather successfully with an almost exact replica of Susan Ashton's "Down On My Knees" by Wayne Kirkpatrick. but aside from these the songs stray too far into that derogatory category "typically Christian pop". The real value actually comes from the gospel tracks included. Angelic Host give a fabulous rendition of "Goodness And Mercy", while Message turn in a fresh and exciting performance with "His Love". Overall there is little "Wonderfully New' material here, but perhaps enough of interest for those with money to spend on a curiosity.

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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