Reviewed by Ian Hayter

"Sisters united in the musical cause of presenting songs that arrest the hearer" - so begins the sleeve notes which accompany this selection of 17 songs by the leading ladies of CCM (well, the ones in the Word stable, anyway). And a most arresting selection it is too. There are some wonderful voices here, showcased against very slick arrangements. The 17 singers are mainly from across the Atlantic, but Helen Jayne and the superb Caroline Bonnett from the UK are also included. There are two girl groups - Out Of Eden and Point Of Grace - who both turn in excellent performances, and the mighty voices of Helen Baylor and Yolanda Adams (The latter triumphing over some woefully sentimental lyrics by BeBe Winans) represent the black gospel tradition. There's only one track which spoils an otherwise highly listenable album - Julie Miller's "river Where Mercy Flows" sounds like Cyndi Lauper with a lungful of helium, and the lyrics are naff, to say the least. For me the standout tracks are by Kathy Troccoli, Pam Thum and Carolyn Arends, but Jaci Velasquez and Amy Morris sounds great as well. If you like good, strong female vocalists, this is the album for you.

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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