Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

The WOW series, which is starting to rival 'Now That's What I Call Music' for longevity, has been issuing compilations for CCM, worship and gospel genres for many a long year and like the 'Now. . .' series these are well picked, varied selections of the best around. This 2009 selection is no exception with every style from the world of gospel music represented in this 32-track collection. If the term "gospel" makes you think only of large choirs and excitable services, this collection will soon shatter your preconceptions. "Traditional gospel" is well represented by appearances from artists such as The Tri-City Singers, Mighty Clouds Of Joy, Dorinda Clarke-Cole and Byron Cage. Along with these, however, we have the club music styled Shari Addison, the hip-hop feel of Kirk Franklin, the punchy pop R&B of Mary Mary and most attention-grabbing of all, the stunning rock-opera opener "Stand Out" by Tye Tribbett and G A. Other outstanding cuts demonstrate the soulful pyrotechnics of the soulful J Moss, the bass heavy and wah-wah guitar-backed retro feel of Fred Hammond, the big horns and bluesy feel of Beverly Crawford and Dave Hollister's "Striving" which could be a Craig David track! There isn't a bad choice in this selection, the quality of this album is excellent; a good buy, particularly if you're looking for an introduction to the world of contemporary gospel.

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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