Reviewed by Keren Perrott

It feels a little odd listening to Whitney Houston's contribution amongst some of Christ-centred gospel's leading lights but even that does not take away from a reliable compilation that has something for everyone. Live recordings from the likes of Hezekiah Walker & LFC, Donald Lawrence & co and Marvin Sapp kick off the album on a more traditional but up-tempo note guaranteed to get gospel lovers moving. A more soulful track from Kirk Franklin "Help Me Believe" takes things down in pace a little prematurely and sets the tone for the remainder of the first CD; this is not an album to stomp your feet to. Having said that, a good number of live recordings provide useful depth to the large number of ballads that prevail. The second CD provides a good number of more upbeat praise tracks and a more contemporary feel thanks to the likes of Mary Mary and J Moss. Although the latest WOW album is marketed as gospel for 2010 many tracks on the album are not new - dating back to 2007 in some cases! Another case of marketing zeal obscuring Biblical ethics.

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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Every New Year brings with it promise, resolutions... and WOW GOSPEL! This renowned compilation series is once again gearing up to be the must-have collection of the year.

Filled with songs that lived at the top of the charts at Gospel radio, this 2 CD set is chock full of hits, including songs from Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Fred Hammond, and the incomparable Whitney Houston!