Reviewed by Nick Castle

Not much need be said about this album other than to list the vast number of quality Christian artists on this compilation. These include Jars Of Clay, dc Talk, Sixpence None The Richer, Michael W Smith, Amy Grant and the UK's own Delirious?. The first CD consists of mainly guitar-based pop songs; acoustic tracks come from newer bands such as Burlap To Cashmere and Plumb along­side Caedmon's Call and a fantastic "Nobody Loves Me Like You" taken from Jars Of Clay's brand new album. The electric edge comes from the likes of Audio Adrenaline (a mature song about the need for humbling ourselves before God}, Switchfoot (who recently supported Delirious? on a UK tour) and the catchy "Gravity" as performed by Delirious? provides an impressive start to an album that rarely stoops lower. The second CD hits a high with Sixpence's "Breathe" which, although more atmospheric than their album tracks, is a pow­erful song about the healing that comes from God sung by the beautiful voice of Leigh Nash. Rebecca St James provides an interesting version of "Omega" with a new arrangement over the spoken verses breaking into the amazingly catchy chorus. This album is great for both those who are already into Christian music because of the great song selection and also for those who want to discover for the first time some of the quality found in Christian music. The only reason for not making a purchase would be if you could listen to Sonic Flood's "I Want To Know You" without the superb Hanson-like "Mmm Bop" introduction which for some reason has been edited out.

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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