Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

‘Hungry Live’ marks another release by the prolific Vineyard Music label and acts as a record of an “historic event celebrating 25 years of Vineyard worship.” Amongst those leading the worship are David Ruis, Marie Barnett, Andy Park and Britain’s own Marc James backed by an able band. I have no doubt that the event itself was a precious and anointed occasion but it somehow doesn’t hit the mark when conveyed on CD. All but one of the tracks here are slow songs and, as a result, gives the whole album a rather lacklustre feel. Barnett’s “Breathe” sung by the composer herself stands out as does Danny Daniels’ Celtic-flavoured “The Call”, complete with an Irish flute refrain bearing a striking resemblance to The Corrs’ “Runaway”. As you would expect from a Vineyard release, the packaging is attractive and there is a useful enhanced CD section with overheads and chord charts for church use. I would read through some back issues of CR to find a better-rated Vineyard album before purchasing this one.

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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