Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

The latest outfit to emerge from the hotbed of musical talent that is Calvary Chapel, Merritt Island, Florida (pastored by Malcolm Wild of Malcolm & Alwyn fame) is this family four piece: Oscar and Alex Longoria are brothers.  Oscar plays the guitars, Alex the drums and percussion.  Alex's wife Cheryl is the songwriter, keyboardist and singer, and their pal Billy Plummer plays bass.  Stylistically, this is pop veering towards rock with very Margaret Becker-esque vocals from Cheryl, and the production, courtesy of Pastor Malcolm and his equally talented son Joel, is tight and meaty.  Cheryl writes good, lyrically up front gospel songs, Oscar's guitars rasp and wail like any self respecting rock guitars should, and with a few rock ballads thrown in to give some variety, the overall result is good and loud, with the accent on good.  CCMI has turned out excellent stuff over the years, courtesy of The Electric Praise Band, The Exit, Mary Barrett and I Witness; Words In Red keeps up the high standard.  Well worth getting hold of.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.