Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

Well crafted pop from a Grand Rapids, Michigan composer and his friends with a set of songs revolving around the Church, ie, the Bride of Christ. This is a well written, well held together album which encourages thought, prayer and reflection on our responsibility as well as our status as part of the Church. It is very well played and produced, with some excellent vocals from a variety of singers - most impressively Shari McCord and Carla Moore on the majority of tracks and, unlike his last project, only one song with Leath singing solo (he duets on one other). It isn't overly polished, feeling as though a number of talented musicians got together for a project they gave themselves to rather than endeavouring to produce a perfect album for a commercial market. Definitely an album that is worth listening to a number of times before making any final judgements, with layers of instrumentation providing a rich tapestry of sound. The dominant piano on "Spirit & The Bride" is woven between Moore's vocals while the mellow "Steal My Heart", with piano and guitar subtly backing John Uebelhart & Carla Moore's vocals, inspires the listener to think of how our Lord waits to fulfil his promise to return. "Diespierta Amor (Arise My Love)" is a smooth bass-led reflection in Spanish which strikes the hearer with its beauty and sense of calling while the highlight of the album for me is the reworking of the old hymn "My Jesus I Love Thee". Simple and powerful in its arrangement it moves from solo guitar and percussion alongside McCord's powerful voice to a more fully orchestrated piano and synth strings sound. Overall, an impressive and inspiring set.

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.