Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Guy Penrod is that tall, Jesus-looking, long haired, ruggedly handsome blue-eyed guy that you often see on those Gaither DVDs (Jesus did look like that, didn't he?). Here he appears with 18 favourite songs, around half of which were written by friends Bill and Gloria Gaither. A fair mixture of music styles, but all fit into that Southern gospel genre, much loved by many of our American cousins - and not a few this side of the pond too. So there are hints of country, bluegrass and even a few swathes of white gospel/funk. Penrod's forte, however, is undoubtedly those sensitive ballads, when his powerful vocals never fail to leave their touching impact. Certainly, he has a truly standout voice. My personal favourites are the ones where Guy teams up with other guys(!) to produce the most striking harmony vocal sounds. "Yes I Know" is a simple yet sheer delight; "Loving God, Loving Each Other" comes a close second. "It is Finished" is a short emphatic declaration of spiritual victory, with proud group vocals. Occasionally the songs tend to drag a bit, as if the singer is trying to milk listeners' emotions. Some may find some of these songs a tad corny, but if, like me, you're at all interested in Southern gospel, this'll go down a treat.

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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