Reviewed by Niazi Fetto

Back in Cross Rhythms 1 Chris Rolinson reviewed Hosanna!'s 'Mighty God'. In his words, "The musicianship is consistently first class. It's a pity that not all their songs aspire to the same lofty peaks. Hosanna! albums can leave you feeling that you've listened to a great worship album, except that you can't remember one song from the next." My problem is that, two and a half years on, I want to say the same thing. The musicianship on this album is, well, first class. So good is it in fact, that it almost succeeds in convincing you that even the most banal tracks are classy. But not quite. Not even the lovely canoning and harmonising by the group vocalists can cover up for trite songwriting. "Keep On Praying", for instance, would not seem very out of place on a Kid's Praise album. There is plenty of good news, though. The accomplished Bob Fitts leads the worship, from the island of Hawaii of all places, and at times his interjections and encouragements boost the mood rather than make you want to hide behind your chair. The song writing is only trite in a few places and there are some standouts. "Glory, Glory Lord" is my favourite - a rousing, catchy chorus with a lolloping calypso beat. The chorus is sung first in English and then in Hawaiian and Samoan, a nice touch which lets the spirit focus on the actual worship rather than just the words. "Heaven Is In My Heart" and the title track also remain lodged in my memory.

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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