Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

Michael and Gina are both members of the Derry/Donegal Christian Fellowship, they supported Robin Mark when he played in Derry in January, and Michael has written all the songs on this CD. A glance at the credits shows the presence of Brian Houston in the backing band, along with all the elements necessary for praise and worship Celtic style, including pipes, whistles, bodhran, etc. If you're expecting continuous Celtic praise, you won't get it; there are elements of rock praise as well, with ballads and straight pop in the mix, so there's no chance of being bored. That having been said, sadly Michael is no Robin Mark, so the quality of most of his songwriting falls a little way short of the best, I might also suggest that Michael and Gina try some harmony singing to add a little variety. Top songs for me - "Be Strong And Be Courageous", inspired by words from Joshua and Ephesians 6, which jigs along Electrics-style, with accordion and mouth organ to the fore; and "The Voice Of The Lord", a waltzy piece of adoration music, with everyone getting stuck into the anthemic chorus. This album has its moments, but really a little more consistency is needed, both in the songwriting and in the performance.

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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