Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Worship leader Phil Lawson Johnston is probably best known for writing "We Will Magnify" and "Jesus Is The Name We Honour". This, his fourth solo album, gives us a collection of well-crafted praise songs with engaging arrangements and an array of backing musicians to boot. The upbeat opener, "High King Of Heaven", is tailor-made for church worship whilst guest appearances from Helen Burgess and Ben Castle provide some tasty treats (check out their expertise on "Well Watered Garden" and the '70s soul pastiche "Wings Of The Wind" respectively). Phil's voice does, at times, lack power and songs like "Lament For Wasted Lives"- a potentially chilling protest against abortion- tend to suffer as a result. On the other hand, Phil's voice is beautifully suited to the gentler and more reflective songs which express his obvious desire to be intimate with God. The album is about an hour long and, in some cases, there is a tendency for the tracks to become repetitive. On the whole, this is a varied and enjoyable album that seeks to praise and honour Jesus and succeeds in doing just that.

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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