Music reviews

Re:fresh stocks a wide range of contemporary and traditional music on CD.  Come and select from our browser and listen to the latest compilations on the listening post.   Click the appropriate category below for reviews:-

Contemporary compilations
Popular worship leaders
Worship compilations
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Christmas music

New albums:-

 Great God who Saves - Laura Story

“Indescribable” was a big hit for Chris Tomlin in 2004, but now you can hear the original version written and sung by Laura Story in her debut album Great God who Saves.

Her songs have an acoustic pop feel to them with strong lyrics and melodies which combine statements of truth with a personal response.   A few lines from the song Grace illustrate this:-"The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary So instead of trying to repay You I'm learning to simply obey You By giving up my life to You for all that You've given to me."

“Mighty to save” by Hillsongs is the only song not written by Laura.  Several songs lend themselves to personal or group worship.  There are subtle echoes of some of Amy Grant’s early songs and, interestingly, Amy provides some of the background vocals. 

This is an album that has the potential for touching deep places within you and inspiring you to “to gaze deeper and stay longer and to press onward to know” the Lord. (from the track There is nothing).  Very highly recommended - The best album I have heard for a long time.  I am tempted to buy one for everyone I know!!!

The final track “Perfect Peace” gently ministers to the wounded and is earthed in reality. “…though I may not calm the storms around you, you can hide in me…Stay close by my side …Keep your eyes on me ….Let me bear your load ‘cause I will give you perfect peace.”
                                                                          Review by Marguerite Williams

I will follow - Paul Baloche, Brian Doerksen and others

15 powerful songs that speak of God's incredible gift of eternal life for everybody who believes in Him.

This album was created to inspire believers to keep on following Christ.  It takes you on a journey from making a deliberate choice to follow and worship God with a gentle song by Brian Doerksen, Today I choose to follow you, to marvelling in His presence with songs like Famous One by Chris Tomlin. There are 15 songs to use to engage with God including some well loved classics like the Heart of Worship by Matt Redman and Who am I by Casting Crowns.

It’s a great gift for all baptisms, confirmations and new believers.

Innocence - Verra Cruz

Hillsong United: Look to You

Holding Nothing Back – Tim Hughes

As its title suggests, this album is all about ‘Holding Nothing Back’. Described by some as being ‘manly’, this collection of new songs by Tim Hughes focuses more on expressing awe and wonder, and less about love. Indeed, these newer songs may be more popular among those male Christians who find it unnatural to ‘sing love songs to Jesus’, and prefer to focus on his power and might. 

This is perhaps some of the most upbeat music Tim has written. It is a very passionate album, with a driving bass 

Songs like ‘Living for your glory’, and ‘God of Justice’ encourage worship not only with words, but with actions too, while ‘The Highest and Greatest’, and ‘Almighty God’ praise the character of God. However, above all, the album captures a sense of hope, and the joy that springs from that hope. ‘Happy Day’, ‘Out of the Darkness’ and ‘Holding Nothing Back’, the title track, express joy in being ‘free now, forever’, and inspire us to give our everything to the One who gave His everything for us.

‘Holding Nothing Back’ comes with a bonus DVD featuring interviews, and song writing tips, among other things!

Amazing Grace  (Music Inspired by the Motion Picture)  
Product Code: SPD 73848
Featuring modern day versions of period hymns performed by today’s top Contemporary Christian, Gospel, and Country artists.

As well as being great background music, this CD is good for worship and reflection with 13 tracks, performed by artists such as Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, Nichole Nordeman, and more.

How Sweet the Sound  - ‘Songs of Freedom and Adoration’   2CDs Product Code: ICC1041D

This album holds a selection of passionate, modern worship songs heard at this year’s Spring Harvest. Featuring names like Tim Hughes, Vicky Beeching, Andy Flannagan, Cathy Burton and OneHundredHours, this album is a great one to crank up the volume and worship with.

Hope & Glory Vol. 1. (2CDs)                       Product code: FIERCD32

Described as "showcasing the very best of British" this is a ‘must have’ album!  A real mix of songs and genres, you’re sure to find some favourites – old and new.

Disc 1, ‘Hope Disc’, features artists such as OneHundredHours, Martyn Joseph, Cathy Burton, Iona and Thebandwithnoname, while disc 2, ‘Glory Disc’, has people like Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Delirious?, Graham Kendrick and Phatfish.

Out Of The Ordinary - Graham Kendrick                Code: MWD15

Graham Kendrick needs no introduction. The godfather of the British worship scene has written and recorded some of the churches best loved modern hymns and songs. On Out Of The Ordinary he shares song-writing credits with younger upstarts such as  Martin Smith, Stu Garrard, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Paul Baloche, thus marking quite a change in direction. While re-visiting favourite themes such as God’s majesty, creation and the redemption of the cross, the music has a very contemporary guitar-pop-worship feel. Such a move could have backfired, but not here, and the result is his best album in recent times. It is fresh, atmospheric and passionate, and full of the kind of lyrics steeped in theology that we have come to expect from this master.

Beautiful News - Matt Redman.                Code: SURCD50712

It’s a safe bet that if an album has Matt Redman’s name on it it’s going to be good.  It’s also a safe bet that we will all be singing the songs for years. Beautiful News is no exception. Proving yet again why Redman is one of the world’s most popular worship leaders, this latest release can be summed up in two words - triumph and wonder. Triumph in worship (A Greater Song), in freedom (Blessing), in joy and salvation (the title track, Beautiful News), and even in suffering (You Never Let Go).  Wonder in our existence (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made), in creation (All Over The World, co-written by Martin Smith) and that God found us and saved us (Take It To The Streets, which features Smith on guest vocals).

In contrast to the samples and loops of previous releases this is a ‘live studio’ album; i.e. put a band in a studio and let them go. Beautiful News is sheer stadium worship with U2-tinged delayed guitars and open throttle drums.  Matt’s voice soars like never before and John Ellis of Tree63 throws in some riffs for good measure. This is unashamed, back-to-basics stuff from a zealous worshipper at the top of his game.

All That Matters –Jonathan Veira               Product Code: CC0890D

Eclectic, chocolate voiced opera singer Jonathan Veira continues to dip in and out of the CCM scene with jazz and blues influenced albums.  All That Matters is his best yet.  Opening with the cheeky gospel of Show A Little Mercy, it goes on to yet another version of Redman’s Blessed Be Your Name.   The title track All That Matters, is a gorgeous Elton John-esque ballad about the certainty of Jesus in a transient world. Silky trumpet from Raul D’Oliveira drips over the liquid bass and Zero 7 funk of In The Calm and Love Song, the music matching the tranquillity of the lyrics, and the lyrical high point is the beautiful, politically tinged flag-waver Only A Dream, about Christ bringing true peace in our time.  Producer Neil Costello wisely stands back from a singer and band clearly enjoying themselves. The album is split roughly into two parts; after the smoky atmosphere of the first half the second half focuses more on straightforward worship to match anything by Graham Kendrick, reflecting two sides of this worshipper/performer.   This is one of the coolest albums of the year.

Veggie Rocks -Various Artists                Product Code: FFD96642

So then, Veggie Tales. It’s for kids right! Oh, and students. And bank managers, and, er, I.T. experts, teachers, politicians, accountants……ok lets face it, everyone loves Veggie Tales. In recognition of that salient fact the bright sparks at Big Idea thought it would be great to get some of the biggest names in Christian music to cover the ever popular silly songs in their own inimitable style. So, we have Audio Adrenaline doing ‘The Hairbrush Song’, Relient K singing ‘The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything’, Stevenson telling us ‘I Love My Lips’, not to mention Rebecca St.James giving us the Veggie Tales theme song in a minor key with lots of apocalyptic strings……you get the idea. An extremely silly guilty pleasure, buy it for yourself, your partner, your C.U., your mum or possibly as a small group resource!(?)

You never know, your kids might just like it as well!

Good Monsters - Jars Of Clay        Product Code: 083061082024

Jars Of Clay are nothing if not chimerical. Initially dubbed alt-folk, they have since wandered through alt-rock, Sgt. Pepper retro and even bluegrass. Despite their musical restlessness, or perhaps because of it, they have held on to a huge fan base both sides of the Atlantic.
Good Monsters opts for guitar driven pop, and is their catchiest album to date. The first single, Work, and the Talking Heads-like Dead Man (Carry Me) are representative of the infectious hooks that populate the album. So it’s just like this band that their most accessible album, musically speaking, is lyrically a complete departure. Good Monsters shows a band who have become uncomfortable with their perceived role as spokesmen for the church. This is a confessional album of doubt and struggle which identifies with the Psalms of David. About the album, the singer says it was "born out of many experiences and conversations between addicts, failures, lovers, loners, believers and beggars, and so the language of recovery and the honest discourse about our attempts to live apart from God and each other is a theme." This is not a band losing faith but a band triumphantly clinging to God for dear life. Nowhere is this more beautifully expressed than O My God, a song born out of a trip the band took to Rwanda. Beginning with a whispered prayer it builds relentlessly into a howl of anguish for the common man at the horrors of the world of which the psalmist would have been proud. This album has been hailed as their masterpiece and indeed it is. Managing to be both hooky, haunting, joyous, complicated and adult, this could well be the band’s legacy.

Emancipation Day - Verra Cruz    Product Code fierced23

Those who made it to Greenbelt this year may well have caught Verra Cruz playing live, though you might have missed them since they were relegated to stage 2 and not the main stage, which is surely their natural home. This is the band for whom the phrase ‘proper rock’ was invented. Imagine The Mars Volta, but less self indulgent and more focused. This, their debut album, is such an assault of sound it’s hard to believe they’re just a three piece. Marc James plays guitar and lapsteel with a blistering intensity, with aerial drumming and unshakable bass from Jimmy Cooke and Nick Bright being more than a match, while Marc James’ vocals remind you of Lemmy from Motorhead. The sound is very American blues rock, so it’s surprising to discover they come from St.Albans. Themes of struggle and redemption are mixed with political lyrics and a strong anti-war message. Producer Paul Burton has wisely decided to capture their live sound with the minimum of fuss, and the overall effect is of a firestorm of protest and an aching soul. Catch this band before they go global.

Treasure - Lou Fellingham              Product Code: KMCD2642

Fans of the band Phatfish and regulars at the Stoneleigh Bible Conferences will already be familiar with the voice of Lou Fellingham, here embarking on her first solo project.
Her voice has the same kind of wistful quality as that of Natalie Imbruglia or Leigh Nash and it’s married perfectly to the acoustic rock grooves by producer Busbee on this outstanding worship album. The songs, mostly penned by Lou and Nathan Fellingham, are packed with theology and have far more depth than the standard “God you're great” lyrics that seem to afflict many worship albums of late. Indeed, she seems to have her sights set on being the next Graham Kendrick and with instant Sunday morning classics like Build This House and the title track, Treasure, she is well on the way to doing just that. The music has a similar feel to Nikki Rogers and Nichole Nordeman, unfussy but perfectly executed with just the right amount of ambition in the arrangements. The outstanding track for this reviewer is Hard Pressed, with it’s lyrics of faith in adversity great vocal performance and infectious tune.
Expect to be singing many of these songs in a church near you. 

World Through Your Eyes - Reuben Morgan    Code: wytecd002se

Fans of Hillsongs worship will already know Reuben Morgan’s songs; he has penned classics like Lord I Give You My Heart,  My Redeemer Lives (both of which are included on the bonus 7 track disc) and Eagles Wings. This is his first solo album, and as well as straight ahead worship, like the haunting All That I Am, there are also more performance based songs, such as the confessional In Over My Head.  Vertical themes of personal transformation and a view of God’s transcendence are mingled in these songs with the refrain of God’s unfailing love.  Jangly guitars and warbling synths provide the perfect framework for Reuben’s soft vocals in a way reminiscent of Keane and Embrace. A captivating departure for the Australian singer/songwriter that will please current fans and win new ones.

Hope This Finds You Well - Further Seems Forever   
Product Code: TND49570

There is much debate as to how to box this band: are they classic emo-punk, nu emo-punk, indie-rock, progressive rock, etc?  Such quibbling over semantics is usually a good indicator of an original act or, as with this Bermuda quintet, at least a genre-busting one.  Sadly, they have now split and gone their separate ways, hence this retrospective compilation.
The first song and the title track of their much lauded debut album, "The Moon Is Down", seems almost prophetic of the band's troubled history (they have been through three vocalists and songwriters in as many albums), with lyrics like "We are the terminal cases, but we're so determined to thrive/This one is us".
Tracks like "Wearing Thin" dwell on our accountability before God and his unending patience:     "Go your own way, I'll be with you/Make mistakes and I'll forgive you". Others deal with the pain of relationships, such as the messy break-up in the "The Bradley" and a son’s memories of his alcoholic father in "Say It Ain't So". Most important are the songs that take the self-loathing and isolation of so much nu-metal and emo-rock and identifies it as God's wake-up call, together with optimism that Jesus can pierce the darkness, such as in "Light Up Ahead"( “Heart of darkness....Wake me up, there's a light up ahead”), "Someone You Know", where a broken spirit calls out “Ready when you are”, and "Hide Nothing" (which oddly also apologises for hell ; “Change is coming though it's nothing personal”). Stylistically  the music twists like a snake. Rarely is there a predictable song structure and the music is often a frothing sea of ambiguous chords and tag-team arpeggios amidst virtuoso quick-silver drumming. Tempos are stretched and genre's skipped through, often within the same track. It absolutely refuses to be pinned down, moving from brutal punk, anguished metal and System Of A Down style vocals to delicate Nick Drake-esque music box acoustic guitars, lo-fi Chillies and Smashing Pumpkins introspection. This is not showmanship (although this band is certainly capable of that), more that, as in "New Years Project", the dynamics of the music are dictated by the emotional content of the songs.
This does not make for background music; it demands far too much of your attention. It is intelligent, challenging, sometimes aggressive, often beautiful, with lyrics that draw you into the song as if it came straight from your own heart. In a CCM scene that so often follows the secular, Further Seems Forever redefined it. Brilliant!
Review by Paul Baker.  First published on crossrhythms.co.uk

Ana Laura - Ana Laura              Product Code: 60234100902

This is the debut release from the 19 year old bi-lingual girl from Brownsville, Texas. She has a passion for ministering through music. Many of these songs, such as the opening track, “Sometimes”, focus on the conflict between the old nature and the new, and the hope that Jesus can transform and forgive us. “Don’t Run Away” is sung from Jesus’ perspective and is a tender song of love and acceptance.
Anna has a voice not unlike that of Jaci Velasquez and, at times, Christina Aguilera. This she uses to great effect on tracks like “Water”, a great song about refreshing that has the kind of attitude and slight Spanish feel of No Doubt’s music.
The album is split roughly in two, with the second half more focused on praise and gratitude. “Giver Of Life” is one of the best songs on creation to come along for a while and “Because You Loved Me” is a fine gospel song of response for blessing.
With her obvious vocal talent and the maturity and wisdom in her lyrics, Ana Laura is going to be around for a long time.

Vineyard - Thank You For The Cross     Produce Code: 1280702

UK Vineyard Worship have made an unmistakable impact on the UK worship scene. Since their first release in 1998 with Come Now Is The Time the unique  Vineyard sound has begun a revolution in the way we worship in church and produced a catalogue of now classic songs.
This release looks back over the last eight years at  songs focusing on the Cross. The glory and mercy of Christ's sacrifice are found in songs like the title track and Great Is Your Name. Alongside are more reflective songs such as the heart cry of I Have Been Redeemed and the inspiring, celtic reworking of the classic When I Survey. A perfect album both for personal reflection and as a church resource.

David Gate - Unapproachable Light       Product Code: SURCD084

David Gate first appeared on the Soul Survivor People’s albums and as a worship leader at New Wine and Summer Madness. Following on from his EP Redemption this is his first full album. Similar in style to Tim Hughes and Matt Redman, it is also well plugged in to secular acts like Blur, The Kaiser Chiefs and Coldplay. The tone throughout is one of worship. Songs like the catchy All The Kings Will Bow (which has a vocal hook that sounds for all the world like Adam and the Ants), the soaring Extravagant Magnificent, Teach Me To Love Like Jesus Loved (a cross between Blur and Air), the Kaiser Chiefs-esque Hands On The Cross (which has the best bass hook in a worship song for years, and also features Cathy Burton on guest vocals) and the Robbie Williams-like Shout Of The Nations are all songs you could sing in church (Extravagent Magnificent is surely destined to be sung up and down the land). Lyrically these focus on adoration, the mystery of God and Jesus’ sacrifice. Other more performance based tracks like The Waiting, the visceral Cry Out In The Night and the almost chilling Killing Hill  have the kind of majestic melancholy to be found in the music of Jeff Bukley and Coldplay, giving them an air of reverence that lends itself to their themes of yearning and God’s love. So what we have here is that rare thing; a full on worship album that is sonically diverse enough to sit comfortably on anyone’s home stereo, and has songs that could well become classics to boot. Perhaps an early candidate for Christian album of  2006 from an artist to watch.

Michael W.Smith - Worship box set       Product Code: RRA10085
Includes Worship, Worship Again and the Worship DVD

Michael W. Smith has been the darling of Middle America for a while now but with the worship albums he firmly established himself as one of the world's foremost worship leaders.  This is worship done on a scale to outstrip even Hillsong.  Orchestral arrangements compete with a band and a large choir and, on the live recordings, a crowd of up to 15,000 worshippers.  At times you could be forgiven for thinking you’re at a U2 gig but there are also moments of stillness such as the sublime Lord Have Mercy and beautifully written and arranged musical interludes. For all the grand production, however, what really makes these work is the fact that Smith knows how to pick and write a song.  Some are his own, such as the intimate I Can Hear Your Voice.  Others come from recent years, such as the roof-raising You Are Holy written by Mark Imboden and Tammi Rhoton in 1994, and there are classics like The Wonderful Cross, which Chris Tomlin updated for a new generation.  In contrast to other recent worship albums, the style is pretty straightforward. This is a strength rather than a weakness since it all works so well (worship leaders who pointlessly muck about with a song for the sake of it would do well to follow this example) and the sense of worship is genuine and inspiring. As well as  both Worship albums this box set includes the live Worship DVD, featuring many of the songs from the albums.