In our annual service to our readers Tony Cummings, Mike Rimmer and Lins Honeyman look back on the best CDs from the 1,000 plus reviewed in 2011
GUNGOR - Ghosts Upon The
Earth (Word)
I have to confess I was late to the party
with the release of this album having previously written the band off
as purveyors of anthemic though hardly original modern worship music.
How wrong could I be? If ever there was an album to redefine what
worship music could sound like, here it is. The eclectic, daring,
brave mix of sounds creates a worship album that is also an artistic
triumph. It is very rare that anybody manages to pull off a feat like
this. With deep elements of Scripture incorporated into the lyrics and
a huge mix of instruments both electric and acoustic to create the
wide sound, this is an immense album which gets better with each
listen. Somehow Gungor have managed to capture the various moods and
atmospheres of the Psalm writers creating a rich experience of the
moods of worship, incorporating a stunning set of emotions. And at the
heart of everything is Michael Gungor's skill as a melody writer.
Mike Rimmer
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
THRICE - Major/Minor
(Vagrant)
Ever since the breathtaking 'Artist In The
Ambulance' album Cross Rhythms have been admirers of the exceptional
songwriting skills of Dustin Kensrue and the ability of his bandmates
to make consistently inventive rock music with few of the clichés
which clog up the genre. Having said that, any fan of their previous
seven albums will admit that the hard rockers from Orange County have
a tendency to leap from style to style. This has been addressed on
this superlative set, presumably thanks to engineer/producer Dave
Schiffman who has given Thrice a more consistent sound which at times
echoes the best of grunge. There are many good things here: "Call It
In The Air" builds slowly into a gigantean chorus; "Blur" is driven by
the propulsive percussion of Riley Breckenridge and is possibly the
band's heaviest ever track; while "Yellow Belly" (released as a
single) is the kind of rock funk most bands can only dream of.
Lyrically the band are on top form as well. "Promises" takes an
unflinching look at the responsibility of relationships while "The
Weight" (not the old The Band song) is a riveting confessional with
Dustin yelling, "We are cowards and thieves/Will we never turn to
grieve the damage done?" Breathtaking.
Tony Cummings
BENJAMIN DUNN & FRIENDS
- Circus Of Love (Independent)
Here's an indie worship
set from a band who consider a world tour to consist of singing and
ministering to some of the poorest people on Planet Earth. You're
likely to find them on a rubbish dump in the third world encouraging
residents there or playing gigs in North America to raise money to
build a leper palace in India. A unique ministry where their
experiences feed into the song writing of 'Circus Of Love' and the
band create an eclectic sound a million miles away from the big stage
performance worship of this era and yet authentically doing something
special. An eclectic sound creates a bed for these stunning melodies
and song ideas to lie on and there's something hectic about my
favourite songs here like "Circus Of Love" and "Leap Like A Deer".
When Benjamin Dunn hits a groove, it's best to stand aside and enjoy
the ride!
Mike Rimmer
MAT KEARNEY - Young Love
(Universal Republic)
One reviewer suggested recently
that Mat Kearney has the kind of poignantly appealing voice which
would sound good even if he was singing the telephone directory. I'm
pleased to report the American singer/songwriter has avoided that
career move and instead turns in a nimbly crafted set of relationship
songs which instantly grab the attention. Particular standouts are the
opener "Hey Mama" which has a slight tinge of 'Graceland' era Paul
Simon while other cuts hers take in influences from R&B and alt
country while never losing the songsmith's ability to sound fresh. Mat
creates believable storylines within several of his radio-friendly
choruses and even the sleeve cover shot homage to the jazz beat-poets
comes off as clever rather than pretentious.
Tony
Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
THE VIOLET BURNING - Story
Of Our Lives (Independent)
The culmination of more than
two decades worth of creative endeavour, this triple disc, 44-song
magnus opus is the daddy of them all. 'The Story Of Our Lives' is a
journey which takes the listener through both external and internal
conflicts. Each disc is themed to mark out the struggles both physical
and spiritual which we face and band leader Mike Pritzl is making
observations and sounding the alarm bells of a dystopian future for
society whilst also pointing individuals to a personal spiritual
future where it's possible to beat the struggle and find hope. The
power of these songs is that Pritzl doesn't sugar-coat any of this
like so much Christian art and instead we get plenty of dark to
balance out the light in a realistic artistic vision. Musically, this
is the band's finest work yet and took three years to complete. It's
an artistic triumph and even the packaging is stunning! It's worth
every penny to experience.
Mike Rimmer
VARIOUS - Gospel: The
Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)
Ignoring the
cumbersome album title this three CD compilation is in fact a perfect
first purchase for anyone wanting to investigate the decades of
amazing post-war gospel music. Just about everything here emanates
from the '50s which purists will insist was gospel's golden age. The
CDs are chockablock with towering musical talents. I suppose you could
say that pride of place goes to Mahalia Jackson's sublime "Move On Up
A Little Higher" (one of gospel's first million-sellers) though for me
the piece-de-resistance is the Soul Stirrers' "Jesus Gave Me Water" on
which Sam Cooke showed himself to be one of the greatest singers of
soul and gospel history. Elsewhere you'll find the Swan Silvertones,
whose Claude Jeter was possibly Cooke's equal; the Golden Gate Jubilee
Quartet (one of the classic gospel acts sampled by Moby); and Aretha
Franklin, who weighs in with a formative performance of "Never Grow
Old". Some of the other brilliant acts here are the Dixie
Hummingbirds, Dorothy Love Coates, the Blind Boys (of both Alabama and
Mississippi), Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Fairfield Four and many more.
This compilation was released by a company who don't send out review
copies but when we tell you that Cross Rhythms bought a copy for about
six pounds you can see why this set rises to the top of the pile above
the dozens more re-issues of vintage black gospel.
Tony
Cummings
THE CITY HARMONIC - I Have A
Dream (It Feels Like Home) (Kingsway)
A year ago I
picked this band's debut EP 'Introducing.' as an album of the year
because the Canadian group had made a stunning opening salvo and
wondered whether they could follow it up with something that fulfilled
the promise. And a year later here it is! The band create catchy songs
which have a euphoric edge to them and whether experiencing them live
or listening to the album it's impossible to not be caught up in the
passion. From the downbeat simplicity of "Le Reve" to the huge sound
of "Mountaintop" and the title cut, these are songs that are designed
to be sung aloud in community. Maybe not sung as a traditional worship
service but certainly as a soundtrack for people gathering together
with purpose. There's a difference and maybe the vision of this band
will lead a new wave of modern worship building on the ministry of the
current generation. One thing's for sure, this is one epic album!
Mike Rimmer
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
SWITCHFOOT - Vice Verses
(Atlantic)
As we've known for years, Switchfoot's Jon
Foreman is an exceptional songwriting talent. Observed the Cross
Rhythms reviewer, "He has the ability to express truth without
pretension, deep yearnings unencumbered by cliche and crucially he can
make you feel like he's written a song just for you, framing his
quests and questions with declarations of hope and expectancy."
Alongside Foreman's songwriting skills, his bandmates here weigh in
with undoubtedly their most rhythmic and stylistically diverse set of
arrangements. Take for instance "Selling The News" which starts with a
Black Key-esque offbeat distorted bassline and tape-echoed guitar part
to underscore Foreman's rap style verses before entering an R&B
style chorus you wouldn't expect to hear on a Switchfoot record. Then
there's "The War Inside" with a distinctly electro vibe while "The
Original" is almost a nod to Mutemath with its tambourines and
shuffling basslines. With all this musical ingenuity though it's the
lyrics which are the most arresting so that even when treading similar
paths to previous albums like making the most of life ("Rise Above
It"), the West's rancid media ("Selling The News") and loss and
nostalgia ("Souvenirs") one, never for a second, feels any deja vu. A
particular standout is the title track which powerfully conveys that
our reality is more than we see in front of us. All in all, a fine
band playing at the top of their game.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
IONA - Another Realm (Open
Sky)
Although Iona's career long output has always been
characterised by strong spiritual themes and amazing music, this
double CD of new studio material marks a high point in the band's
creative powers. In particular it felt that the band have regained
their spiritual direction, presenting the most powerful set of songs
since 'The Book Of Kells'. The album introduces Martin Nolan on pipes
and whistles but across the board, there's something new and
invigorating about the band. As usual there are epic, lengthy tracks
where the band can spread out and demonstrate their musical chops but
there are plenty of moments where their strong melodic instincts come
to the fore and singer Joanne Hogg is singing and writing better than
ever. To top it all, the band have presented the whole CD package in
beautiful art work. It feels like Iona have rediscovered their passion
and their purpose.
Mike Rimmer
WORSHIP CENTRAL - Spirit
Break Out (Kingsway)
There have been thousands of live
worship albums released in the last few years, but very, very few
reach the heights of this project. As we have observed more than once
at Cross Rhythms, reviewing worship music, particularly that recorded
during an act of worship, is a major challenge for the hapless
reviewer. For alongside all the aesthetics (the quality of the songs,
the ability of the lead singers, the band arrangements right on
through to the minutiae - is the high hat too loud in the mix? Isn't
that lyric just a tad TOO clichéd?) there is sometimes another
dimension to be considered. I believe some worship recordings contain
within their performances a supernatural dynamic which might be
described as "the anointing", if such a phrase still has value after
so many years of overuse. The Worship Central movement birthed by Tim
Hughes and Al Gordon has down the years, through its conferences and
websites, done sterling work in envisioning and equipping thousands of
worship leaders. In doing so they have played a major part in
preparing the way for what this album now encapsulates - namely,
thousands of church goers not prepared to go through the tired motions
of merely singing songs about God but in faith and humility reaching
out for divine encounters in their worship. This revolutionary worship
movement has found transcendent expression in this album. Recorded on
24th March at London's HMV Forum five worship leaders - Tim Hughes,
Ben Cantelon, Al Gordon, Nikki Fletcher and Luke Hellebronth - have
taken a batch of newly minted songs and with a tight rock band here
demonstrate both to the blind traditionalists who still view overdrive
guitars as devilish and the jaded reviewers who've heard too many
Martin Smith wannabes to be objective about the modern worship
template - that given the right musical skill and the right hearts
abandoned in worship, the result is far more than its constituent
parts. Not everyone will be convinced or affected by 'Spirit Break
Out' of course. But for others, from the first prayerful notes of
Daniel Iverson's timeless "Spirit Of The Living God" to Nikki
Fletcher, Tim Hughes and Martin Smith's "All Glory" closer this album
will echo the faith, passion and hope we feel towards our Lord who
makes the mountains shake and tremble and who will soon return to
reclaim the world.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
OOBERFUSE - Still Love My
Enemies (Independent)
London band Ooberfuse mix acoustic
and synth sounds to create an album packed with invention, melody and
pop sensibilities. Cherrie Anderson brings with her a powerful voice
and a leaning towards eastern rhythms which play out here. Their
excellent "Little Flower" and "Love Stupid Love" demonstrate the
band's grasp of original pop and right in the middle of the album
there's the sudden surprise of a creative reworking of The Cure's
"Love Cats" which it's impossible not to love. Another surprise is
"Heart's Cry", which was the youth anthem for the Pope's visit to the
UK in 2010 and samples one of the Pope's messages. All in all, an
original and unusual pop album that deserves wider attention.
Mike Rimmer
LAURA STORY - Blessings
(Fair Trade Services)
All Christian music buffs now know
that Laura is the "Indescribable" girl though clearly the lady with
the sweet but expressive voice has a lot more to offer the Church. The
stone classic on Laura's latest is the title track - "We pray for
blessings, we pray for peace/Comfort for family, protection while we
sleep/We pray for healing, for prosperity/We pray for your mighty hand
to ease our suffering" followed by the superb chorus, "'Cause what if
your blessings come thru raindrops/What if your healing comes through
tears/What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know
you're near/What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise."
Nothing else here is quite up to that standard though "You Are Love"
with its spine-tingling use of a choir on the chorus is an excellent
congregational worship song, "This Is The Day" starts off with a
wistful violin and keyboard intro and throughout Laura creates a mood
of reverent adoration. Recorded in Georgia at Chris Tomlin's studio
and produced by Nathan Nockels, 'Blessings' is a beautiful piece of
work.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
SUGARFOOT - Taste
(Makouchat)
Johann Ting and twin sisters Loretta and
Natasha Andrews are Sugarfoot, the London-based trio whose five
track-EP epitomises the collision of well crafted songwriting and
perfect soulful vocal performances. With enough talent to expect the
mainstream to come calling, Sugarfoot prove that success has nothing
to do with talent and everything to do with good fortune. From the
catchy "Care" and "Pedal Stool" whose infectious pop soul is a perfect
introduction to the group to the gorgeous flowing melody of "If Only
For Tonight" which closes the EP, this is a classy set of songs by any
standard.
Mike Rimmer
BURLAP TO CASHMERE - Burlap
To Cashmere (Essential)
When Burlap To Cashmere first
emerged their eclectic folk pop sound sounded like a mix of Jars Of
Clay and The Gypsy Kings and their flamenco and Greek flourishes
coupled with some "lai lai lai" vocals made for something very
different from most of the formulaic sounds saturating US Christian
radio. Then of course they disappeared. But now Steven Delopoulos and
Theodore Pagano return this time with producer Mitchell Froom (Elvis
Costello, Paul McCartney) for an album that skilfully blends ethnic
folk flavourings with pop hooks to produce some of the most endearing
neo folk since Mumford & Sons emerged into the charts. The CD's
centrepiece is "Orchestrated Love Song" which pretty much describes
what's happening in the arrangement while "Life In A Van" is a well
observed reflection on the loves and feelings of a travelling
musician. The opener "Don't Forget To Write" has a bit of Simon &
Garfunkel in the vocals while the final track "The Other Country" will
be an encouragement to Christians with its Heaven-centred lyric.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
ROYAL TAILOR - Black &
White (Essential)
I get excited when I hear new bands
emerge who have managed to craft a new sound that isn't the usual CCM
fodder from Nashville. Royal Tailor manage to combine a fresh synth
flavoured pop sound that has both edge and soul and graft it onto
R&B and rock influences. Favourites on this debut album include
the terminally catchy "Make A Move" and the fantastically culturally
aware "Control". This sounds great on the radio and also shows what
Christian pop can do when there's a bit of imagination thrown into the
pot. Hope the success doesn't mean they are forced to bland out on
their next album.
Mike Rimmer
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
LIAM BLAKE - You And Other
Stories (Helium)
This year has seen singer/songwriter
Liam burst onto the scene with an unequivocally strong debut album
which, in addition to summer festival appearances at Greenbelt and
Glastonbury, points towards a promising future for the Somerset
songsmith. BBC broadcaster Phil Jupitus recently described Blake's
voice as "achingly lovely" and the same goes for the man's remarkably
mature writing skills. Containing a wealth of well-crafted melodic
songs, this release features gems like the wonderful Prefab
Sprout-like "Heart And Soul" whilst Blake straddles different styles
from the folky opener "For Your Sake" to the bluegrass-tinged "I Felt
Alive" to keep proceedings fresh. Elsewhere, songs like "Tell Me Beth,
Do You Recall?" and "Simon" showcase the canny production skills of
Chris Hughes (Paul McCartney, Adam And The Ants, Tears For Fears) and
Mark Frith (Electric Soft Parade) and their involvement undoubtedly
gives Blake a head start in terms of having his songs presented in
such high quality fashion. Most definitely a mainstream release, there
are a few references to God - albeit discrete ones - with "Feather"
enigmatically telling of the writer's heavenly Father and the tender
closing track "Sinners And Saints" seeing Blake call upon God to save
his soul. A hugely satisfying debut from an artist who has it all
ahead of him.
Lins Honeyman
SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS -
Water Colours (Tooth & Nail)
You have to love an
American artist who pays tribute to underwater explorer Jacques
Cousteau but then Austin Tofte, who records under the name Swimming
With Dolphins, is no ordinary artist. Produced by his friend Adam
Young (otherwise known as Owl City) there are moments when he works in
the same ambient electro pop arena as that chart battering group but
Tofte seems to paint from a less sugary musical palette and the
results are a stunning mix of ambient atmospheres and pop
sensibilities. Highlights include the gorgeous pop of "Happiness"
which features a great vocal from singer Sarah Beintker and I played
to death on Rimmerama earlier in the year. "Jacques Cousteau" is
bright a breezy whilst "Sleep To Dream" is a great example of Swimming
With Dolphins' pop approach. If there's any justice in the world
Swimming With Dolphins would step right up and occupy a commercially
successful spot right next to Owl City. They deserve to be
discovered!
Mike Rimmer
MARY MARY - Something Big
(Columbia)
The difficulty in reviewing an album by these
renowned Atkins sisters is that the ladies emerged onto the scene in
2000 with a stone classic and ever since then reviewers have brought
"Shackles (Praise You)" into the reckoning when assessing their music.
Although I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that there is anything
quite as fine as their crossover hit on this set, 'Something Big' is
to my mind the duo's best album for years. Cross Rhythms radio agrees.
The careering title track has already been a turntable hit while
"Never Wave My Flag" and "Are You Ready" are also well on the way to
registering with Cross Rhythms listeners. "Are You Ready" shows just
how clever some of Warryn Campbell's productions can be - a
life-affirming lyric, catchy hooks, a delicious urban groove all
working to make an arresting sound. As usual, they throw in a couple
of old school flavourings in the acappella "It Is Well" and
"Homecoming Glory" but it is the R&B infused cuts which really
register.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
REND COLLECTIVE EXPERIMENT -
Homemade Worship By Handmade People (Kingsway)
Their
'Organic Family Hymnal' album made the list for the best of last
year's albums and this much anticipated follow up continues the upward
trajectory of Rend. They've spent the year on the road making many new
friends and now the follow up hasn't disappointed. There are so many
things to enjoy here from the reworking of "Be Thou My Vision" as "You
Are My Vision" to the simple enthusiastic joy of "The Cost". From
moments of drifting intimacy or acoustic beauty to full on horns a
blasting gung ho praise songs, the band continue to reflect an indie
sensibility and compelling contemporary sound. You have to love their
ability to always pull something surprising out of the bag! Not
everyone's cup of tea but this is definitely another winner and Rend
are still one of the few worship outfits doing anything original!
Mike Rimmer
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!
CASTING CROWNS - Come To The
Well (Beach Street)
Mass popularity doesn't always make
for great art and in years past Cross Rhythms' 20 Best Albums Of The
Year articles have seldom featured the biggest selling Christian
albums. But this, the fifth studio set by the CCM hitmakers, is up
there with the group's best ever work and shows that frontman Mark
Hall still has a great deal to communicate both to the Church and the
world at large. Here themes of forgiveness and grace and a commentary
on denominationalism in the Church are powerfully and creatively put
forward. Possibly the most powerful song of all is "Jesus, Friend Of
Sinners" which rebukes the Church for its obsession in communicating
what it is against rather than what it is for. Other standouts are
"Courageous", with an effective bridge quoting from the book of Micah;
"Spirit Wind", inspired by a country preacher ranting about Hell; and
"Just Another Birthday", a first-person story of a girl longing to see
her father again. There are some intriguing musical elements as well,
"My Worst Enemy" is driven by a distorted guitar while the deft
acoustic guitar on tracks like "The Well" is nimbly executed. With
songwriting and musicianship as good as this, Christian radio-friendly
pop rock can still hit home hard.
Tony Cummings
You can buy this album from Cross Rhythms Direct for only
£9.97!