Reviewed by Jon Cooper

This record is a breath of fresh air from a Coventry-based genre-defying collective. It offers a truly worshipful experience whilst at the same time remaining not only artistically credible, but creatively exciting and innovative. From the opening ambience of "My Rescue", the listening experience shares many parallels with a more visual experience of art; as a result, I can see 'I Am A Thief' being used to great effect as a background soundtrack (intended as a complement) to the kind of modern worship that so many contemporary expressions of church are forging ahead with. Musically, common ground is shared with Icelandic soundscape creators like Bjork and Sigur Ros, and noise-chemists like TV On The Radio. Throughout, there's a real sense of 'I Am A Thief' being created for the love of it, rather than for any kind of material gain or mass appeal. Which is a good thing, because this is the kind of record that contains no "big" song and no single; it's all about the vibe created, and the places to which we can be taken. Any listener who identifies themselves as Christian and who longs for something more meaningful than much of the modern worship around, should be grateful for the chance to immerse themselves in this album.

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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