Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Veteran Lincoln-based singer/songwriter and worship man Godfrey Birtill has steadfastly ploughed his own furrow in terms of offering up original Christian music and his latest release is no exception. Recorded at Lexden's Kingsland Church with his band and a group of singers from said place of worship, things get off to a rootsy start with the upbeat "Gospel Train" which, together with the English folk feel of "You've Set Me In Your Presence", sets the scene for a collection of basic songs that tell of God's love for us - helped no end by Birtill's knack for writing theological lyrics that dig beneath the surface of what it means to be a Christian. What Birtill lacks in vocal finesse he certainly makes up for in passion and warmth and, thanks to the group vocalists and some fairly straightforward melodies, there's an anthemic feel on a lot of the material here. Instrumentally, things are well-played but kept pretty plain - acoustic guitar, bass, piano, drums with occasional violin or harmonica - and expanding or altering this format would have added some welcome variety to proceedings whilst slower songs such as "I Am Not Disappointed In You", "Do You Believe What I Believe About You?" and "You Are Loved/Yes You Are" are very similar stylistically and thematically. Nonetheless, there's enough elsewhere to make this another enjoyable release from one of the UK Christian music scene's more individual exponents.

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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