Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Jon is one of the worship leaders at IHOP in Kansas City, where he's passionate about creating music "that will magnify the Lord's awesome name while connecting people with his heart." Written through a turbulent season of life, Jon summarises this project as being a "grace of God album. . .a testimony of his mercy, his gentleness and his faithfulness." The songs are largely a mixture of praise and expressions of hunger for intimacy. 'Different Story' kicks off with the rousing "Your Light", an infectious celebration of God's light permeating our hearts, resulting in a desire to "sing of your endless love now and for all of my days." "For You" is a poignant account of Jesus singing to his Bride, the Church, of how he paid the price, dying and rising "because I want to see you on that day, when I come for my Beloved." The emotive "Still Looking Back At Me" is a reflection of a girl who's hurting but will not quit and keeps looking to Jesus, whose heart overflows with love for her. Produced by Brown Bannister and Ben Shive, many tracks are piano-led, with an overall radio-friendly pop sound to the up-tempo songs and overtones of Elton John for the slower numbers. The key ingredient in bringing this all together is the strength of Jon's melodies, which pour from his heart as he sings in turn with gravitas, reflection and rejoicing - these songs sound both passionate and personal.

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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