Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Resource Christian Music is an Australian equivalent of Songs Of Fellowship. In other words, as well as a stream of CDs you can get songbooks and DVDs which offer, or so the CD blurb reads, "the best of the best praise and worship songs from Australia and worldwide." Despite a front sleeve quote from Hillsong's Darlene Zschech, this has nothing to do with Darlene's famed megachurch beyond the fact that Reuben Morgan's "Highest" Joel Houston and Marty Sampson's "To The Ends Of The Earth" and even Natasha Bedingfield's "Shout Your Fame" are covered here. And here lies the root of the problem. Cover versions are usually dull at the best of times and taking 12 songs, as here, from the repertoires of Hillsong, Israel Houghton, Chris Tomlin et al smacks of the production line praise approach which raises such antipathy among Cross Rhythms reviewers. The 12 songs here were recorded live at the Berwick Church Of Christ in Melbourne and worship leaders/vocalists Jud Field, Marie Ioannou, J R Del Rosario and Natalie Ntamunoza all have strong voices. David Tymoszuk also does a competent production job though such is the lack of live atmosphere that one suspects copious amount of "fixing" in the mixing studio. But the overall effect is competent, a little bit bland and simply not very inspiring.

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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