Reviewed by Elliot Rose

The Collective surely had a mountain to climb in order to match the standard set following the overwhelming popularity of 'Organic Family Hymnal'. Fortunately it seems the pressure doesn't phase the Northern Irish collective, they've simply done what they do best. . . again. 'Homemade Worship By Handmade People' is the second wave of this musical tsunami, layered with rich guitars, brass and backing vocal harmonies to create a collection of intense anthems that will leave you breathless. This 11-part journey has everything, from the rousing "Second Chance" and gritty "Praise Like Fireworks" to the sweet melodic beauty of "Alabaster", and even managed to put a new twist on the Irish classic "You Are My Vision" ("Be Thou My Vision"), but still keeping a natural feel. Occasionally this album falls short of its predecessor lyrically with some of the words seeming a little simplistic and lacking the creative edge to fully blend with the innovative music. But having said that, RCE have clearly found their niche, a unique and distinctive sound - an experiment with exceptional results! All we can hope for is more of the same in their third instalment.

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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The buzz that greeted Rend Collective Experiment’s debut release, Organic Family Hymnal, included a viral “iPhone worship” video, UK tours with Francis Chan and Shane Claibourne, and a US tour with Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio. Now the next audio assault from Northern Ireland’s Rend Collective Experiment is about to launch.

Homemade Worship By Handmade People is exactly what the title suggests. Recorded in church halls and houses in their organic collective style, this new collection of worship songs fuses a depth of sung theology and fresh melodies that reflect God-given creativity.

Themes of redemption, devotion and celebration make this a ‘complete’ worship experience with styles and sounds that span from Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons to Fleet Foxes and Snow Patrol.