Reviewed by Joy Attmore

Freshly signed to BEC Recording's brand new worship imprint, River Valley Worship, a team emanating from a Minneapolis-based megachurch, have clearly been heavily influenced by the sound and culture of Hillsong, specifically Hillsong Young & Free. A sense of déjà vu increases with the track "Hope Has A Name", which carries a melody that is remarkably similar to that well-known hymn, "Amazing Grace." Lyrically, River Valley have clearly cultivated a culture of adoration for Jesus and passion for his name, communicating throughout their songs that in one moment the presence of God changes everything. "Wanna Be Like You" is a fine example of this and the album definitely ends stronger than it begins. "World Needs Jesus", which is the final song on the album and was also released as a single earlier this year, sums up the whole project beautifully with the firm declaration that, "We know that our world needs Jesus/We know that our world needs freedom." Overall, 'Million Lifetimes' is a beautifully produced, fluidly flowing album with easy-to-listen-to worship songs that are full of truth. It may not stand out in terms of musical originality, but is nevertheless full of Jesus-focused passion.

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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