Reviewed by Carl Grimsditch

Nestled between Portsmouth and Bognor Regis, Emsworth has given us a band that definitely deserves to be heard. RiverDeep have had their spell in the spotlight, two Authentic distributed albums, 'Liquid Prayers' in 2003 and 'Someone Like Me' in 2001, but until this independent release seemed to have settled for the relative obscurity of local church ministry. Here, thought provoking lyrics are delivered by the angelic voice of lead singer Esther while the rhythm section provide a solid - and sometimes funky - backbone to the songs, getting into the groove on every track. As a worship album it really delivers, you can picture most of the songs being used in worship with simple accessible lyrics. The tracks that stand out, "Forever The Same" and "Open Book", do so because of the message they convey while the chugging drum line in "Open Book" sounds like a steam train hurtling down the track. Unlike some rock worship albums this project is not overproduced; it has the organic feel of a live performance while the skill of the guitar and keyboard players gives a full sound to the melody. Welcome back RiverDeep.

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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