Reviewed by Stephen Luff

The Afters were formed just before the start of the 21st century by Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua and have gone on to have a stream of major Christian radio hits in the US through five albums which displayed a growing songwriting maturity. This collection selects 10 tracks across their albums alongside two new tracks. "Well Done" is a beautiful inspiring song, looking towards the end of life and hearing these words when reaching Heaven, while "Fear No More" is an anthem of trust. For me, the band's song-writing is at its best when it explores life experiences. "Life Is Beautiful", the title track from their 2013 release, is a great example, while "Broken Hallelujah" is an honest song reflecting on life's darkest moments. No doubt there will be songs that long-time Afters fans would have liked to have been on this compilation. But as a summary of their work, and with the addition of the new songs, 'The Beginning & Everything After' is a hugely enjoyable example of classy Nashville-based CCM.

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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