Reviewed by Stephen Luff

The Hoppers were formed in the 1950s around Claude and Connie Hopper and have developed as family members have been added. They were inducted into the 2012 GMA Gospel Hall Of Fame. With over 60 albums under their collective belt, 'Count Me In' is released featuring the latest members. The opener "Mighty Is The Word" is typical Hoppers, foot-tapping tunes full of biblical message delivered with impeccable vocals. To these ears, the strength of the album is the slower ballads such as "That's What I Love About Him" and "He Didn't Just Carry The Cross He Carried Me", where the beauty of the vocals and the strength of the inspiring lyrics come into their own. The only weak point is their rendition of Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready", which compared with the many covers already out there (and the original!), this is nothing special. That said, based on this album it is not difficult to hear why the Hoppers dynasty has lasted so well.

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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