Reviewed by Jan Willem Vink

After a whirlwind year of activities, the World Wide Message Tribe returns triumphantly with clearly the best album released so far in the ever-expanding world of sanctified dance! On their previous recordings, the Tribe has continually pushed the creative and artistic boundaries of Christian dance, moving into a position where their songs can compete with the material that gets played in Europe's charts. On 'We Don't Get What We Deserve' this hard work is starting to bear fruit. It's an album that covers a multitude of styles, ranging from jungle in "Rain (Set Me Free)", hip hop in "We Talk To The Lord", Euro pop in "Nobody Knows" and ambient in "Re:Revival". The album even opens with Winston Churchill saying, "Let us allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing!" The opening track "Revolution" is an absolute gem, begging for chart success. It combines a 1995 sound with the various elements that have proven to be so successful in the past: heaving grooves, the raunchy rapping of The Heavyfoot, and a melodic sing-a-long chorus sung by Sani and Elaine Hanley. "Rain" is a well produced standard rap track that will definitely be a new class room favourite in Manchester's schools, featuring some wonderful vocal improvisations between The Heavyfoot and Sani. "Re:Revival" features parts of a testimony by Duncan Campbell about the revival he witnessed in 1949 on the Scottish Hebridean islands. His monotonous, yet con recount of God's powerful work is backed by a grooving instrumental written and performed by Zarc Porter. "So real, so wonderful was this sense of God" is Campbell's (repeated) statement in this captivating testimony. "Sweet Salvation" is another highlight with an intense groove, kind of a duet between Elaine and Sani. "Everybody Knows" is quite a surprise, as it covers new musical ground with a very poppy approach, although some of Zarc Porter's signature dance sounds are still prevalent. It's a haunting track, in a way similar to some of the things the Newsboys have done on their most recent recordings. The strong lyrics speak of the End Times. "Mountains fall and people call/To their Maker to spare them the darkness of their seperation." The simple, compelling guitar work by Max leads the song to an emotional climax. "We Don't Get What We Deserve", a raw rap track, contains some of the funniest evangelistic jargon I've read in my life: "Did my very best did a diddle on the test/Dibbin' in the dumper down with the rest/Zip dab dub I deserve to die/Livin' in a lake where the land is dry/Amazing grace how sweet the sound/Gained a million and I paid a pound." Before the album closes with three massive remixes the speed slows down with "There Is A Green Hill" a contemporary version of the old hymn, lyrically and musically not unlike "The Cross" of the Tribe's first alburn. The World Wide Message Tribe has struggled to record this album, but the wonderful blend of their various talents has produced a recording that is totally relevant and able to communciate the Christian message to today's youth.

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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