Reviewed by Tony Cummings Amy Grant, Michael W Smith, Susan Ashton, Kim Hill, Wes King, etc, etc. A batch of contemporary Christian music's biggest names gather around the biggest of all, Mrs Grant-Chapman, to sing simple songs of praise and worship. The Loft in question is of course Amy's at her Tennessee farm home, now transformed once a year into a meeting house where several hundred people aged 13-22 are presented with the gospel in a way they can relate to. A bootleg made by a blessed teenager convinced Amy that these songs, all composed or co-composed by the pop star, needed to be recorded while this studio tape, originally cut to pass on to The Loft's young people now finds itself with worldwide distribution. And delightful it is too. The production is low key and low tech, the choruses have fluid unison but little unnecessary harmony and the lead vocals, not unexpectedly, are excellent. I loved Wes King's romping "Joy!" and the Ashley Cleveland/Gary Chapman duet "Where Do I Go" while the simple, lilting "We Believe In God" shows Amy's voice has lost none of its poignancy.
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. Interested in reviewing music? Find out
more here.
|