Reviewed by Stella Redburn

Recorded at Vineyard's Dreaming The Impossible (DTI) event, this is a good showcase for the emerging worship leaders being mentored by veteran Vineyard man Dave Miller from Trent Vineyard. Joel Barber (aged 17), Jake Bateson (18) and Beth McNeil (17) all get their moments with a mixture of new songs and fresh arrangements of Vineyard classics. The heavy synth riff, the rock drums, the funky bass line, the acappella break: it's all here and it works well. In an effort to get away from the increasingly stereotypical modern worship sound, many of these tracks have been heavily remixed. Brenton Brown and Brian Doerksen's "Hallelujah" has plenty of energy but the makeover leaves it basically the same plus some weird extra noises and a pointless coda. Same with Jeremy Riddle's "What Can I Bring" here sung beautifully by Beth McNeil but with a kitchen sink full of programmed sounds which I found unnecessary. Having said that, the lyrics are fresh and meaningful, for example, "Forever Changed", a rocking anthem that works well. The song reappears less successfully at the end of the album as a dubstep remix by Ardent Al. "Jesus Name" takes the tempo down a notch with beautiful vocal harmonies, ethereal at first but building in power. The hymn evergreen "When I Survey" is included in a simple arrangement sung slowly without vocal harmony but with driving bass and piano. Not everything works but overall 'Rooftops' captures the energy and excitement of youth worship.

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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