from: CrossRhythms, Issue 75
         [July/August 2003], Page 52
author: Tony Cummings (UK)
website: http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/magazine/

»» NEWSBOYS

Adoration: The Worship Album

Sparrow SPD41763 Album Book (EMI Christian Music Group)

In a recent interview the Newsboys' Peter Furler was anxious to stress at this, the Newsboys' first ever worship album, was definitely not an act of opportunistic bandwagon jumping in a market which has exploded with modern praise projects since the Delirious?/Sonicflood phenomenon. Rather, 'Adoration' is a veteran band's desire to do a whole album instead of a single worship song (as on previous projects). The first response to this project is almost entirely favourable, thanks to the band's unerring ability to craft memorable melodic hooks but even more importantly lyricist Steve Taylor's ability to offer lyrics which go beyond stereotyped Bible paraphrases. Just catch the first song "He Reigns", "It's the song of the redeemed/Rising from the African plain/It's the song of the forgiven/Drowning out the Amazon rain/The song of Asian believers/Filled with God's holy fire/It's every tribe, every tongue, every nation/A love song borne of a grateful choir." I suspect this will be the Newsboys' best selling project for years and it deserves to be.

reviewer's rating: 8/10 ["very good indeed"]

--Tony Cummings ««