Review

Hearing the songs found on Just Like Heaven is like opening a window in a thunderstorm. The songs are inspired. The vocals of Larry Hampton and Cindy Rethmeier are flawless. The recording is vibrant and alive.

Cindy Rethmeiers vocal on the second track Remember is easily the single best recording she has ever put to tape in her entire career as a worship leader. Sounding like a cross between Karen Carpenter and Dido, Cindy effortlessly glides through the lyrics with confidence and strength. I have made you, you are my servant/ I will not forget you/ I have swept away your offenses like a cloud/ Your sins like the morning mist/ Remember these thingsand know you are loved.. she sings over a bed of twisting drum loops and understated guitars, sailing into the chorus with careless ease.

Cindys song is followed by Larry Hamptons excellent title track, Just Like Heaven and newcomer Jeremy Riddle follows things up with two songs of his own, More Than A Friend, and Precious Jesus.

While Hampton and Rethmeier provide the bulk of the Cds songs, its the two tracks by Riddle that really make the disc shine. His plaintive, simple delivery on More Than A Friend really allows the power of the words to seep into the soul. Spilling over into the excellent Precious Jesus, Riddle conjures up memories of a young Doerksen or Underwood as he bares his soul and exposes a profound ability to express the very thoughts we all long to communicate to the Father. Riddle is a name to keep an eye out for on future Vineyard recordings. Dan Whiteman and Tony Sanchez round things out near the second half of the disc. Come Down, sung by Whiteman, is a solid effort, as is Resting by Sanchez.

Just Like Heaven is largely an acoustic worship effort that showcases some of the best of Vineyard Musics newest talent, and allows veterans like Hampton and Rethmeier to share new material. After what seems like a long dry spell, there are once again great songs coming out of the main Vineyard church in Anaheim. And thats very good news.

Review by Keith Giles