Review

Taking a cue from the excellent 'Burn Service' recording released by VMG in the U.S. several years ago, the UK Vineyard has released a gritty worship CD that hints of better things to come. Recorded live at the 'Burn Church', an alternative service at the St Albans Vineyard in the UK. 'Beautiful' is a collection of 14 wonderful new worship songs written and performed by Marc James, Sam Lane, Jimmy Cooke, Deborah Clarke, Nico Bright and Adam Dickens.

These worship leaders conspire to bring forth a CD of modern worship that eschews all pretense and dives straight at the heart of worship. According to the St. Albans VCF website, this project is 'Sometimes loud and rocking, sometimes quiet and reflective, (we) seek to show respect and honour to Jesus, the almighty and everlasting God, while expressing something of the passion and longing we feel for Him.'

Thankfully, they succeed with flying colors. To say there isn't a bad song on this disc is nearly as cliche as saying that, even with 14 tracks, there still are not enough songs on this record to fill my longing to hear more. But it's true. Songs like 'Beautiful', and 'I Need You More' simply crackle with raw emotion. When Sam Lane howls at the top of his lungs, 'I'm falling in love with You', his voice straining at the notes, the guitars wailing in the background, the drums pounding in the distance, you get an irresistable urge to join his voice with your own and scream to heaven, 'I'm falling in love with You!' with the volume cranked to eleven. At least I did.

I cannot imagine that anyone who loves the worship songs of Darren Clarke, Matt Redman, Delirious or Sonic Flood would want to be without this new Vineyard UK CD, 'Beautiful'. Don't let this alternative worship CD pass you by. It resonates with a truth, passion and beauty that is uncommon in today's market. I know that I will lend mine out sparingly and play it often and loud. Very loud.

Review by Keith Giles