Review

If Worshipmusic.com handed out awards for 'Record Company To Keep Your Eye On', I would nominate the 'Indie' record label Worship Next. Sadly, there isn't an Awards show in production. So, I guess I'll just have to write a review and let everyone know how deserving this small record label really is.

Their first CD, 'Releasing The Passion', while an admirable first effort, gave no hint whatsoever of the kind of professionalism and song quality potential displayed here on their second release, 'Creation'. Produced by Randy McCoy, Mark Miller and Moses Kostamo, 'Creation' takes a handful of unknown Vineyard Worship leaders from all over the United States and records each of them singing their original worship songs. With everyday worship leaders like Travis Ross (Kansas), Lauren Johnson (North Carolina), Matt Haupt (Indiana), David Fife (Illinois) and others providing the music and words, 'Creation' manages to surpass the typical 'Indie' stereotype and hit the bullseye square on with an impressive array of great songs and enduring melodies.

From the first crack of the bat, we get a sense of the energy and refreshing pop-rock strains of worship in store for us. Travis Ross sounds like a cross between 'All Star United' and 'The Newsboys' as he grooves on the bouncy melody of the title-track 'Creation'. Lauren Johnson delivers a fresh and original mid-tempo ballad on 'You're My Father'. Matt Haupt displays a wonderful acoustic rock worship style on 'Thank You' and Mark Miller reprises his infectious 'I Delight In You' which was previously published by Vineyard Music Group.

The disc also features chord charts and transparency masters for use during your own small group or Sunday morning worship times. No doubt you'll want to take advantage of this and debut several of these songs once you've heard this disc.

What makes this CD even more impressive is that, even though Vineyard Music Group spends most of it's time and energy recording the songs that flow from the Vineyard movement, there still seems to be quite enough great music making the rounds for Worship Next to make an incredible CD. With any luck, more than a few of these songs will turn up one of VMG's next live worship projects, but for now you can hear them performed firsthand, by the very worship leaders to whom God gave the words and music to begin with.

Review by Keith Giles