Abundant Life - Let the World See Jesus

Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Many are used to seeing this spirited music team on God TV. Trouble is, most of the video clips are dated, and some even go back to the days when Gareth Gates was in the group (he only did BVs!). Here's a collection of completely new songs, all composed from within the mega-church. A few changes are observable. Gone is the enthusiastic stage choir; in comes a white grand piano, used occasionally by Mark Stevens and others. In, too, come some fresh, upbeat pop-worship songs written and generally led by the youthful Jonathan Jones, and more notably, Matt Hooper. These certainly add vibrancy to the slightly gentler styles of Stevens and of Lara Martin (who, in fact didn't contribute any of these tunes). The sound, looks, lighting and video mastering are all as slick as you could imagine, and it all makes for very pleasant viewing/listening. Extra features, such as interviews with the three male worship leaders and an unplugged version of Stevens' "It's You" (in black and white format) are all welcome bonuses. All in all, a fine set if you're into this style of worship, though in truth only a few of the songs truly stood out.