The Father Sings by Alberto & Kimberly Rivera

Reviewed by Simon Eden

If your idea of a church service is based around liturgy and hymns, you may not be familiar with what is going on here. As with most of the recordings from this couple, the tracks on this album are improvised and recorded during services. This is what Delirious? called "taking it wherever it goes" and Soul Survivor calls "spontaneous song". When many church bands just repeat about three chords at the end of a worship track to lead into a time of opening worship, the musicianship here is far more accomplished and complex. The only instrument on the album is the keyboard of Alberto, with the accompaniment of Kimberly's vocals, and this Franklin, Tennessee-based married couple work brilliantly together. With regards to the lyrics, I really don't care what words she is singing even though each track is linked to a passage of Scripture that has been used as a source of inspiration. It is the passionate outpouring of a heart in touch with the Holy Spirit that is important. In these soaking times, it is like the heart of God is touching the musicians, and reaching the heart of the listener, bypassing the mind.