Reviewed by Tony Cummings

One has to say at the start of this review that despite their huge success in the Nashville CCM scene 4Him from Daphne, Alabama, never got a sizable following in the UK. The Encyclopaedia Of Contemporary Christian Music called 4Him's sound "a more mature version of all those boybands (Backstreet Boys, NSYNC etc) that conquered charts at the turn of the millennium" though British ears will detect elements of country and southern gospel in the rich harmony sound of Mark Harris, Marty Magehee, Andy Chrisman and Kris Sullivan. This bargain price package offers the group's first three albums, 1990's '4Him', 1991's 'Face The Nation' and 1992's 'The Basics Of Life'. Their debut earned the group a Dove Award for Best New Artist while 'Face The Nation' again showed up the group's strengths with powerful ballads like "He Never Changes" and "Why?". The group really came into their own creatively though with 'The Basics Of Life' and is even listed (at 66) in a CCM critics' poll of The 100 Greatest Albums In Christian Music. It's not that of course, but there are some exceptional songs with challenging lyrics and the kind of slick production which is anathema to hardcore rockers but actually shows Nashville at their best. An acquired taste perhaps, but the Triple Feature package does demonstrate some exceptional singing talent from a group who are still sorely missed. . . at least in the US.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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• 4Him
  
• The Basics Of Life
  
• Face The Nation