Reviewed by Ronnie Payne

In the States 4Him are big cheese. Over the past decade they've won a fistful of Dove Awards and their records sell by the truckload. This is their ninth album in 10 years and on this occasion they bring us their take on some of the Church's most popular hymns. This is not a new concept; over the years many Christian artists have looked to the hymnal for inspiration; but 4Him, with top producer Michael Omartian at the helm, do it better than most. Using all his pop sensibilities Omartian successfully employs a diverse range of musical styles to breathe life into a project which one senses is equally his as 4Him's. Best tracks are a Beatles-influenced "Saviour Like A Shepherd" (look out for the nod to "All You Need Is Love") and the wonderful closing track "There Is A Fountain" which is given an authentic country gospel arrangement. This brings out the best in the vocalists with some fine four-part harmony singing and during the final refrains as the band really let rip you can just sense the rafters creaking as the roof is about to be blown off. Disappointing maybe that the band didn't choose some less well known hymns (you'll have heard the ones featured here many time before) and not every arrangement works ("Great Is Thy Faithfulness" barely survives a soul makeover). But if you're looking for a way to resuscitate some of the classic hymns you could do a lot worse than check this out. As Wallace would say, "Pass the cheese, Gromit".

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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