Reviewed by Tom Lennie

"Originally formed as a worship band out of Texas in 1997, modern rock band By The Tree recently felt the calling to get back to their (worship) beginnings......." Hmm, a familiar sounding phrase, that. The word "bandwagon" springs to cynical mind! But hey, hold on a sec. There's always been a worship element evident in this team's live and recording output, and, with even just one listen 'Hold You High' makes some impression. It's the cover versions that let the side down somewhat. Certainly their move on "Beautiful One" is noteworthy. But I'm not sure that we really needed to hear yet more (albeit excellently-executed) renditions of Vineyard's '91 "Throne Of Grace", Baloche's "God Of Wonders" or even Redman's "Lord Let Your Glory Fall", nor indeed the pensive attempt on "It Is Well" (which, although evocatively rendered, isn't a patch on 4Him's stunning take, nor indeed, that of Brian Doerksen - along with his dad - on 'You Shine'). But there's more here. Punchy guitar-driven numbers like their own "Hold You High", "Only To You" and a new recording of their melodic classic "Reveal" insist you take note. The thoughtful, non-cliched "Miraculous" is a chirpy slice of Brit-pop-rock somewhat akin to the sound of Kindle. Meanwhile, two moving ballads adequately indicate a gentler side to this group's sound. While far too similar to a host of other US rock bands who have had similar "callings" in recent years, this is nonetheless an engaging worship encounter.

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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