STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 6968-6747 LABEL: Metro One 074948820723 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £14.99
Reviewed by Philip Croft
This is Crystal Lewis’ first release in almost two and a half years and like Amy Grant last year she has opted to record a collection of familiar and well known hymns. Songs that Crystal herself describes as, "part of our heritage … part of the history of Christian music." And as she also says, "don’t be surprised if your parents or grand parents say … ‘that’s not the way we used to do that song…’" Indeed, some of the songs here are very different from how you will remember them, sometimes this is a positive thing and in other cases it’s not so positive. For example "O’ Happy Day" sounds like it could be the opening number to a tacky Vegas musical whilst "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is just unrecognisable. Meanwhile "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder" (complete with gospel choir) is truly incredible and not to be missed. Overall unless you are a strict traditionalist I think you will find the changes to be for the better and there can be no doubt that throughout it all Crystal Lewis’ smooth Anastasia-like vocals remain sheer class. So has it been worth the two and half year wait? If you wanted to hear some new stuff then probably not. But, is it worth £14.99 of your hard-earned cash? Definitely yes!
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