Reviewed by Rob Birtley

Manchester-based David Woodman is a noted musician, song writer and worship leader. Being involved with a variety of artists that includes the World Wide Message Tribe, Breakspear and Doug Walker. He is also an accomplished guitarist (electric and acoustic) as well as a talented session musician. 'Looking Up' is a collection of praise and worship songs written for Bury Christian Fellowship, where David serves as an elder. The sound - well, think praise-driven folk/acoustic/pop given a distinct Americana twist at times and you're almost there. The album opens with "Come Together": it's poppy and anthemic with a distinctively English slant on Hillsong. The message is clear worship of the one Lord and one Spirit Jesus. Next up is "Praise Him" which has a distinct Americana/country feel reinforced with a Hammond organ backbone to complement the simple but oh so true message of the lyric. "You Are My Rock" slows down the pace and is in effect almost an acoustic ballad. A luscious bass line plays a perfect backdrop to the interweaving piano melody. The lyric is an almost perfect self-offering to the Saviour. "His Name Is Jesus" at times has a Graham Kendrick feel about it. Drifting in and out the female harmony makes this track one of the vocal highlights on the album. To sum up, the deeper you go into this release the more rewarding it is in both a musical and spiritual sense. Music that perfectly complements the message is indeed rare and this release is a gem.

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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