Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The Door Of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon was formed by singer/songwriter Josh White, who saw success Stateside with the CCM band Telecast. Intriguingly though, Josh is not one of the five singers, songwriters and worship leaders on this set, though he was on Volume One released in 2013. Another omission is there are no drummers or percussionists on this album which is very much a stripped down set with acoustic guitar and keys handling the accompaniments. The songs are pleasant enough, Nick Smith's adaption of the old hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", Holly Ann's rather haunting "Breather Of The Stars" and Randolph Eader's old school country "Leave It There" work well though it's slightly ironic that Benjamin Krogh, the singer with possibly the least attractive voice - it having a rather harsh nasal quality - should have of the most attractive accompaniments, an elegant cello over the picked acoustic guitar. While on the subject of production, it's odd that the reverb on Nick Smith's voice on "King Of Glory" is turned up significantly on the chorus. But maybe I'm nit-picking. No doubt some of the songs are touching and feeding the Door Of Hope congregation for whom they were written. But in truth the subdued, low-key production makes it unlikely that many of the songs will be heard outside the city of Portland.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.