Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Kid's worship album makers have, over the years, had a hard time impressing Cross Rhythms reviewers. An exception has been the Great Big God series from Vineyard UK. The first three in the series, produced between 2003 and 2005, were welcomed by CR critics with much acclaim. There's been a four year gap between volumes three and four which was recorded live at Vineyard Network Church in Birmingham in October 2008, but I'm glad to say the latest release has got that same potent mix of infectious pop melodies, professional musicianship and most of all, worshipful FUN as the previous releases. Nigel Hemmings is the predominant songwriter (also a singer and instrumentalist); others include Michael Frye, Andy Vincent and Joel Bartner. The songs are ably rendered by a mix of adult and children vocalists. The songs themselves are upbeat (generally), instructive, melodic and genuinely worshipful. The rock pop format of "God Is Watching", for example, sounds akin to a Hillsong Youth anthem. One or two, such as "Down On My Knees" could just as easily be found on a mainstream worship venture - and, given that it's one of Hemmings' earlier compositions, dating to 2003, it seems it was possibly written with that intention. A lively, vibrant atmosphere attends this "live" recording throughout, provoking the need for a disclaimer from Vineyard Records, who "take no responsibility for your children asking to listen to this CD EVERY DAY with the volume up loud, nor for any persistent singing of the highly catchy tunes!"

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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