Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Jonny is a worship leader from Rugby, Warwickshire with a passion for writing quality songs for use in worship, and his past has seen him playing/leading at events organised by the likes of Youth For Christ and New Wine. This CD is a collection comprising seven original songs and one arrangement of the hymn "Take My Life" aimed at providing a resource of new songs for churches, and to this aim Jonny helpfully has chord sheets of all songs available for download from his website. The musical arrangements don't perhaps have the gloss of more big-budget recordings but are extremely competently performed and well structured. "Sing Sing Sing (This Is The Day)" kicks off with a moody opener focussing on God's achievements in creation and then slowly builds energy to declare that God does all things well, the end of the song pointing towards the glorious future when all things will sing. The other real highlight is "At The Foot Of The Cross," the gentle reflective piano in the first half tenderly supporting the reflection on grace before the mood takes off for the joyful refrain "There is no one higher, there is no one greater." Other songs such as "Even When" and "Holding On" have eminently singable melodies that churches should easily be able to pick up. Jonny's vocals sound pleasant, although he doesn't have a distinctive soloist's voice, but on a CD showcasing his songs that's not an issue. In summary, it's great to see individual writers releasing material like this, performed and recorded well.

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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