Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

The success of Selah in the last year has taken everyone by surprise. This inspirational album has hit huge sales and I was backstage with them when they won a Dove Award for Inspirational Album Of The Year - they were shocked to win! The concept of the album couldn't be easier. Take some of the finest, most inspiring music in the history of Christian songwriting and record it in stripped down simple fashion. In an industry which makes a virtue of image and marketing strategies, Selah stand out for the purity of what they have achieved here. With fab tight vocal harmonies from siblings Todd and Nicol Smith with Allan Hall and pleasant arrangements, 'Be Still My Soul' manages to avoid the musical cheese that bogs down so many inspirational recordings. Highlights include the gospelly medley "Precious Lord/Just A Closer Walk With Thee" which highlights the soulfulness of Nicol Smith's voice. It's true that some of these songs have been done to death -"His Eye Is On The Sparrow", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "When I Survey" - but it is fun to hear a rare reworking of the Larry Norman classic "Sweet, Sweet Song Of Salvation". Throughout the album, Allan Hall's inspiring piano playing adds greatly to the overall feel of the album, Selah will now secure a much bigger budget to create a follow up, but will they be able to maintain the innocence of this beautiful debut?

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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