Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Cross Rhythms reviewers are faced with a seemingly endless stream of modern worship albums emanating from America's large or mega churches. Many of these releases are recorded live and most feature a guitar-driven stadium rock sound, which, even if the original songs or cover versions are reasonable, makes for dull listening. So I approached this album from the worship team in Bayside Church in Sacramento, California with little expectation of creative excellence. But I was pleased to find nothing predictable about 'A Thousand More'. It's a pop studio album of worship anthems with R&B and dance influences and Thrive's three core worship leaders, Corbin Phillips, Peter Burton and Charmaine Wells, all have strong pop voices. Equally impressive is the production, full of snappy rhythm tracks and clever synth embellishments. But most important, of course, are the songs themselves, and the opener "Breakthrough Is Coming" and the equally engaging "I Shall Believe (Faithful Always)" sound like radio hits. 'A Thousand More' has already been a major hit in the US, topping the Billboard Christian & Gospel Chart (a very impressive feat for a debut album) and even making the 25 bestsellers on the mainstream album chart. Clearly, Integrity Music have picked up on a worship team determined to do more than clone Bethel Music or Hillsong United. Definitely one to check out.

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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