Reviewed by Tony Cummings

It was eight years ago that a small gathering of millennials gathered to pray for the city of Dallas. Now, thanks to the internet, people around the globe are singing Upperroom's songs and this nine-track album gives you a good idea why, in a church scene saturated with new modern worship material, this collective's songs are making such an impact. The Elyssa Smith-penned and fronted "Surrounded (Fight My Battles)" is an absolute gem and in a culture blighted with self-sufficiency powerfully reminds us that abandonment to the King of Kings is the only way to go. Michael W Smith has already recorded the song but dare I say it, Elyssa does it better. Elyssa's other number here, the ballad "After You", is almost as good and shows that this most gifted young lady has the same power, vocal range and anointing as Jesus Culture's Kim Walker-Smith. Other excellent songs here are "Wasted" and "Holy Spirit (We Love You)" (great to hear an anthem addressed to him). One thing though, the material here is arranged with plenty of space for worship leaders to sing in the Spirit and some will find their length daunting and a tad repetitious. The opener "You And You Alone", for instance, clocks in at 10 minutes and none of the songs here have a running time of less than 5:52. But if you're looking for authentic worship sung and played with considerable skill but with the focus on the Lord rather than the performance this is an album to investigate, a recording which will indeed draw you deep into worship.

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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