Newsong
Live Worship – Rescue
Integrity

Newsong, a perennial powerhouse over the past decade and a half, has hit the ground running with their first live worship project. There are several songs that many will recognize such as “Blessed Be Your Name,” Wonderful Maker,” and “My Glorious.” All of which are all well recreated in the true Newsong fashion.

The album does have some flow issues in that it skips around thematically to a point that one can forget they are listening to the same album. However, once that has been set aside, you can truly appreciate the level of talent this group has and their ability to present a powerful message. We are reminded of that during their rendition of the worship favorite, “Rescue,” where they add their own unique style giving it an energetic driving rhythm.

Newsong’s heart for intimate worship is evident in “Your Favorite Name Is Father,” and midway through the CD is a string of reflective tunes that can take you away to a quiet place. That is where the album hit its stride and is the most solid. It would have been spectacular for them to have continued down that path rather than bounce back into a more rock driven performance.

All in all Newsong has produced a very respectable first live worship album and would do well to pursue another live project in the future. They truly have an innate ability to put their signature on the songs they record whether old or new.

- Tim H.