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   The Divine Whisper - Scott Brenner

   Waiting for Aidan - Steve Bell

   Tension - Mars Hill Fellowship

   Open the Gates - Andrew Ironside

Studio recording.
all songs written by Scott Brenner.
Similar in style to ‘Paradise is Waiting’.
Musicians:
Scott Brenner - vocals, keyboards,
acoustic & electric guitars
Lisa Cuellar - vocals
Melissa Hasin - cello
Crosby Delaney - violin
Susan Kim, Bobby Mims,
Jimmy Wallace and Joe Lee - backing vocals and instruments on various tracks.

Songs:
  1.  Lead Me to Your Heart
  2.  Divine Whisper
  3.  And I Fall
  4.  Love So Amazing
  5.  Yearning for Your Love
  6.  Tears of Forgiveness
  7.  All My Love
  8.  Jesus You are Love
  9.  There is a River (spontaneous)
10.  Mercy Drops are Falling

$12.95

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  It's true that Scott Brenner's past recordings have included moments of upbeat praise and flowing, uplifting worship - indeed his '98 Joshua's Army is a fairly composite collection of styles. But the man does seem to be more at home with a decidedly intimate, devotional formula, for this is what he keeps coming back to. Both Draw Near to Me and Paradise is Waiting are meditational collections appropriate for use in 'quiet times'; now The Divine Whisper comes as surely the finest addition yet to this genre.

  All songs are new and composed by Brenner. The sound is acoustic in nature and features Scott on lead vocals, piano and guitars, along with Lisa Cuellar's sensitive harmony tones and little further accompaniment save for elegant violin and cello strains throughout. The essential charm of this set are those uncluttered, delicate melodies, along with Scott's soft and sensitive delivery. One tune blends almost imperceptibly into the next with the subtlety of Melting Moments, and, aided by the holy intimacy of Brenner's whispering lyrics, one is carried along on a tender wave of graceful bliss. Scott well knows how to craft good songs; he knows too how to help evoke a personal, God-sensed atmosphere. And while the title track captures the project's quintessential theme:

'Here in my loneliness, Lord, You are calling / Calming and comforting,
Lord You are here /
Whispering promises, bearing my anguish / Speaking Your peace to me,
healing my heart',

..this focus artfully embraces other moods such as submission and awe ('And I fall'), godly longing ( 'Yearning for Your love'), the centrality of the Jesus and the cross ('Tears of forgiveness, 'Jesus You are love') and a life of blessing ('Mercy drops are falling').

  Several spontaneous songs towards the close simply add to the rich sense of anointing that this recording holds. Soothing melodies, inspiring Bible-based thoughts (with references given).....if you're still enough you'll be able to hear and respond to.......His Divine Whisper.

Review by tom lennie

$13.95

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TENSION
from Mars Hill Fellowship
Seattle, Washington
www.marshill.fm
http://tension.marshill.fm

Songs :
  1.  Newfound hope
  2.  Creed
  3.  I will not bow down
  4.  Enthroned
  5.  Yahweh
  6.  The promise breakers
  7.  Consume me
  8.  Post concussion
  9.  Psalm 51
10.  Were you there
11.  The day the sun stood still
12.  The way everlasting

Also from Mars Hill

MarsHillWorship

$16.95

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Songs :
  1.  Eventide
  2.  Jesus My Glory
  3.  Pleasing To You
  4.  Somebody’s Gotta Pay
  5.  Restless
  6.  The Water Runs
  7.  Diamonds From the Other Side
  8.  Waiting For Aidan
  9.  A Sorrow For Connoisseurs
10.  Oh Love
11.  Psalm 121
12.  Stay Awake
13.  Eventide reprise

$13.95

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Featuring performances by Sam Bush, Phil Keaggy & Hugh Marsh

  I first heard Canadian singer/songwriter Steve Bell on Christian radio some years ago, and was immediately struck by the sensitive charm of his music. Shortly after, I was given the wonderful gift of his '94 Burning Ember release, and a few weeks later I won his '95 The Feast in a competition! (based on the nativity of Jesus, this is miles ahead of most other 'Christmas' albums you'll hear). I've been hooked on the guy's music ever since!

  Though it's only in the past couple of years that SB's music has received high international acclaim - with two singles shooting up the CCM Inspirational chart and his Beyond a Shadow compilation finding popular US release - Waiting for Aidan, once again issued on his own Signpost label, is in fact Steve's seventh solo studio album in a recording career that stretches back to the late '80's. Like the others, it's acoustic in nature, yet varies in creative tone from soft pop to a cappella to a deft and delightful jazz instrumental, and draws on the wealth of a host of talented musicians, including Sam Bush and a certain Phil Keaggy! While comparisons in sound and style may be drawn to US singer/songwriter Wes King, Bell's distinctive vocals are yet more sinewy while remaining ever touching.

  As solo albums tend to capture an artist's thoughts and mood at a particular season in life, so Waiting for Aidan, as the title suggests, was born 'from an exercise in patience'; through a period of questioning and contemplating spiritual issues that Steve previously took for granted. Such depth and perseverance is reflected on several tracks, most notably the unsettled yearning of 'Restless' or the personal pain of 'Somebody's gotta pay'. But the ultimate security of the musician's faith prevails throughout this testing journey, shining forth on songs like the poetic 'Diamonds from the other side' and 'Jesus my glory'.

  The music here is ever pleasant and Steve's non-cliched lyrics most conducive to deep thought; yet I can't say the tunes are quite as creative or memorable as those on the '97 award-winning Romantics & Mystics, probably my favourite of Bell's output. Still, there's plenty here to impress and satisfy the listener, and, with sounds as artful as the album cover itself, Waiting for Aidan is ....er.....well worth the wait!

Review by tom lennie

Tracks:
  1.  Open the Gates
  2.  Found in the House
  3.  Next Level
  4.  Thousand Years
  5.  Everybody’s Dancing
  6.  This Town
  7.  Holy
  8.  In Every Breath
  9.  Stepping Out
10.  So Alive
11.  Embrace
12.  Jesus Come
13.  Give It All to God

$13.95

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  Though still in his thirties, Australian worship leader, songwriter, husband and father of five Andrew Ironside has an amazing recording career that goes way back to the mid-eighties. Amongst his 22 album releases (yep, 22!) you'll find a focus on uptempo funk (Movers and Shakers), reflective worship ballads (Intimate ), instrumental projects (Instrumentally Sound, Refreshment) as well as militant praise (Sound of a Warrior) and Celtic innovations (Grace and Mercy); the latter of which, like several other of his works, has won top awards from the Queensland Recording Association.

  Open the Gates showcases a varied range of contemporary worship styles, hardly surprising given this is more a collective offering from Brisbane's Citipointe COC than a solo Ironside output. So it is that we find no fewer than 11 song-writing contributions and 9 different lead vocalists on these 13 totally new songs. It's true that a good chunk of the tunes are in the upbeat category, ranging from the clubbin' dance-beat of 'Stepping out', to the funky 'So alive', to the youthful, energetic rock praise of 'Next level', 'This town' and 'Give it all to God', with its semi-thrash guitar tones and fine drum break. In a warmer, flowing style comes the opening 8-min title-track, and the intimate yearning of 'Embrace' and 'Jesus come', gorgeous songs all three.

  The collective aspect of this disc is further revealed by the 21-strong backing vocalist presence, a 45-piece choir and the substantially-sized music band. Deftly produced by Andrew, and mixed and mastered in his own Ironspiration studios (viz. the family lounge!), Open the Gates constitutes a fine display of highly contemporary worship sounds from that 'land down under'. Yet Citipointe's worship pastors Andrew and wife Desma are fully aware that to 'open the gates' must be more than a mere song or album title - it needs be a continual commitment to 'open the door of our hearts, our church, our cities and our nations, to let the King of Glory enter in'. Amen to that!

Review by tom lennie