Never for Nothing - CCM Record Reviews archive K
KAIROS : Heart. (Free download from www.kairos-band.co.uk)
I was suspicious - free stuff is often worth every penny. This is more. OK, so the opening organ riff didn't live up to their album - but then the rest of the band piled in and it all made sense. Energy, excellent guitar tone, catchy riff, clear vocals, good song, what more could you want? Download it now. 8/10 Paul Ganney (August 2009)
Kait Madison, is a 19 year old singer-songwriter from southern Indiana. I am passionate about many things, but two of my strongest passions are singing and spreading God’s word. I decided I would combine the two! Sharing my own personal experiences in my life through my music is how I want to spread hope in a dark and dying world. I desire to be real and raw. This song is taken from her forthcoming album of the same name. It’s a song which is sung as if from God to His children. “Don’t be afraid my child, afraid my child, I am with you now forever and always. Come on in and lay down your burdens and stay.” Kati’s voice is quite reminiscent of Amy Whinehouse, and it is truly a delightful on this, rather laid back, summer song. 8/10. (August 2020)
At 14, Kane Adams discovered the two biggest loves of his life: music and God. The music he produces is very poppy, in the style of latter-day Take That meets Tom Chaplin with a sideways glance towards Coldplay, meaning that the overall effect is very atmospheric and by no means throwaway. There are ringing guitars (drifting slightly into U2 territory), solid but not foreground drums and bass, strings (or keyboard pads), over which lies a clear vocal with some held soaring elements. Kane has a pleasant vocal with enough edge to avoid being bland. He’s also strong enough to hold things on his own, as the stripped-back “Captain” demonstrates. Lyrically the songs are experiential describing his relationship with God (as you might expect from the first sentence of this review). The arrangements are good, building then dropping then moving in order to keep the listener interested. There are, of course, the big singalongable choruses- “Midnight Promise” being possibly the best. There’s some good understated solo instrumental work too, especially on “Telescope” that sits well within the song, without taking over. Overall, this is a decent album with some very good high points that invites repeated listening. Best track: “Love Goes On / Undercurrents” 7/10. Paul Ganney. (March 2020)
KAREN DAVIS : Sar Shalom. (Galilee of the Nations)
The Messianic Praise and Worship scene is very strong, with people
like Barry & Bata Segal leading the way. Karen Davis has recorded
a CD of songs that she says have been "given to her",
from God, during some of the most difficult times for Israel.
When war, killings, suicide bombings, and the like have happened,
Karen has taken to her keyboard and poured her heart out to God
in song. These, then, are the resulting pieces. Sadly, only a
couple of tracks are sung in English, therefore making it very
difficult for me to pass any real judgement on the lyrics. The
music sounds good and I have the feeling that "El Gibor V'El
Elyon" is a very strong and powerful ballad. "I Will
Answer you" is sung in English and sounds good, too. Karen
and Her husband continue to lead worship to Arabs and Jews alike,
and for that courage and belief, they have my blessing. Sadly,
I don't think I can give a rating on this occasion. (July 2003)
When Karen Hornsby took the microphone on ABC's innovative reality show, Rising Star, she did more than wow the judges with her remarkable voice. She touched the hearts of viewers around the country with her poignant story. Not only had this young mother survived a horrific collision with a semi tractor-trailer that left her vehicle engulfed in flames, but she later endured her husband's cancer diagnosis and treatment, and perhaps most devastating, her 2-year-old daughter Gabi was diagnosed with brain cancer. From places of such deep suffering, Karen writes songs of encouragement for the brokenhearted. There are some really touching songs on this album, including the tear jerking “It’s Me.”. This is a song written after doctors revealed the news of her daughter’s condition. “The Time” is a song about loss, and how God can give you the strength to get through it. It’s piano led, as is the ballad “I Surrender.” Karen, then, moves into a bluesy gospel style for “Celebrate” and “Victory.” Full brass backing and guitars add to the overall sound. Pop songs “Use Me” and “I Will Not Be Moved” are both commendable, but I really liked the Dixie Chicks sounding “Let Go & Let God.” It’s a really good song, and the polished production is enhanced by a great fiddle break. Karen’s vocal prowess is put to the test on “I Need You Lord.” This is a classy ballad, and she storms through the song with finesse. I urge you to read Karen’s story at her website. Maybe, then, you’ll realise just what a personal and powerful set of songs these are. 8/10. (September 2016)
Another new name to the world of UK CCM comes in the form of Nottingham based Karen Money, a young lady with a delightful voice, and the ability to weave lyrics into a delicate musical tapestry. Imagine Enya or Mairre Brennan without the ethereal vocals, and you've got a good idea of Karen's sound and quality. I rarely use this word to describe a song but, 'pretty' describes the opening "Golden Day". I've already spoken about her lyric writing, but the words to "Surrender" are very thoughtful and makes it a very pleasant song to listen to. "Stranger" is a fairly gentle number, while the stronger "Sanctuary" tells of being with God and knowing His love. Lasting just over 30 minutes, it's a rather short album, but, nonetheless, a very worthy introduction by a new talent on the block. 8/10. (November 2005)
KAREN PECK & NEW RIVER : Triumph. (Spring Hill Music :CMD1020).
The name of Karen Peck has become synonymous with Southern Gospel
Music. Indeed, the Southern Gospel Music Association has just
awarded her the accolade of Female Vocalist of the Year. Her flawless,
delightful soprano voice has made its way into the hearts of Gospel
Music lovers across America and won her numerous awards from the
readers of The Singing News Magazine, Southern Gospel Music's
leading fan and trade publication. this is the first album I've
heard from Karen and the band and I'm quite impressed. It's more
Dolly Parton than, say, Faith Hill, but country buffs of the old
style will enjoy this immensely. There's some great songs and
you'll find yourself foot tapping to numbers like "Working
For My Good" and "Rejoiced in the Lord" very easily.
Then, there's the praise and worship style of "Walk in Triumph".
Believe me, listening to this, you actually do feel as if you
want to go out there and do just that! It's an infectious little
album that deserves a little more media attention over here. 9/10. (July 2002)
KAREN PECK & NEW RIVER : 2:22. (Daywind Records)
Born out of a time riddled with sickness, divisiveness, and uncertainty, KPNR points to Jesus in 2:22 after they and loved ones walked through some of life’s toughest physical and spiritual challenges including cancer, covid, miscarriage, and addiction. And, from the opening ‘Spirit of Heaven’ that message is strong. On this song, it’s a cry that we need Jesus more than ever in these troubled times. There’s a lovely nod and thanks to those believers who show Gods love in action on the touching song ‘The Keepers.’ I really liked how this song was put together, both lyrically and musically. The next one to prick up my listening ears, was the little ditty called ‘If God Wrote a Song.’ Vocally, it sounds like early Julie Miller, and the words tell you everything you need to know about our Father. There’s quite a few numbers of differing styles. As well as those already mentioned, there’s the honky tonk track ‘Dance,’ which is closely followed by the gospel ballad ‘Lead Me Through.’ Of course, with the pedigree of KPNR (Five-time GRAMMY-nominated, seven-time GMA Dove Award Winners) you know that you are going to get a quality recording. Once more, this group delivers. 8/10. (April 2022)
KARI JOBE : Kari Jobe. (Integrity : 45502)
Kari Jobe is a worship leader and songwriter, based in Dallas, Texas. She doesn't play any instruments on the album, but seems to have gathered some fine musicians around her. Her vocal quality is a refreshing sound and, at times, similar to Leigh Nash. On 'Healer' she sings of Jesus being her hero, and I'm sure that this song will bring Kari lots of radio play. The mid-tempo 'Everyone Needs A Little' is about love being the greatest thing. The simple praise of 'Beautiful' has a lot going forit, and the pretty 'Singing Over Me' has alight touch about it. The song quality differs enough so that Kari's voice doesn't get too repetitive, and she caresses each word as if it's a very precious thing. There's a song of surrender on 'No Sweeter Name' while the power of 'Revelation Song' simply builds and builds. Kari Jobe is a real find in the world of worship music, and this album is a fine collection of songs. 9/10. (June 2009)
KARI JOBE : Gateway Worship Voices. (Integrity : 0000768674093)
This collection of songs is promoted as Kari Jobe’s greatest worship moments. The CD version includes the original audio recordings, bonus lyric videos, chord charts, lead sheets and more. All very useful, but what about the songs? The majestic “No Sweeter Name” is one of those songs that you instantly take a liking to. Certainly, for me, I hope that it becomes a regular worship hit in churches all around the world. The old hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” gets an outing with a male singer dueting with Kari. If you’ve previously pigeon holed Kari as just another pop singer, then her vocals on “You Are Good” may just make you think again. Her singing is controlled, yet strong when needed on this lovely ballad. Walker Beach joins Kari for “Alabaster Jar” – an 8 minute epic! With a title such as “Worship the Great I Am”, there’s no surprise that this number gets a big production. All the stops are pulled out, complete with a full orchestral backing, that makes for one, awesome song. If you’re a little tired of the countless Jesus Culture and Bethel Music albums that are coming out of America, then Kari’s album will be most welcome. She sounds in tune with every song lyric and produces a very listenable recording. 7/10. (June 2016)
KARI JOBE : The Blessing – Live. (Capitol CMG)
This 15 track, more than 2 hour album “was uniquely recorded and captured live this summer during the pandemic without a live audience at Kari’s home church, 'The Belonging Co' in Nashville, TN .... giving the global church an album of declarative anthems that are full of healing and faith”. With a music style described as “post contemporary praise and worship”, the album kicks off with the upbeat opener 'Heaven invade' and it is clear that Kari is a capable vocalist backed by a great set of musicians. The powerful ballad 'Let the light in' comes next (“Let the King of Glory in”). It is here however that this album's greatest weakness starts to become apparent – and apologies that I now need to refer numerous times to track lengths in order to make my point(!). After 3 minutes or so of real 'song' the often repeated “open up the windows, let the light in” continues for much of the remaining 7 minutes of this track. It is then difficult to identify the changeovers between the more than 22 mins of tracks 3,4 and 5. Mercifully, the title track follows with a new tune featuring a male vocal delivering “The Lord bless and keep you ...” but then spends most of its 8 mins with repeated “Amens”. The bulk of the album continues with tracks with repetitive content that make them simply far too long – the closer, 'Anthem of praise’ has repeats extending it to nearly 15 minutes. 'No fear' (“Right here, right now, no fear”) is a potentially good song but well over-extended, and 'Throne room' is another with a 'real tune' that is similarly spoiled. Apart from the few examples that at least begin with actual ‘melodies’ however, there is a distinct lack of variety. Tracks are for long periods set against long, slow, repeating, similar chord sequences that I found simply irritating rather than a blessing. Lengthening of songs with multiple repeats may sometimes be appropriate in a live worship setting, but this is a particularly extreme example and in my experience not suited to listening outside of a live environment. Together with heavily compressed sound quality then, sadly, I can only rate this one at 3/10. Dave Deeks (December 2020)
KARIMA : Redeemer. (Dare Records).
Karima is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist. This is her debut single for Dare Records and it’s smashing song. In true gospel style, Karima’s vocals range from soft and gentle, to full velocity that the likes of Nicole C Mullen would be proud of. It’s a song that gives thanks and celebrates Jesus the Redeemer. “I know that my redeemer lives; Let all creation testify; Let this life within me cry, that my redeemer lives.” The musical backing is first class, as it doesn’t get in the way of the vocal performance. A nice set of backing vocals fit well, too. A very classy number. 8/10. (August 2021)
Kat Mills is a singer songwriter from Surrey, United Kingdom. Kat grew up with a classical music background – her father a conductor and her mum an oboist. Kat is a classically trained singer and has developed her repertoire to include musical theatre and jazz. In addition, Kat plays piano and cello – she writes predominantly on the piano. The striking piano chords of the title track instantly make you prick up your ears. Fresh and vibrant, Kat’s voice shines through. It’s a song about finding God and being thankful for His sacrifice. I liked this song very much but thought that the additional choir towards the end was a little thin, vocally. There’s some lovely saxophone playing from Serge Gorlin on ‘Rock & Salvation’ while ‘Restore My Soul’ is stripped bare, with just piano and cello accompaniment. This works really well and makes the song both intimate and powerful. Kat says; “All of the songs have been written from experiences - or a longing to encourage people that matter what we go through we have a God who is totally awesome and worthy of our praise.” A former sufferer from the illness ME, Kat sings from the heart on the poignant ‘My Grace Covers You’, as well as feeling overjoyed at God’s promise of His love, on ‘Just As You Are’. If I was being picky, I’d say that ‘Choose To Worship’ was my least favourite song. Nothing wrong with the words but I felt that Kat’s vocal range was being tested with this song. The last number, ‘Journey On’, develops into light rock, with the aid of some nice guitar work. Here, Kat’s voice literally soars and proves that there’s more to come from this young lady. 8/10. (July 2015)
Following up her delightful album of 2015, Surry based Kat Mills showcases an array of new songs on this release. With her piano so predominant in most of the songs, it’s hard not to compare her music with that of Adele, and that will give you some idea of the quality of this release. The opening “Be Still” is one such song were you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it was one of the secular superstar’s recordings. Some songs have been recorded live and “Breathing” is one of them. Here, an acoustic guitar provides most of the backing as Kat sings about laying her burdens down and gazing upon God. There’s a complete change of style with the reggae enthused “Grace of God.” This is a terrific song and gives simple steps of how to live with God through any situation. I had the privilege of hearing “In Your Arms” a few weeks ago and hearing the story behind it brought me to tears. Kat and husband Ali lost an unborn child a few years ago, and this song is Kat’s journey through the blackness of that time to God’s healing of her M.E. It is such a powerful song and Kat’s vocals simply soar at times. There’s an uptempo pop feel to “Without You.”. Again, Kat bares all in a song that tells of becoming fixated on her problems rather than on God, who is far bigger than any problem. To close the album, we return to just Kat and her piano, with a tender love song to her Father in Heaven. It’s a touching piece of music and a fitting end to a glorious release. 9/10. (July 2016)
Surrey based artist, Kat Mills has released this single from her forthcoming album “Work In Progress.” The song tells how, for years, she felt misunderstood. But now, she’s relieved to learn that she is autistic. The song lyrics say; “We all have challenges in our lives; We all have mountains we have to climb; But by knowing what they are we can learn to overcome.” It’s a very open and honest song from Kat, but very refreshing too. The music has a choppy pace about it, and her vocal delivery is very much in the style of early Lily Allen recordings. The chorus is such a joyful one, as Kat shouts triumphantly, “I’m not made wrong, I’m just made differently.” Well done Kat for your declaration, and for opening people’s eyes to the struggles autistic individuals go through. 9/10. (March 2019)
During a difficult childhood, Kat Mills became aware that she was "different" and wondered if there was something fundamentally wrong with her. She stuck out and was bullied and felt isolated. It was only at the age of 30 that she was finally diagnosed with autism, ADHD and SPD. The songs on this album depict her honesty and vulnerability about her life coming to terms with being autistic and learning how to overcome the challenges but also celebrating the truth that she hasn't been made wrong and to see the beautiful way God has designed her with music flowing in her veins. “Simplicity” starts with a lovely guitar sound. With all the pressures of the material world, Kat sings about finding a place where she can just stop, think and breathe freely. I loved the happy sounding tune to “Drifting.” However, the lyrics depict a cry for rescue, a situation that we all find ourselves in from time to time. If you’ve ever felt invisible in the work place or life in general? Then, you need to take a listen to “Not Invisible To You.” It’s a great song that simply reminds you that whoever you are, and whatever you’re going through, God loves you! Kat’s piano playing is first class, and comes to the fore on “Safe.” Married with some orchestral pads, this slow tempo song contains a passionate vocal that is exquisite during the bridge. With the lyrics being so personal, you really do need to sit down and listen, as Kat tells each story. Every song is engaging, and coupled with fine tunes. “The Piano” tells of how the instrument became her way of communicating and expressing herself, while the album’s title track talks of “overcoming hurdles” and embracing the unique way God has made her. Kat Mills may well be a work in progress, but this release is a pure delight. 9/10. Editor’s note: If you’d like to read more of Kat’s battle with autism, and the story behind each song, please visit: http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Kat_Mills__Her_battle_with_autism_and_her_Work_In_Progress_album/65133/p1/#addcomment (June 2019)
KAT MILLS : The Everlasting God.
Following last year's album 'Work in progress', Surrey-based Kat Mills has brought forward the release of her latest single ‘The Everlasting God’ due to the Coronavirus pandemic. "The song encourages listeners to trust in God even when the world around us is turned upside down ..." Lyrics like “Even when it goes wrong, even when the fears are raging, even when my faith is wavering, help me trust in you” are certainly appropriate in these strange and uncertain times. From Kat's upcoming album 'Church Arise', this is a well written song, beautifully delivered vocally, backed by clearly capable musicians, carefully produced, and with great quality sound. From first play, I simply wanted to play it again - which is always a good sign! I look forward to hearing the album. 10/10. Dave Deeks (May 2020, Record of the Month)
Surrey based Kat Mills is back with a new song, taken from the forthcoming album, “Church Arise.” Co-written with Taylor Breen ‘God of Abundance’ is a reminder that we need to model God's generosity in our own lives. The song starts with Kat’s voice, and her lovely tones that I’ve come to know so well over the last few years. With her trademark piano providing the base for this track, there’s also some very nice guitar work, too. The song bounces a long with a joyous feel throughout, with a great tag line that we should all take note of; “Let our lives reveal your love.” Overall, the lyrics give thanks for all of God’s blessings on us, and the resulting song is one of those you’ll be listening to again, and again. 9/10. (July 2020)
The new single from Kat is a call for the church to take action and bring the love and hands of Jesus to the world as it is slowly released from lockdown. With an opening consisting of gentle piano backing, Kat caresses each word with this call. As the second verse begins, the music gently increases in sound. During the bridge, these words come over strongly. “Send us out through the power of the Spirit; We must go church; Time to arise church.” Then it’s back to the chorus which tells us where and who we should take God’s love to - The hurting, the broken, the hungry, the lonely, and more. The song is quite slow in tempo, but gives you chance to really think about Kat’s lyrics. With both this release and her previous single coming from her forthcoming album, things are looking bright for Kat Mills. 8/10. (September 2020)
Kat’s new release features 4 tracks for the festive season. In a traditional style, “Hope from Heaven” is a carol that benefits from some lovely string sounds. Co-written with Ruth Eggleston, the song is just delicious. . A Christmas Prayer” is a modern jazz number that features Kat’s crisp and clean vocals over the backdrop of a piano and simple percussion. The song was written so that people would know God’s amazing hope and joy. Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to follow Kat’s musical journey. Her pop sounding numbers have always been first class and “I Believe” follows suit. Co-writer, Rob Westall joins Kat on vocals for a song that is full of joy, and helps people to see that Christmas is more than just a tradition! “I believe, that Jesus came down from Heaven,” is just part of a smashing chorus that was an instant hit with me. Finally, with Kat’s husband playing the piano, everything is tied up nicely with “The Meaning of Christmas.” Celebrating the greatest gift all, Kat reaches some great vocal notes, and is joined by the backing vocals of Louise Campbell. A super collection of new and original songs for Christmas. After such a dark year for many around the world, this celebration is very welcome. 9/10. (December 2020)
This is Kat’s latest album release, and what a corker it is, too! I’ve been fortunate enough to follow her musical career over the last 5 years or so, and she has constantly released high quality pop songs. Beginning with the joyous “True Majestic King,” Kat has been truly blessed with the gift of writing easy to follow lyrics, weaved together into engaging tunes. “Out of the Ashes” motors along as Kat sings; Out of the Ashes you bring me life; You rescue me through Your sacrifice; And I worship you. Her vocals have always been good, but this time there is something extra in her voice. Slowing the pace down, Kat is joined by Ellie Button on the sweet “The God Who Can’t Be Shaken.” Listening to these songs, I got a real sense of encouragement from them. We all have our doubts, fears, and worries, and this collection carries God’s word to provide comfort and hope during all these times. “I’m Grateful” reminds us to be “grateful for each breath” as well as the beauty and creation of the world. Released as a single in 2020, “The Everlasting God” scored a 10/10 NFN score. Reviewer, Dave Deeks, said; “From first play, I simply wanted to play it again.” After listening myself, I know exactly what he meant. “Let our lives reveal Your love” is the thrust of “God of Abundance.” I love the way this song builds. A foot tapping verse, is followed by an equally paced bridge. Then, the chorus shoots in with such great joy. (I think I like it more than when I first heard it!) Closing the album is the title track, co-written with Rob Westall. It’s one of the slower songs on view that calls on the church to arise and “see through the eyes of Jesus,” and love like He loves us. “Send us out in the power of the Spirit.” In my humble opinion, this is the best album that Kat has produced, so far. The writing, the music, the production, (not forgetting her accompanying book of the same title) is simply stunning. 10/10. (January 2021, Record of the Month)
KATE SIMMONDS : Heart & Soul. (Kingsway : KMCD2417)
What a surprise this album was! After hearing Kate's contributions
on various compilations over the last couple of years, I thought
I'd opened the wrong CD as the RnB of "When I Was Lost"
burst through my speakers. Then, it was more of the same, with
"My God is a Rock" - what was happening? Well, it seems
that Kate's decided that she wants to follow the RnB style as
practically the whole album contains this genre, in a Yolanda
Adams sort of way. I can't say that any of these songs really
caught my imagination but, perhaps, "To Be With You"
came close. "We Come in Your Name" stands out head and
shoulders above the rest of the track listing, for me. It's a
great pop p&w number that I really enjoyed. Sadly, I was disappointed
with the rest of the fayre as, despite Kate's wonderful voice,
the songs were just plain and drab. 2/10. (December 2002)
KATHRYN SCOTT : Satisfy. (Vertical : 27062)
Kathryn Scott is probably best known for her work on several Vineyard
albums. I'm told that the song "Hungry" is revered throughout
the land but I'm obviously missing something, as I found it very
ordinary. Her debut solo lets her sing some of her own compositions,
plus others like the Brian Doerksen and Sandra Gage penned "Today",
where Kathryn duets with the former. If she reminds me of anyone,
it's the sort of uncluttered pop that made Susan Ashton so popular
a few years ago. She has a lovely, natural voice and in this live
recording it's as pure as the driven snow. "Blessed Be Your
Name" is a top notch song that really praises deeply, while
"Breathe on Me Now" runs it a close second. The second
half of the album drifts somewhat and, until the last track, never
quite repeats the heights of the first. Nevertheless, Kathryn
Scott sounds as if she'll be around for years to come. 7/10. (February 2004)
KATHRYN SCOTT : I Belong. (Integrity : 42312)
Northern Irelands Kathryn Scott made a decision to follow Jesus at an early age. Her parents had a musical background and, by the age of 9, had begun to write her own songs. Following bible college, Kathryn and her husband planted a church of their own and gradually, the church grew. Her own writing skils grew too, following g a meeting with Brian Doerksen and her critically acclaimed debut 'Satisfy' was released in 2003. She's since appeared on a number of compilation albums and has now released 'I Belong' with a fresh offering of songs that flow from the deep river of worship in her heart. The theme that runs through this album is one of praise and worship for Jesus. Nothing new in that you might think, but Kathryn does it in such a way that you actually feel as if you're finding that out for the first time. She has a lovely voice and it suits the light pop style of most of the songs. 'Everything Changes' and 'No Turning Back' are both radio friendly, with the latter talking about the promise to follow Jesus wherever He may lead. The great thing about this album is that it's very easy to listen too and the messages are clear. She's been likened to Sarah Groves and Norah Jones, but Kathryn looks set to create her own mark on the music scene. 8/10 (January 2008)
KATHY MATTEA : Good News. (Mercury/Alliance)
Three years old this one but it's new to me. With a vocal tone
compared to the likes of Annie Lennox, Kathy fails to let herself
go with this collection of slow/medium paced worship songs. Quite
a few songs here that were new to my ears, made good listening
that I'd recommend for listening into in the bath. Nice, hot water,
lots of bubbles, and Kathy Mattea's CD bathing you in the love
of God. Steve Earle's 'Nothing But A Child' is a prime example
of the relaxing tones you can expect throughout. Nothing really
bad on this album but a few very ordinary songs. Nevertheless.
7/10. (December 1996)
KATHY PETERS : Love Will Find A Way. (Private Recording. CD £13 Cass£6 from: Kathy Peters, St Andrews Church Office,The Rectory, Highcroft Avenue, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, L63 3EX).
Kathy says "At times we all feel weak......if we can put
aside our feelings of inadequacy, or unhappiness, and share Gods
love, then love will return." The title track kicks things
of at nice and easy pace in a Susan Ashton sort of way, and some
country style guitars. The lovely feeling it emits, is carried
on by 'When We Don't Speak', as she reaches out for the father's
hand. It is a very personal collection of songs, written from
the very heart of a Christian woman trying to live in today's
world. The music is of general high quality, but I would pick
out the piano on 'You Will Find Him' as a little special. Kathy's
voice suits every song no matter what their style, whether it
be the Celtic tinged 'I Hear Your Voice' or the sweet 'Carry Me'.
Interestingly enough, I found the two songs written from a mother's
perspective the most difficult to listen to but then, I'm not
a mother. Kathy Peters is another bright light in British CCM.
9/10. (November 1997)
KATY NICHOLE : Jesus Changed My Life. (Centricity Music)
Katy Nichole was born in Illinois US and is a Singer/songwriter. Until recently she was an unknown artist singing in her church choir. All that has rapidly changed since the release of her singles pre debut album release “Jesus Changed my life”. Her music has garnered great success in a very short space of time and found a well-established place within the world of Contemporary Christian Music. “150+million people around the world heard her 2022 Dove Award-nomination “In Jesus name (God of Possible) a wonderful track. Before the release of Katy’s debut album, the tracks that were released found their way quickly to No1 on radio “In Jesus Name” and “God Is In This Story” both of these tracks are featured on her debut album. These tracks showcased her strong vocal and what a sensational emotional songwriter she is. Why is her music appealing to a huge audience in such a short space of time? Katy is writing her testimony through her lyrics. Unfortunately, her journey in life has not been easy and she has suffered much anxiety and depression which was due to complications from her scoliosis. Her lyrics are honest and the connection that people are having with her songs are pushing her quickly to becoming one of the most successful artists. Her story is one of suffering, hope and healing which continues to this day. She like us all is a masterpiece in progress. Katy says that “through some of the toughest battles I’ve faced in my life, I’ve held onto Jesus and music. I’ve always felt like the Lord would bring me the right song in the right moment. I’ve had songs that brought healing in my darkest moments and made me feel less alone. I’ve seen the impact that music can have in my own life, and I hope my songs will do the same for you,” Katy says of the new project. “I am beyond excited to dig deeper into my story and share even more of my heart with you. I pray that these songs will bring you comfort and hope”. Tracks including “Things I Wish I would have said,” We will all relate to that song, “Jesus Thank You” and “By The Grace of God” all have a definite country flavour. It is Katy’s hope and prayer that our hearts will be focussed on God. This album if you are suffering as Katy has/is will help you to know that you are not alone in your struggles. Katy wants her listeners, wants you, to know that “you are loved more than you know”. Vivienne Neville 10/10 (April 2023)
KATY REYNOLDS : Healing. (Katy Reynolds)
Katy Reynolds testifies to God’s power to bring reconciliation and restoration with her debut 5-song EP. All the songs originate from her personal testimony over the past seven years, as she navigated walking through divorce as a young adult, the grief in her father’s sudden passing, and ultimately finding the healing that God provided as He brought restoration into her life. The opening “For the One” is a radio, pop friendly song that tells of being “found” by Christ. I liked the way that the tune bounced along, and the feel that it mirrored the song’s theme. “Forgiven” is a more of a bluesy number, that reminded me of Norah Jones’ music. Similarly, “Where Are You” follows that thought pattern. Led by a piano sound, the rest of the backing forms a great vehicle for Katy’s voice. The powerful title track is really good! After going through so many dark times, the singer praises and thanks God for His healing in her life. You can hear what it means in her voice, especially, on this track. Closing proceedings is the mid-tempo “Seek First the Kingdom.” It’s not a bad song, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of “Healing.” Still, for a debut EP, Katy Reynolds is name to look out for in the future. 7/10. (July 2021)
KATHY TROCCOLI : Love & Mercy. (Reunion : CD10003)
It's 15 years since Kathy began her career with the album "Stubborn
Love", yet I don't think that she has ever produced such
a great collection of songs as the ones here. I would guess that
the lady in question must have felt a real blessing from God when
writing these songs, as they are some of the most powerful numbers
I've ever heard. I've got to say it right now that I had a lump
in my throat and tears in my eyes as I listened to "A Baby's
Prayer". It's written from a baby's perspective about healing
and forgiveness for those who have had or considered abortion,
and it is simply beautiful - I played it over and over. "Faithful
to Me" is a ballad that tells of the constant fight of trying
to live your life for God, while "I Call Him Love" is
a song that just reaches out and praises, unrestrained. Sweet
vocals, terrific musicians, an album that's destined to become
a classic. 10/10. (October 1997, Album of the Month)
KATHY TROCCOLI : Corner of Eden. (Reunion : 02341 0007 2)
I so long for this lady to be consistent with her releases. Her
last album was simply a classic and so much better than her previous
two releases. This one begins with the powerful 'A Different Road'
which, at 6minutes 30 sounds long but simply tells the old story
of someone turning their back on God and then realising their
mistake. Kathy's vocals are right on song and the music makes
a wonderful result. It's then that she starts to lose her way
with the gospel/blues 'He Will Make A Way' and the over produced
ballad 'Goodbye For Now'. Things start to improve again towards
the end and 'Fill Me Up' will, no doubt, have many singing along
quite quickly. Kathy Troccoli's music ministers to countless folk
around the world but, until she finds that consistency, she'll
never reach the Amy Grant league. 5/10. (January 1999)
KATHY TROCCOLI : A Sentimental Christmas. (Reunion : 02341-0026-2)
Although you will know practically all the songs featured on this
album, at least Kathy and her production team have tried to make
it different. How? By using the big band sound instead of the
usual synth sounds. "White Christmas" sounds like a
late night lounge bar number, and the self-penned "Only Always"
brings out the best in both Miss Troccoli and the players. IF
you like the sound of a big band then, in the style of Count Basie,
this is for you. Tracks like "Let It Snow", "I'll
Be Home For Christmas", and "Silent Night" are
all given the right treatment, and there's a terrific trumpet
solo on the closing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".
One of the better Christmas buys. 7/10. (December 1999)
KATHY TROCCOLI : Love Has A Name. (Reunion : 40489)
Promoted as Reunion's Premier Female Vocalist, Kathy Troccoli
has quite a track record. As well as the countless awards she's
won, Kathy has also had 15 No.1 songs, as well as 5 Top 20 mainstream
hits. This is her 11th album and she's sounding as good as ever.
"Parade", I think, will be a massive radio hit. It's
one of those songs that comes around now and again, that you just
want to play over and over again. "On My Way to You"
mixes pop with some blues, before we get into typical Troccoli
ballad-land, with "Live For the lord" and "Break
My Heart". "God Said It", provides with a reminder
of God's promises, as does "Count On Me". Late on in
proceedings, Kathy sings the old Foreigner hit "I Want to
Know What Love Is". It's an interesting arrangement, and
one that is sufficiently different from the original version to
stop it being just another copy. It's not an instantly "wow"
exclamation album but one that I promise will grow on you. 9/10. (February 2001)
THE KATINAS : Destiny (Gottee : 4728302)
The five Katinas brothers -James, Jesse, Joe, John, and Sam,
have been singing together since they were children growing up
in American Samoa. Many of their songs communicate a message of
family and they have witnessed firsthand how God has worked in
their own family relationships. With this, their second album,
they've become more chart orientated and taken leaves out of the
books of Backstreet Boys and N'Sync, to become one of America's
biggest 'boy' bands. Maybe, therefore, being a 40-something adult,
I found a lot of the songs too noisy, with too many different
voices vying for prominence. It's an album that is very dance
orientated, with songs like "It's Real" and "If
You Really" getting the bpm moving. Personally, I preferred
the close harmonies on pop songs like "Thank You" -
a classic if ever there was one - and "Who Do You Love?".
"You Are" sees the boys move into a gospel affair that
really doesn't work, while I tired very quickly of "Sold
Out Believer". Hard to decide my overall opinion of this
album. In some respects, the pop side of things are good, but
I certainly took a dislike to the dance number. Perhaps I'll sit
on the fence with this one. 5/10 (August 2001)
THE KATINAS : The Katinas. (Gotee : 6694 4728042 2)
The Katinas are 5 of 12 children who have been singing together
since early childhood. The brothers, (John, Joe, James, Jesse,
and Sam), grew up on the tropical Polynesian island of American
Samoa. First up, I think that this album is a definite improvement
on their 2001 release, "Destiny". The boys seem to have
settled for a smooth groove style, with plenty of luscious harmonies
standing out in songs like "One More Time" and "Sing
Me A Song". "Takin' Me Higher" is a funky affair
while the rap of "Nothin' But…." Briefly revisits
the "Destiny" style. The guys have toured with the
Winans, Andrae Crouch, and many other top names in the world of
CCM, and this album should see them climbing the ladder of gospel
success. 8/10. (October 2002)
KATO : Seasider. (Private CD Recording £7.99 from: PO Box 61, St Annes, Lancs, FY8 1SS).
Remember the band K? Well, in Star Trek terms, KATO are the next
generation, with Captain Keith Ayling still at the helm. "Seasider"
is a seven track Brit-pop mini-album that sounds more like the
Charlatans than, say Oasis, but with a distinctive Kato twist.
"Superhero" is chart material and opens things up with
driving guitars and posing the question; "If your hero (Jesus)
was 2 9 and living in your home town, what would you say to
him"? "Grow" is very similar, but "Into Your
Hands" is packed full of energy and I can see this one going
down well live. "The Waves Are High" is a slower number
that still works well, but "Walking on Water" doesn't
quite have the same class about it. Bands may come and go but
Keith Ayling and his troops continue to play where others fear
to tread. 8/10. (August 1997)
KATO : Home Movie. (Bigskymusic : BSM1106CD)
£12 from : : Keith Ayling, PO Box 61, St. Anne's, Lancashire, England, FY8 1SS.
I can't remember the first time that I saw Keith Ayling fronting
the now defunct band, K. What impressed me most was the way he
led some fine musicians into delivering God's word, through popular
music, to young people. A few years down the line, the group name
and personnel may have changed but Keith Ayling shows no sign
of letting up in his beliefs. This acoustic album features songs,
old and new, with a few re-mixes thrown in for good measure. Favourites
like "My Imaginary Friend" and "Die For You"
now sound like Crowded House, and stand out really well in their
new style. "Can't Sleep" features some mellow keyboards,
and "Breathe" is another top tune. "So Alive"
sounds as good, if not better, than those restrained type of songs
that bands like Super Furry Animals and Suede are currently touting
about, and "Change" finishes proceedings as a crowning
glory. It's not quite perfect but "Home Movie" gives
a brilliant snapshot of just who Kato are but, by no means, is
it the complete picture. 9/10. (October 1999)
KATO : Welcome to My World. (Elevation : Eled00130)
A look back at the previous NFN reviews of Kato (and K) material
will show that I've a lot of time for frontman Keith Ayling and
his band. For longer than I care to remember, they have been leading
the line of british pop in the world of CCM - albeit living in
the shadow of Delirious? ICC's new label Elevation have finally
given the guys the record deal they've been waiting for and "Welcome
to My World" is the result. The album takes a few tried and
trusted songs from the Kato back catalogue and mixes them seamlessly
with terrific new stuff. Produced by Dave Lynch (Toploader) we
see "Welcome" open the album with an almighty crash
of pop power that is electrifying to the soul. "Know What
You Believe" is just the same, while "Die For You"
has grown up so much it is out of this world. The slower "Strong"
sounds a little like the Manic's, and "Trust Me" - although
lighter - shows that Keith's writing, too, continues to grow.
Think I've said enough? Tough! There's still the quite brilliant
"Can't Sleep" and the anthemic "#25" that
is truly God inspired. To Keith, Mick, Rick, & Mike, this
is a great album, and Bless you for being Kato. 10/10. (May 2001, Album of the Month)
KATO : Songs To Help You Survive. (Elevation : ELE00630)
The second release from Kato on ICC's Elevation label, sees the
boys trying to emulate their brilliant debut "Welcome to
My World". This time, all the songs are brand new and there's
the addition of strings to accompany the bands acknowledged guitar
sound. That makes for a sometimes confusing listen to someone
like me who's grown up with the previous material. Keith Ayling's
lyrics are as sound as ever but it may take fans a little time
to get used to this new, more mature sound. "Don't Let Me
Fall" is a song that I can readily relate to. When times
are dark and things look hopeless, you often cry to God and ask
Him not to let you fall from Him. "Butterfly" then kicks
in with an attacking thrash of guitar mayhem, as does the wildly
fantastic "Won't Back Down". Where full use of the orchestral
music is used, "Skydiver" rates as a melodic treat
for the listener. "Welcome…" contained a few songs
that I was already familiar with, whereas this album is full of
new stuff. The band are still as hot, still doing the job, and
still producing the goods. 9/10. (October 2002)
KATY RAY : Dreaming For Something More. (Parachute : PMD037)
Australian, Katy Ray has appeared at the infamous Parachute Festival and cites her major influences as K T Tunstall and Coldplay, amongst others. The tracks on this album are all written or co-written by her, and deal with subjects such as failure, survival, hopes, and dreams. "Yesterday's" has a bit of a latin feel to it but I can't say that the song did anything for me. "Dreaming" has a bluesy feel to it but I'd got to mid-album before anything really made me sit up and take note. "Rain Drops" is a smashing song and by far the best song to appear. I really like Katy's vocals on this one and it begins a mid-album renaissance. "Hey Sister" and "Don't Let Me Go" are simpler songs than the previous ones, and they are so much easier to listen to. How many times do we ask God for some time of peace in our lives? Play track 10, called "Peace" and be transported to that very place. It's an acoustic prayer and works well. There's plenty of promise from Katy Ray but, for now, I think that the best is yet to come. 5/10. (June 2007)
A six song offering from Katy, begins with an in your face, wall of sound worship song, which I couldn’t help but like. As I pulled the arrangement of ‘Majestic One’ to bits. to look at the construction. There, I found partially hidden gems, such as the backing vocals which punctuate, sounding like plucked violin or harp strings “prince of peace.” The arrangement does seem a little heavy for Katy’s voice, but I found it endearing. It reminded me a little of the UK band Phatfish vocally, where Lou Fellingham’s audial smile is always heard. ‘More’ is a change of pace, which is simplified for the final track as a piano version. Guess I like the piano version, which is stripped back but includes the orchestration - which is worth examining on its own. Well written and well produced. Lyrically, the EP is very Christian-phrased, full of church language but fits perfectly in the context of a personal worship album. Katy shares her faith within the worship and is drawing you in to a closer place. ‘Fear Not’ is a prime example of this, plus it is just a beautiful song. ‘Blue Jay’ hits so many buttons on my list of likes. Again, when it builds, the backing vocals are superb, as well as the orchestral arrangement. I could listen to this again and again! After listening to this release, it left me wanting to find out more about Katy and her music. This collection contains well written songs and a great voice. Just one fault…….it ends too soon! 10/10 Noel Donaldson. (August 2022)
Wiltshire based Kay Morgan-Israel is an award winning (PGMA 2016) Christian singer songwriter and musician. Of the songs on this album, Kay says; “The songs came out of my desire to go deeper with God and to encourage and inspire others that we can all have an incredible deep relationship with God and do the greater things that Jesus said we would do. For me, this comes out of the secret place, the place of spending more time in my bible and my prayer room and waiting longer on the Lord.” Kay has a very strong voice and this really stands out on tracks such as “Walk With You in White,” and “Only the Blood.” Indeed, the latter was my favourite song on the album. She mentions of her interest in prophetic and intercessory praise. The result of this, I think, is that a number of songs include lyrics that are repeated over and over again. I found that to be a little off-putting on songs like the opening “Can’t Contain It,” (an otherwise joyful song) and “In the Secret Place.” On the flip side of all that is the journey into prog’ rock territory on the title track, and “My Eyes Have Seen the King” – to name but two. Sounding a little like Annie Haslam at times, Kay’s vocal delivery also reminded me of Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn). Theme wise, there’s no holding back in her praise for God and her Saviour. “Jesus, you are everything; even the air that I breathe” – just a few words from “Shekinah Glory.” I loved the Spanish guitar on “There’s No One Like You.” It’s a much lighter sound than most of the album, but a very good one at that! Closing the track listing is the intimate sound of just Kay’s vocals and a piano. Entitled, “Thank You For the Cross,” this is the singer’s personal praise. So, a very full, and interesting release. It contains lots of excellent elements, (vocally, super) but I did find the production to be a little messy here and there. On a couple of occasions, the backing music came over as “mushy” with too many instruments fighting for supremacy. That said, hats off to Kay, the musicians, and recording technicians, for putting together a very good debut. 8/10. (January 2020)
KAYLA BAILEY : Wasteland. (Kayla Bailey Music)
This is a very modern sounding release, with synth pads flashing left and right, pulsing below the lush arrangements. Lots of scripture is sung and read in the second track ‘No Man’s Land.’ I quite liked ‘You Are the Light’ though I was confused by the complete change of feel mid-way through the song. ‘Rise Up’ has an interesting start. There’s an element of tension in the music, with the vocals and the chorus. It made me think that the song was heading to something anthemic. It doesn’t fail! Kayla moves up the octave, and my only slight disappointment was that there was no guitar scream alongside – perhaps that’s the rocker in me. When you sing scripture, it builds you up and encourages you, and there is no shortage of this here. ‘Green Valleys’ is a change of tempo with a piano based first section and the acoustic guitar bringing a nice change under reflections of Psalm 23. ‘New Creation,; the final track, again becomes anthemic. Listening, you can visualize the worship of the congregation as their raised hands are waiving like the breeze of the wind blowing softly through a field of tall flowers. ‘Wasteland’ is a very pleasant, listenable release, I like the use of overlaid synths and occasional guitar peeping through. No conventional drums which is true to the music’s requirements. As the tracks started I wondered if I was going to like this but, it has grown on me. Perhaps the title track had me wondering if the diction in the higher register could have been better? A little lift in the mix would have rectified this for me. 8/10 Noel Donaldson. (August 2023)
KEES KRAAYENOORD : Speak the Words – The Best of… (Kingsway : KWCD3176)
Dutch Worship Leader, songwriter and speaker Kees Kraayenoord, has released 7 previous albums and is quoted as saying “When I was 17, I had a clear picture of what I wanted to do in life; singing, writing and speaking to help people worship.” Well, if this 16 track compilation is anything to go buy, he’s certainly on the right path. Smashing songs such as the opening ‘Jesus, More’ and ‘For the Letting Go’ are just two early highlights of this very enjoyable album. ‘Back to You’ is a terrific, guitar driven song, co written with Arend Jansen and Henk Pool, and worth an instant replay. Kees shares writing credits with Chris Eaton on the ballad ‘Hold On to You forever’, whilst you can simply soak in the beauty of ‘Living Water’. Kees certainly has his own contemporary style, but just once or twice I thought that his songs reminded me of Matt Redman. ‘For the Cross’ for instance was one. ‘Heaven’s King’ tells of our love for Jesus, while the self explanatory titled ‘God Will Send His Angels’ is just full of power. Take a chance, and find out more about Kees Kraayenoord with this fantastic release. 10/10 (June 2011, Album of the Month)
KEITH & KRYSTYN GETTY : Awaken the Dawn. (Kingsway : KMCD3075)
This cd is a "new collection of hymns and songs" from the aforementioned husband and wife duo. Keith is certainly no stranger to the modern hymn genre, having collaborated very successfully with Stuart Townend on probably the most inspirational hymn of modern time, "In Christ Alone". The songs on this cd very much follow in that mould being eminently singable, full of biblical truth and, more importantly, will work in any church regardless of the type of worship band or music group or instrumentation available. The style is contemporary and, as one would expect, has an Irish flavour to it. The album starts with the dreamy and ethereal "Hear, O Israel" before flowing into the more uptempo "Come, People of the Risen King". It is a great start with the latter song being an excellent example of Keith and Kristyn's style. The slightly American influenced "Creation Sings the Fathers Song" follows on before the album turns more intimate with "Still, My Soul, Be Still". It is a fine album, though the songs do not seem to be as instantly memorable as I would like - I've had several listens and I haven't found myself humming any of them yet. However, this album provides some solid and robust modern hymns and fulfils its promise admirably. 8/10 Robin Thompson (November 2009)
KEITH & KRISTYN GETTY : Joy – An Irish Christmas. (Kingsway : KWCD3291)
Keith & Kristyn Getty have enjoyed great success over the past few years with their Celtic/Irish tunes. This Christmas album sees them mix original compositions with well known carols. As you might expect, there are lots of fiddles playing on some of the tracks, and the opening ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman’ and ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ get quite a Celtic treatment. The latter includes the ‘Greengrass Reel’ and it’s hard not to tap your feet along to that one. The couple’s version of ‘What Child Is This?’ is a really joyful sound, while the ‘Magnificat’ is sung in a wistful style, with breathtaking harp and whistle sounds. Mid-album, things quieten down somewhat, and the album becomes more subdued. However, ‘Carol of the Bells’ is a pleasant song, and ‘Joy to the World’ repeats that great Celtic sound of earlier tracks. It’s definitely an a Christmas album with a difference, and that’s what makes it so appealing. 8/10 (December 2011)
KEITH & KRYSTEN GETTY : The New Hymn Makers – Speak O Lord. (Kingsway : KMCD3260)
Keith & Krysten Getty have become popular hymn makers of recent times. ‘In Christ Alone’, written with Stuart Townend, has been a staple diet of churches throughout the Uk and beyond. On this album, all the songs get the traditional church treatment with recordings made at Coventry Cathedral and All Saints, Strand, Manchester. You might think that these modern hymns might struggle in their conversion, but that’s simply not the case. The more traditional organ sound simply envelopes each song whilst the choirs sing their hearts out for the Lord. As well as ‘In Christ Alone’, ‘Oh To See the Dawn’ is a wonderful song. It contains some superb counterparts between the male and female choristers. ‘You’re the Word of God the Father’ is also very pleasing to the ear, and the same can be said of many others. Tracks include ‘Joy Has Dawned’, ‘Speak O Lord’, and ‘Jesus Is Lord’. In all, quite an engaging listen. 7/10. (February 2012)
KEITH & KRISTYN GETTY : Hymns for the Christian Life. (Gettymusic.com : 51392).
Moving to Nashville has brought Keith & Kristyn Getty a new education in creativity. They have also been thrilled to work with Charlie Peacock as their producer on this album of modern hymns for the church. The usual Celtic pipes and whistles introduce Kristyn’s vocals on ‘Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed’. What a glorious song this is for the Easter season, and a passionate chorus, declaring, the risen Christ. I laughed at the title of the second song, ‘Oh, How Good It Is’. It is good! In fact, it’s really enjoyable and you just want to join in. Moya Brennan takes lead vocals on the lament, ‘A Mother’s Prayer’, and Ricky Skaggs joins the duo for the catchy ‘Simple Living’. I’ve always enjoyed the sound of a traditional reel, and ‘The Village Reel’ is no exception. It’s joyful and musically, very pleasing to the ear. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the lyrical or vocal content of the rest of the songs but, mid-album, I wasn’t quite as impressed with ‘The Perfect Wisdom of Our God’ or ‘Kyrie Eleison’. Country star, Alison Krauss is the next star to join Keith & Kristyn. This time, it’s a wonderful version of ‘In Christ Alone’. There’s also an uptempo outing for ‘Nothing But The Blood’, complete with fiddles and pipes making it one that you just want to dance to. I’ve got to be honest and say that I prefer the more uptempo numbers but I’m sure others will disagree. This is a lovely album, and well worth your hard earned cash. 9/10. (April 2013)
KEITH & KRYSTEN GETTY : Facing A Task Unfinished. (Getty Music : B01EJQ0FIC)
Facing a Task Unfinished is the latest album from pre-eminent modern hymn writers, Keith and Kristyn Getty. The album, which champions congregational singing and mission, follows the radical example of the hymn “Facing a Task Unfinished,” rewritten from its original 1931 version, where its urgent call propelled individuals, families and churches to global witness earlier this year. This studio album features the Getty’s band, live congregational singing, and fresh global sounds as well as guest appearances by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Fernando Ortega, John Patitucci, Chris Tomlin and artists from around the world. If you’re familiar with the Getty’s music, then there’ll be no surprises to the Celtic style of this release. The formula of using traditional pipes and whistles with both acoustic and electronic instruments have served them well in the past, so why change? The title track opens with a bright musical burst, and Krysten’s unmistakable voice is pure delight. Pounding drums are the backbone of “May the People’s Praise You.” The whole song sound so joyful, it brought a great smile to my face, when listening. Ladysmith Black Mambazo feature heavily on “O Children Come”, but I wasn’t so impressed by this song. However, the feeling was quite the opposite, listening to the bouncy sound of “Lift High the Name of Jesus.” It has to be my favourite track, and I’d love to hear it sung in my church. Of course, there’s also a few quieter numbers, such as the powerful “The Lord is My Salvation” and the prayerful “He Will Hold Me Fast.” At nine and a half minutes long, the instrumental “Beyond These Shores” is a jumble of sounds. To me, it was no more than a band jamming session and I found it quite tiresome. It’s another solid album from the Getty’s and one that will help to keep them in the forefront of modern worship. 8/10. (August 2016)
KEITH & KRISTYN GETTY : Sing Psalms: Ancient & Modern (Live At The Getty Music Worship Conference)
I seem to be asked to review husband and wife singer-songwriter teams based in Nashville at the moment! Last month I had the pleasure of reporting on Jonathan and Britney Cashman's most recent release, and here we have the latest from Keith and Kristyn Getty. To be exact this particular pair are of course Irish in origin, evidently still spending half of their time back in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. They have become important modern hymn writers, Wikipedia describing them as 'connecting the world of traditional and classical composition with contemporary and globally-accessible melodies'. This release does nothing to dim their considerable reputation not only as writers (in my view theologically spot on!), but also performers. In a definitively pop rock style (the drummer deserves special mention) but given added variety by the use of Irish pipes and I think violin and viola, there really isn't a weak track amongst the sixteen on offer. I found the seven-and-a-half minute mostly instrumental 'Psalm 150/Total praise' a bit strange to begin with, but it tended to grow on me. The upbeat minor key Irish stomp of 'God be merciful to me (Psalm 51)' is a particularly enjoyable track, as is 'The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23)', with excellent sound dynamics and an effective climax. Whilst most tracks are delivered vocally by either Keith or Kristyn (a very talented singer in my view), the standout for me has to be 'The Lord is my salvation', an extremely effective 'praise anthem' with shared vocals. A most worthwhile release then, with overall good sound quality to top it off. 10/10 Dave Deeks (April 2019, Album of the Month)
KEITH & KRYSTEN GETTY: Sing! Global – Live at the Getty Music Worship Conference 2020. (Getty Music)
Northern Irish husband and wife duo Keith and Kristyn Getty are prolific modern hymn writers, possibly best known by many for “In Christ Alone”…a tune co-written with Stuart Townend and sung in churches across the globe on a weekly basis. Keith was the first church musician of the modern era to be honoured with an OBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and hymn writing, so there’s no shortage of high level credentials. “Sing! Global” is the latest live release from the Getty Music Conference recorded at the legendary Grand ‘Ole Opry House in Nashville and, due to the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic, was held online for the first time in 2020. As one might expect, this release is a recording of songs old and new from the conference with collaboration from other major Christian artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman and Matt Redman. With a collection of big names and accolades to match, expectations were high! The music kicks off with ‘Christ Our Hope in Life and Death’ which has a great intro with a distinctly Irish fiddle-led intro which wouldn’t have been lost on a Cranberries album. However, once this is over, the style dips into a more traditional hymnal style with the fiddle reappearing in the musical interludes between verses. For me, this transition in styles led to a mild sense of disappointment with such a promising start. The following rendition of Psalm 150 was a fairly laid back affair with the voices of the assembled crowd rising especially in the choruses, so I can imagine going down very well as a live number at a large conference. The vocals were very effective in adding some tangible atmosphere to what could otherwise have been a fairly bland number. The next track ‘Habla Dios’ (Speak O Lord) follows on, sung in Spanish and is introduced with an orchestral style string intro which then flows into a ballad type hymn which reminded me a little of Grace Amazing (Mark Harris, Gateway Worship). This is another track which doesn’t necessarily translate too well from a live conference track and will mean much less to those who don’t speak Spanish, and the musical arrangement is unlikely to inspire you to carry on listening anyhow. The pace then picks up considerably with the 4th track ‘Loving Kindness’ and I was relieved that this seemed to follow less of the expected hymn format and was more akin to a contemporary worship track, with a very interesting mix of a fast-paced ‘train beat’ style drum accompaniment interspersed with some Celtic fiddle playing which coloured the track extremely well. Loved this one and would definitely listen to it over again! The pace drops again in Psalm 121 back to a very slow ballad-paced with some finely delivered female vocals but I found that like a number of hymns, it can become a bit ‘ploddy’ and I started to lose interest. It was by this point I noticed that a pattern seemed to be emerging in the majority of tracks. The intros has clearly received a lot of attention with some catchy and atmospheric melodies/arrangements which serve well to peak the listener’s interest only to then drop back into perhaps a more typical hymn format which personally led to a sense of being a bit let down. There are a few exceptions to this formula such as ‘Yesu’ (track 7) with its very upbeat tribal-sounding African percussion and children’s choir which was an excellent combo. ‘Lift High the Name of Jesus’ was another which has an intro and musical interludes in the style of Riverdance - most uplifting and sure to get most feet tapping. If you love your hymns, you may well find this to be a good listen, but I’m afraid overall it’s not one for me. I’d liken it to some of the prolific popular hit compilations which have been on the go for many years. There’s no doubting the track records and musicianship of the contributors and there are a few good tracks which you’ll listen to over again. However despite promising starts, many didn’t float my boat and won’t be on repeat any time soon. 6/10 Simon Redfern. (April 2021)
KEITH GREEN : Gold. (Kingsway : EMID2616)
This month's conundrum is ... how do you begin to review a CD that opens with the track that opened your eyes to the fact that Christian music goes way beyond Hymns Ancient & Modern? This double CD collection pulls together Keith's albums "Songs for the Shepherd" and "No Compromise" and throws in a couple of bonus tracks for good measure, opening CD1 with the version of Psalm 23 that prompted that initial question. There are some great songs here, including the aforementioned " The Lord is my Shepherd", his beautiful rendition of wife, Melody's, great hymn "There is a Redeemer", and the slightly rockier opener to CD2 "Soften Your Heart", and Keith's amazing heart for worship shines through in every song. Musically, however, time hasn't been so kind, and the whole thing sounds rather lightweight compared to what we have come to expect from Christian releases. But that shouldn't detract too much from what is, at heart, an amazing collection of heartfelt, worshipful recordings from a musician that gave so much in so short a time. 7/10 David Cooper (June 2005)
KELITA : Everyone Has a Story. (www.kelita.com)
Canadian resident, Kelita writes, sings and speaks from her own life experiences, sharing her powerful and inspiring healing journey. Coming from a life of countless tragedies and family dysfunction, she shares the lessons of overcoming and victory with an endearing transparency and honesty that engages, encourages and inspires. This new release contains 12 songs written by Kelita, or with her husband, producer, Gord Lemon. The result is a stunning collection of wonderful music. Why I’ve not heard more of her music previously is beyond me. Her voice is up there with the best, and is so striking. The title track is all about saying “Sorry” to the people who need to hear those words. Listening to the lyrics of each song is key to getting the most from this record. Kelita’s songs tell stories that everyone can relate to. Style wise, most songs are light country. However, the bluesy “Something’s Got a Hold of Me” is a welcome change. “Farewell My Love” actually brought a tear to my eye. It’s such a pretty song, yet poignant, as Kelita sings to someone who is about to pass and come face to face with Jesus. “Reason to Sing” is a choppy number, while “More Than Words” celebrate being overflowing with God’s love inside. There’s strong vocal performances on “Trilogy” and “Embrace the Shift”, while “Unspoken Words” simply takes the album to another level. Musically, the orchestral backing lifts Kelita voice high and reminded me, very much, of Celine Dion. Finally, it’s just Kelita and a piano, on “Radiant” as she sings “Glorify the Lord with me. Let’s exalt His name together.” It’s a beautiful way to close a very beautiful album. 10/10. (March 2018, Album of the Month)
KELLI WILLIAMS : Kelli Williams. (Word : 701964760X).
In her home country of America, Kelli won three consecutive times
on Ed McMahon's Star Search 1993' and landed the crown of Teen
vocalist - which led to her recording contract. While she credits
the likes of Whitney Houston as an important influence, she certainly
does have her own style. In parts, that she is a very capable
and talented gospel singer. She has some sweet vocals that are best
used on tracks such as "You're Never Alone" and the
summery "I Wish", but wails intolerably on the big production
numbers like "Counting on You". "Thank you"
leads us into an Eternal style dance number, the style of which
is reprised on track 6 "Holy Spirit". Kelli Williams
can only improve with age and she looks likely to be around for
some time to come. 6/10 (September 1997)
KELLY GARNER : It’s Not Over. (Kelly Garner Enterprises)
Kelly Garner grew up singing gospel music from a young age, attending “Good Ole Gospel Sings” at her grandparents’ church in Alabama. With this God-given love for singing and songwriting, Kelly began her career as a gospel recording artist back in the early nineties. Since gaining a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in 2011, her most recent accomplishment was building a full-accredited commercial music program for Union University in Jackson, TN. Back to pursuing her first love, Kelly released this album during 2023, but it’s only just found its way to NFN HQ. Kicking things off is the swinging rendition called ‘Good Ole Gospel Sing.’ It’s a foot tappin’ number, complete with a gospel choir backing, while Kelly enthusiastically sings on lead. The singer, then, moves into worship, and a lovely version of Sinach’s ‘Waymaker.’ From the quieter opening, Kelly shows great dexterity with her voice as she tackles the full blown vocals. I love the simple message behind ‘It’s Not Over.’ Back to the gospel style, she sings; “When you think that all is lost; Let’s just go back to the cross; There’s still in hope in what He said; Cos’ He rose up from the dead; So just hold on, don’t give up; Cos’ it’s not over.” From the beautiful ballad ‘My God is Still Good’ to the serene ‘The Risen Lam,’ Kelly provides some excellent performances. And, this quality continues right through to the final track, where Joseph Habedank joins her the moving duet ‘Forgive Myself.’ Kelly Garner will be a new name to many but I, for one, have enjoyed “getting to know her” with this release. 7/10. (January 2024)
KELLY MINTER : Good Day. (Word: 080688607326)
The debut album from singer/songwriter Kelly Minter explores the
basic Christian themes of faith, hope and love through a solid
sonic foundation of rollicking guitars, insightful lyrics and
raw vocals. Imagine the rocky Jennifer Knapp being crossed with
the more restrained Sarah Masen and you'll get a good idea of
what Miss Minter produces. "Believer" is a self assured
song that proclaims her as a "Believer" and even though
the song is quite repetitive, it's one of those you find whizzing
through your head for days."On My Way Back Home" is
nice and bouncy, and "Speak to Me" is really good. Listening
to Jesus and hearing Him say "Return to Me" is just
what track 8 is all about and it's delivered in a really uplifting
style. Kelly sounds good enough to make a real difference in the
world of female CCM and the lovely "Whatever I Do" is
a great, worshipful ending to the album. 8/10. (June 2001)
KELONTAE GAVIN : Testify. (RCA Inspiration)
Following the success of his award-winning 2021 album The N.O.W. Experience, Kelontae’s new album Testify showcases his ever-evolving musical style in worship, contemporary gospel, soul and country-inspired sounds and more as an artist, songwriter, musician and producer. This is my introduction to Kelontae’s music, and things start well with the pop/gospel number called ‘His Record is Good.’ Singing with some great backing, Kelontae declares “Who is like our God? We can search all over and find no-one like Him!” ‘Rejoice’ is a more majestic song, and I really enjoyed both his and the backing singers’ vocals. Something that I wasn’t expecting was the inclusion of three spoken real-life testimonies including one from Kelontae’s mother, Priscilla Smalls – a touching story. “Testify is here to let people know that they are not alone,” that others are going through their own storms.” Indeed the title track is very personal, as Kelontae sings of what the Lord has done is his life. Kim Burrell takes the lead on ‘Good Love,’ while Kelontae shares the vocals on ‘Dirt Anthem’ with Amber Smith. This track did seem to drag on a bit, lasting just over 6 minutes. It was a hard listen. It’s a similar story with ‘My God.’ It starts peacefully, but deteriorates as the singer begins to “spontaneously” worship with a voice that yells and screams for much of the song. That seemed to be a turning point, for me, on the album. From there, Kelontae seems to change his vocal approach with songs like ‘Change’ and ‘Live Again.’ They just didn’t stand up well to the earlier songs, and I ended up feeling slightly disappointed. 6/10. (September 2023)
“Holy Ghost” by Minster Ken Anucha is borne out of a sincere craving for the continual help of the Holy Ghost as well as a craving for fellowship with him. The song begins prayerfully, with Ken calling to the ‘Holy Ghost.’ It’s a gentle beginning, and this continues as the singer moves into the first verse. Some angelic sounding backing vocals join in during the bridge, before Ken continues his prayer and praise. Mid-song, the music production picks up, with well-thought out drums and string sounds. Lyrically, the song loses a little in direction as he sings “Purge me with your fire” rather too many times. That said, the rest of the song works really well and is still worth a 7/10 from me. (February 2023)
KENDALL PAYNE : Jordan's Sister. (Capitol : 8517712 5)
The press back up tells us that Kendall Payne's music has some
of the jaggedness of Alanis Morisette but with a far more positive
message. To be honest, I wish I'd written that as it really goes
some way in summing up this album. As for the positive message,
you've really got to get deep into Kendall's way of thinking before
you even attempt to understand what she's trying to say in her
songs. Complicated lyrics? Well, they were, for me. The overall
sound is, undoubtedly, akin to Miss Morisette and prime example
is "Supermodel", a little ditty about, er…supermodels.
Sadly, Miss Payne is a couple of years out of date with her style
of music and, to be honest, it shows. "It's Not the Time"
is not a raunchy and lends itself to some good hooks but it's
all far too late. By far, the best songs come at the end and in
a different style to the rest of the album. "Never Leave"
is sung with such feeling and a cry for God to that it really
shows the mediocrity of the previous tracks. Finally, "Fatherless
at 14" looks at what a father, looking down from heaven,
might say to his grieving daughter - simply terrific. Unfortunately,
three good songs don't make up for the previous ten. 4/10. (June 2000)
KENDALL PAYNE : Grown. (Fierce! : FIERC13)
Already owning Kendall Payne's excellent 1999 CD 'Jordan's Sister', I was pleased to receive this follow-up for review, all of six years later. Kendall's story is one of a brilliant debut 100,000 selling album supported by highly acclaimed personal appearances, a Dove award in 2001 for 'Best Alternative Rock Album', then dropped by a changing record label management who inexplicably did not see her as part of their plans. Here Kendall is back on our CD players - and what an excellent album, more introspective and serious than the first but
with a strong character of its own. A bonus is the good sound quality. Those familiar with Sarah Masen will find similarities here, but there is something special about Kendall's voice, perhaps best heard on the opener "Scratch". It's easy to understand why this became a firm favourite with audiences when Kendall supported the Delirious tour on their 2001 D:Tension tour and it is possibly the stand-out track. It is followed by the excellent 'Rollercoaster' - more up-tempo but
similarly well arranged and delivered. The remainder of the album remains very good indeed, with best tracks probably "The Moon", "Stand" and "Twenty three". Worth a visit to
www.kendallpayne.com, where you can sample the first five tracks. But be warned - you'll probably be tempted to buy! 9/10 Dave Deeks (May 2005, Album of the Month)
KENNA TURNER WEST : A Reason for Hope. (Sonlite Records)
Following the critically acclaimed singles “Calling All Prodigals” and “I’m Not Who I Was,” this is Kenna’s debut for Sonlite Records. Both the opening ‘Our God is Good’ and ‘Doubt the Storm’ are firmly entrenched in the Southern Gospel Music style. Both are good songs! ‘Calling All Prodigals’ is for all those who are lost to come home. There’s some lovely string sounds that help the song to stir the hearts of those who are lost. I, particularly, liked the banjo that makes ‘We March On’ such a foot tapping number. Meanwhile, Kenna flexes her vocals a little further on the big ballad, ‘The Centre of It.’ The lyrics are pure and simple, stating that Jesus is the centre of everything in her life. Those vocals become soft and gentle on the pretty sounding ‘There is No Condemnation’ which is another fine track. The rather, vocally, messy duet ‘A Reason for Hope’ didn’t do anything for me. thankfully, this was just a blip in proceedings, as both the closing ‘This is My Story’ and ‘Pray On,’ are much better. A new name to many, here in the UK, but Kenna Turner West is well worth a listen. 8/10. (October 2021)
KERRIE ROBERTS : Time For the Show. (Reunion : 02341-0170-2)
Billed by many as “the next big thing”, Kerrie Roberts returns to the scene with her second album. At only 35 minutes long, the album is a little short on content, but packed into that time are ten chart orientated pop/dance tunes. Voice wise, Kerrie sounds like a mix between Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson. On the title track, it’s pure pop all the way, as she tells that it’s time for us all to show the world who Jesus really is. There’s a more dance beat to ‘Sing’, while ‘What Are You Afraid Of’ gets more of a bouncy beat. Slower songs like the mid-paced ‘Middle of It All’ shows Kerrie’s vocals off to their best, while ‘Masterpiece’ is my pick of the album. It’s aimed at people who don’t necessarily like the way they look – the ones who dream of looking like the top movie stars. The song tells them sensitively that each person is a masterpiece. It’s a pro Jesus album all the way through, and finishes with a belting ballad called ‘Like Jesus Loves’. Indeed, no-one loves like Jesus loves. Kerrie gets writing credits on all the songs, so it’s good to know that she’s not just another conveyer belt singer. Let’s hope that she continues to impress in the future. 8/10. (June 2013)
This new release from Kerrie is co-written with Aaron Rice, produced by Ben Noble and Roberts, mixed by Jeff Savage, and mastered by Rain on Me Productions and Save the City Records owner Derek Hoiem. The new single is said to display Robert’s soulful voice, laced with cascades of gentle pop synth and an easy to listen to rhythm. On first listen, there was so many of the lyrics that I couldn’t understand. Thankfully, the original digital version was quickly replaced and things did improved. However, the refrained verses are still a little compressed, vocally, but clear for the chorus. It’s a mid-paced pop song that sits well in the style of, say, Jaci Velasquez. I can see this one being picked up by radio stations easily. 7/10. (September 2022)
Dave Kerwood has been making music from a young age, but Kerwood (the band) was founded in 2016 as a project to sing songs of hope to the hopeless. The band released a 7-song EP, Lovelight, in 2017, touring heavily throughout Kansas and Missouri. "Get Back Up Again," the newest release in Kerwood's monthly "The NEW Project," is a challenge from father to daughter to push through against adversity, a message particularly poignant at this time in history. I liked the opening musical phrases to the song, but found the vocals to be a little quiet. However, the level improves quickly and Dave seems to be more confident in his delivery, as the song progresses. It’s a mid-tempo number that, in parts, reminded me of some Steely Dan sounds. “Just keep your eyes fixed on the things that you live for,” he sings, and prompts his daughter to “Get back up again,” from falls and trials. Of course, the message could apply to anyone of us and, sometimes, we all need a little encouragement. As for the song, it’s definitely worth 7/10. (June 2020)
KESWICK : Longing – Live Worship from the Keswick Convention. (Essential)
2019’s live worship compilation from the Keswick Convention includes music from leaders, Colin Webster, Olly Knight, and EMU Music. After years of reviewing this series of albums, I’m used to a certain quality in both song and production. Therefore, I was a little disappointed by the opening “Fountain of Goodness.” Guitar driven, the lead vocals are very low in the mix. This meant that I had great difficulty in hearing the words. My feelings didn’t change with the following “Eternal Father, Gracious King.” Sounding laboured throughout, it just didn’t do anything for me. Thankfully, things did improve after that. The female vocalist from Emu Music sings superbly on “Rejoice, The Lord is King.” Colin Webster’s “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” sounds like one of those beloved, old fashioned hymns, and I really enjoyed it. Seamlessly, it leads into a lovely version of “How Great Thou Art.” Keswick recordings usually include the voices of those gathered in the audience, and I was very pleased to hear them on “Creation Awaits.” After the initial disappointment of the first, two songs, the quality improves to its usual high standards. Closing the recording is a rousing version of “And Can It Be.” No music, just pure, beautiful voices, together in praise. Superb! 8/10. (January 2020)
KESWICK CONVENTON : Sent (Live Worship From…. : Essential)
Here’s the annual release of live worship from the beloved Keswick Convention. And, as usual, the quality of the production is first class. There’s none of these “over the top” presentations, just good, solid musicianship. Stuart Townend kicks things off with “How Good It Is To Sing,” and, judging by the sound of those gathered, everyone agreed with the title! There’s a nice version of “All Creatures of Our God & King” before EMU Music’s Liv Chapman beautifully leads the vocals on “I Cannot Tell.” As well as the well-known songs, there’s a smattering of new stuff too, like “When The Word of God.” Written by Phil Moon and Tim Chester, it fits really well with the rest of the track listing. On “Facing A Task Unfinished” I was so aware of the “togetherness” of both the band and the congregation. The sound was stunning to hear. I can’t write this review without highlighting the vocal prowess of Liv Chapman. She has such a lovely voice, and it is at its best as she sings Michael Morrow’s “This Life I Live.” Worship leader, Colin Webster, has his moments too, with the striking rendition of “See Jesus Stripped of Majesty.” But, it’s Chapman, again, who both co-writes and sings on the bouncy “Won My Heart.” It’s an excellent song and contains a bridge that serves as a reminder to us all; “No Power on earth can take us from your love.” As expected, a super release. 9/10. (April 2019)
KESWICK MINISTRIES : Power to Change. (Elevation : 2178D)
The powerful worship and bible teaching have been distinguishing marks of the Keswick Convention over many years. This CD shares many moments of praise and worship from 2016 featuring worship leaders Stuart Townend, Steve James, and Colin Webster. The classic John Newton hymn “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” gets a new treatment from Webster, and the result swings along quite nicely. Keswick stalwarts will, no doubt, have come to expect Celtic led songs from Townend, and “May the Peoples Praise you” will not disappoint. Similarly, that sound is repeated, complete with various pipes on “For the Cause,” and it’s quite enjoyable. I always appreciate live recordings were you can here the worshippers singing alongside the leader, and this is the case with this recording. Somehow, it draws you in to worship along with them. “Glorious Day” is a big number in terms of sound and instruments used. At various points, it sounds as if every instrument available has been thrown into the mix. A number of these songs were new to me, and I found “Living Waters” really lifted my spirits, especially with the trumpet solo. Townend returns with a dour sounding “We Believe” before there’s a rendition of “Amazing Grace” sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. Neither were very enthralling. Whether you were at Keswick for these recordings, or not, this album brings over a good selection of songs to enjoy. 7/10. (March 2017)
KESWICK PRAISE VOLUME 15 (ICC : ICCD48130)
There seems to be no shortage of 'live' praise and worship albums
being released these days, especially in the run up to Christmas.
Although they appear to sell well, I often wonder why, and my
cynical self says 'Well, that's why they release them!'. To me
live worship just doesn't transfer to CD, and so it puzzles me
that any record label should expect to sell beyond the people
who were there, unless there was something different, a definite
buzz (such as Hillsongs), or the songs are new. Here is a case
in point. If you were at Keswick this year, it was probably a
wonderful worship occasion, but unfortunately what comes across
is very mediocre. When the full band plays, the musicians are
good, but there are too many very moderate to slow songs/hymns
which make the album drag. Some, such as 'I Will Sing The Wondrous
Story' seem to be with only piano accompaniment, which is nice
for quiet contemplative worship, but comes over here as Mrs Brown
playing in the church hall - with a few more people than usual!
Okay, I might be missing the point, you say, and we certainly
can't forget to mention the wonderful worshipful words of this
collection, that there's a good mix of ancient and modern here,
and that the album ends with a great solo performance from Jayne
Lewis on 'We Bow Down'. More solo items could have benefited this
album, in my opinion. A final note - there's a misprint in the
credits which had me amused. Martin Smith's 'Shout To The North'
is credited to Curious? Music! A Freudian slip? Or have
Delirious? played Keswick yet?! 5/10 Julie Lord (December 2000)
KESWICK PRAISE 16 (ICCD55130)
I know very little about Keswick Praise apart from being aware
of it's existence. However, if this album is typical of praise
events held there previously, and I was visiting that part of
the country, I would make a determined effort to go along. This
is an album with a good mixture of traditional and new songs like,
"Be Thou My Vision", "Come Lord Jesus", "Tell
Out My soul" and "My Jesus, My Saviour". Other
songs I particularly liked were "Break Thou the Bread of
life", the rousing Kevin Prosch song "He Is the Lord",
"Light of the World" (Matt Redman), and "We Have
Sung Songs of Victory", a quiet, prayerful number. The vocals
and music are very good throughout and it's a nice CD to add to
your collection. 7/10. Pam Robinson. (April 2002)
KESWICK PRAISE 18. (ICC : ICCD76530)
Steve James, John Risbridger and Colin Webster are the three leaders
on Volume 18 of the Keswick Praise series. Whether it just hit
me at the right time I don't know, but this album of well known
contemporary songs and old fashioned hymns was just so refreshing.
Imagine a mighty church congregation singing to music played by
a very competent band. That, in essence, is what you have. But,
how alive that congregation sounds! "O For A Thousand Tongues"
is sung so brightly and "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
is superb. The version of "Lion of Judah" is certainly
the best I've heard since the original Robin Mark one, many moons
ago - it's filled with power and vigour. There's also a heartfelt
rendition of "Pierced" which is beautifully delivered,
and "What A Friend We Have in Jesus". One of the best
praise albums around. 9/10. (February 2004)
KESWICK PRAISE 19. (ICC : ICCD82130)
No shocks here I'm afraid. If you've collected any of the previous 18 Keswick praise albums, you've got the idea of what this ones all about. The worship leaders are Sam Chaplin, Steve James and John Risbridger, and I wonder if it's the same Steve James who released a cracking "Voices in the Desert" album some years ago? The musicians are as good as any you'll hear on this type of album, and the songs are all fairly good. "Crown Him with Many Crown", "Holy Holy holy", and "How Deep is The Father's Love" all have that singalong quality that raises your heart a beat or two. What follows, is more of the same, never straying far from well known songs. "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "Lost in Wonder" are just two more of themany songs that make this album a worthy addition to your Keswick collection. 7/10 (March 2005)
KESWICK PRAISE : Precious Moments. (ICC0918A)
Being a bit of a 'purely music' buff, when this DVD arrived it meant either sitting at the computer to watch it, or finally giving in and buying a DVD player! In the event, the latter found me suitably equipped with a cheapie (amazing for the price!) and the review session began. This is the first DVD in the 'Keswick Praise series', until now CD only. Here we have eleven hymns from the annual Keswick Convention - evidently the world's longest running Bible Convention, now in its 128th year - with beautiful scenes from the Cumbrian area, well chosen to match the mood of each hymn. A pity that there is no way of identifying the scenes - although it is possible, 'Songs of Praise' style, to select the captions for the words being sung. Such is the clarity of the voices however, that much of the time the captions are an unnecessary distraction unless you want to sing along. For me, the two stand-out tracks are 'The power of your love', and 'Be thou my vision' - which includes powerful drumming set against equally powerful sunrise/sunset shots. In the main, arrangements and performances are very good. Weak spots include a 'just the ladies' from the worship leader on 'Crown Him with many crowns' (unnecessary on a recording, and irritating on repeat listens) and voices lagging behind the piano at the beginning of 'Tell out my soul'. It is a pity that details like these should find their way onto a commercial product. Overall however, an uplifting DVD. Check out Keswick Praise CD titles on www.iccrecords.com. 7/10 Dave Deeks (January 2006)
Keswick Reflections – A soundtrack for Your Devotion. (Elevation : ELE1618D)
Here we have a twelve track CD of Keswick Convention favourites set to contemporary instrumental arrangements. These range from traditional examples including 'Be thou my vision' and 'Crown Him with many crowns', to more recent ones as typified by 'In Christ alone' and 'King of Kings, Majesty'. No 'band' as such is credited, but in the small print we see that Mark Edwards has played a major role in proceedings. As to be expected with Mark involved, the musicianship is excellent (including Lucy Payne's cello playing – beautiful) as are the arrangements and Dan Wheeler's overall production. So also is the sound quality, mastered by Phatfish's Luke Fellingham at his Luna Sound studio. It really is difficult to pick a 'standout' track, so I'm not going to try. The one slight criticism I have arrangements-wise is that some are allowed to build a bit more than appropriate for a 'devotional' context – one example being 'Blessing and honour (Ancient of Days)'. Whilst all very enjoyable, I tried the CD out as quiet background music for a 'Sanctuary' service I was leading at our church and found that it was necessary to miss out one or two tracks as they wouldn't suit the overall atmosphere. So, an excellent release – but perhaps a little too interesting/varied musically for its intended purpose as a 'soundtrack for devotion'! 9/10 Dave Deeks. (November 2011)
LIVE WORSHIP from the Keswick Convention : The Whole of Life for Christ. (Elevation : ELE2120D)
As it says on the sleeve notes, this year’s live worship “overflows with wonderful melodies and powerful biblical truths. With worship leaders Lewis Green, Steve James and Stuart Townend, thousands of voices sing out to a magnificent God and express their desire to live The Whole of Life For Christ.” And, really, after listening to the album, you can’t argue with that. There’s no surprises in the format, as music is provided by a competent band of musicians. If you’ve never been to a Keswick live worship event, then think of BBC TV’s Songs of Praise, when light, pop sounds are given to both traditional and modern worship alike. I can never resist a smile when Stuart Townend takes to the stage as I just know that I’m going to hear the Celtic sound of fiddles and whistles. And, on “This is Amazing Grace”, I’m not disappointed. “It is Well With My Soul” and “Take My Life and Let It Be” both sound marvellous, and those gathered help to lift the songs well above average. David and Yvonne Lyon give a first class performance on “All For You”, with the latter’s vocals sounding extremely good. The collective sound of the worshippers comes over well but, perhaps, it’s at its best on “There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood.”. Recordings like this are something of a throwback to simpler times and will still appeal to many. If that’s your taste n worship, this will suit you perfectly. 8/10. (April 2016)
KEVIN MAX : Stereotype Be. (Forefront Records).
So, as the first of the solo projects from the members of DC Talk
hits the streets, I wondered just what sort of sound Kevin Max
was going to produce. Thankfully, although there are DC traces,
the album is different enough from what he's well known for to
stand up on it's own. In fact, my initial listen had me thinking
back to those heady days when Steve Taylor delighted everyone
with his inane sense of humour and great delivery. "Return
of the Singer" is one such song that kicks off proceedings,
complete with middle eastern instruments defining their own way.
"World music, progressive rock and pop" say the sleeve
notes and that's quite true. It's a mix that works well on songs
like "Angel With No Wings" and "Alycen". Max's
vocal strengths are tested to the full on "Dead End Moon"
and this has quickly become my favourite track. "I Don't
Belong" is another strong number while "Be" left
me rather cold. "Her Game", "Deconstructing Venus"
and "I Went Over…" didn't set my soul alight either
but, as a DC Talk fan, I guess they may grow on me. 7/10. (October 2001)
KEVIN MAX : The Blood. (Fierce! : 829569803927)
To be honest, I've not found much to enjoy in Kevin Max's releases since the demise of DC Talk. He's not really settled to any one particular style and this new release sees him try something else. In his own words this collection contains "stylized adaptations" of gospel classics - not that I'd heard of many of them! He starts things off with one verse of 'The Old Rugged Cross', sung in the style of Iggy Pop. It drones on with a total lack of feeling and it's a real blessing when it stops. Then, we get DC Talk back together again for a version of Prince's 'The Cross'. To be fair, and as a DC fan, I wish they hadn't bothered. I think that it's Toby Mac taking the lead with Kevin Max in the background, but the result is pretty poor. 'Run For A long Time' is pedestrian gospel blues while 'I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole' is just painful to listen too. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but when Amy Grant and Vince Gill join him for 'Up Above My Head' I really shuddered. This is just awful. Even the foot tappin' beat can't rescue it. What possessed Kevin Max to record this album is beyond me, and I can't see many DC Talk fans enjoying it. Towards the end, he does pull things together when he duets with Erica Campbell on 'People Get Ready' but by then, the damage is done. 2/10. (July 2008)
THE KEVIN PROSCH BAND : "Kiss the Son". (Kingsway Music).
Kevin Prosch visits our country on such regularity that he's almost
been 'adopted' by the British worshipping churches. Here's a live
album that has nine tracks, with some of them lasting well over
nine minutes! Listening, I asked myself the question; "Would
this CD aid my own, personal worship?". Sadly, the answer
was a big "No". Kevin's gravel laden voice takes you
through some very repetitive and mundane numbers. However, the
epic "Lord of the Dance" is particularly good for half
of it's twelve minute duration, while the tasty "Holding
On" is far too exceptional for this poor show. "Revelation"
is the final track and I was really sunk by the time the whale
noises appeared! The live worship event may have been worth while,
but it fails to cross onto CD. Sorry. 4/10. (October 1996)
KEVIN PROSCH & BRYN HAWORTH : The Finer Things in Life. (Kingsway : KMCD2028).
This is a collection of songs that use the minimum of instrumental
backing, often letting just a couple of guitars stringing the
words along. I suppose it could be classed as Folk/Roots but it
would be difficult to confine the album to just one style. Prosch
leads off with a toe-tapping number called "I Need To Sing".
This is followed by an instrumental duet which, although repetitive,
is excellent. Not sure what Kevin was doing when writing the title
track but it includes such lyrics as "Like the smell of electricity,
you're not seen but you are there". Bryn Haworth excels on
various mandolins and slide guitar but I did start to get bored
with the simple sounds. Indeed, by the third listen, my score
had gone down two points. One of the few albums that I've disliked
the more I've listened. 6/10 before it falls further. (December 1997)
KEVIN QUINN : I’m Still Breathing. (Capitol CMG)
Kevin Quinn is a new name to me. But, across the pond, he’s well-known as an actor and musician, co-starring in a Disney Channel programme called ‘Bunk’d’ as well as appearances in shows such as Shameless and Chicago PD. Of ‘I’m Still Breathing’ he says; “This song is very special to me. If you know what it’s like to feel lost, like no one can hear you and no one cares… then this one’s for you.” An atmospheric intro, gives way to simple piano notes, as Kevin begins to sing. The song is a mid-tempo ballad that I immediately liked. In a world that keeps spinning slow and out of hope, Kevin sings; “Even when I lost your light; your love would always make it right; My heart’s still beating, I’m still breathing.” What more can I say, I really enjoyed this song! 9/10. (November 2021)
KEVIN QUINN: Real Me. (Capitol CMG)
Hollywood actor Kevin Quinn has in recent years also emerged as a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and here we have his latest music offering. Its seven tracks and twenty or so minutes make it a bit long for an EP whilst not quite long enough for an album. Aged 15 Kevin auditioned for American Idol, and then became an actor on the Disney Channel. Now 26, he found that being in the Netflix Christian musical 'A Week Away' impacted his faith and prodded him to pursue Christian music. An independent release in 2020 was followed by being signed by Capitol in 2021, with several more releases since. I am intrigued by the claim that this one “uniquely merges the genres of pop and inspirational”, as I would have thought ccm had been doing this merging quite successfully for a long time now! Kevin has come through a time of difficulty before this release, saying “I did the kind of growing that most people don’t do in a lifetime … I felt very inspired in my mental health journey and had to make music about it”. We kick off with the title track, a bouncy piece of contemporary pop (“ain't no-one else I'd rather be”). The pace drops for 'Learning to let go' (“breaking chains that held me down”) and slows further for acoustic guitar-led 'Blessed' (“I'm feeling blessed, life is too short to be stressed”). Pop ballad 'Rise above' is a prayer asking God's help in coping with life (“show me your grace is enough, I'll rise above”). This builds nicely to its close and is possibly my standout track. 'I'm not there yet' is a neatly written song describing the confusions of the life of faith (“I don't know where I'm going, but I know I'm not there yet”). 'Way up' looks back on a difficult time (“I've been down, now I'm way up”). 'Give You up' describes a determination never to lose faith (“You gave me a reason to keep on believing”) and closes this long EP/short album of well crafted and delivered modern ccm pop in the 'not-overtly Christian lyrics' idiom – though, it has to be said, not merging genres in any obviously unique way! The main downside for me is the over processed vocals, often with a nasty distorted 'edge'. There are some catchy melodies here however, and overall I have enjoyed this release. 8/10 Dave Deeks. (March 2024)
This is Gospel/Reggae artist Keziah Job’s latest single release. The inspiration of the song comes from Luke 6:45. She was in constant pain with personal health issues, and came through a double family bereavement. When she, finally, opened her mouth to sing, the lyrics began to flow. The music of the song goes a long at a steady rhythm, with plenty of brass sounds featured, prominently. Keziah’s voice is quite sweet, and she’s joined by some competent backing singers throughout. It’s a song of praise in which she sings phrases Such as “Lift my voice to the Lord; Raise my hands to the Lord; “Stomp my feet for the Lord.” Overall, “He’s Been Good to Me” is quite a pleasant song. 6/10. (August 2021)
“With us is God who has been fighting our battles all through the year and I have come to say thank you to the “CONQUEROR,” so says, gospel music minister KHEMIGEEE. She goes on to say; “So many battles he won for us this year, The ones you know and the ones you don’t. So, like Jacob at bethel I have returned to give gratitude to the “CONQUEROR” Himself.” The song is a slow burner that flickers briefly into life, once the gospel choir add their voices. It may be a trait this month, but this is the second time I’ve heard some very uncertain brass sounds. At times, the music appears to be playing a different tune to what Khemigeee is singing! Lyrically, there’s no problem here. Lyrics such as; “For all the victories you gave me, I call you conqueror,” are sung in praise. Occasionally, I found it difficult to hear some of the words. The longer the song went on, the more I questioned the backing music. It just didn’t seem to fit the melody sung by the artist. On this occasion, I didn’t find the release to excite me at all. 4/10. (March 2023)
KIDS COLLECTION. 20 More Songs for Kids. (ICC Records)
Hang on. What's this? A punk song on a children's album?! You had better believe
it. The song in question "Stop, Look and Listen", is written by Steve
Morgan-Gurr, and just about sums up the spirit of the whole album. Having fun is
definitely the key here, which you can gleam from glancing at some of the
contributors to this collection. Capt Alan Price pens several numbers, including
the first track "La La La La La Jesus is our King", which is one of the
strongest and one of my favourites, as it Dave Godfrey's "I Love Ya". I can't
really think of any bad thing to say about this album really as it is strong in
every respect; the songs are excellent, they are performed well, and the
production is very much of the quality you would expect from ICC. In fact, it
makes me wonder how the same people could produce the disappointment that was
"Kids Praise 2003". If you've got kids, buy this, if not, buy it anyway and have
a laugh! 9/10 Robin Thompson (November 2003)
KIDS WORSHIP : Ultimate Collection. (Integrity : B01GNT20X6)
Here’s 20 songs that have been especially chosen to help kids worship. With the exception of one track from both Cathy Burton and Dave Griffiths, there’s no credits given to the lead vocal, and this led me to remember those horrible Top of the Pops albums done by session singers in the 70’s. The only change here is the appearance of children’s voices, backing most of the adult performances. A lot of the songs remain faithful to the original recordings, but the tacky dance feel given to “History Maker” should never be heard again. “Gods’ Great Dance Floor” and “Happy Day” start the ball rolling, and are followed by a competent version of “My Lighthouse.” As well as singing, lots of children cheer enthusiastically on the “Happy Song” – I guess, because they ARE happy! “Freedom” has a gospel edge to it, with some off-putting hollering thrown in, whilst I found “Nothing is Impossible” to be rather repetitive in delivery. I’d not heard of the song “Dance, Dance” before, but I thought that it was quite infectious, and one that kids would really love. “I Am Free” is retro punk, with thrashing guitars, but my favourite track has to be “Soul On Fire.” Everything seems to click musically on this song, and the choir sounds spot on. For once, the kids sound as if they’re meant to be there and not just added into the sound for good measure. All in all, it’s quite a decent selection of songs, with just one or two exceptions. I’d aim the appropriate age range somewhere around 8-12 years, otherwise the listening kids might want to hear the original artists instead. 7/10. (October 2016)
KIERRA "KIKI" SHEARD : This is Me. (EMI : EGD32483)
When this album was released in the US, it rocketed to the top of the Billboard Gospel Album Charts, and entered at #3 in the Christian Album Charts. She is just 18 years old and is the daughter of Rev. J Drew Sheard, and Karen Clark-Sheard, a founding member of Gospel legends the Clark Sisters. The sound is unmistakably urban RnB with a little hip-hop thrown in the mixture. Her producers have worked with the likeso f Mary Mary and Destiny's Child, so there's little wonder I thought that a couple of the tracks sounded vey much like Beyonce Knowles. Not that I'm a great fan of this genre, but I did think that the opening three songs did stand up well to current chart material of a similar sound. But, for me, the album runs out of steam before it really gets going, and one song seemed to aimlessly blend into another. She says that she writes from her own experiences of life. That she may do, but the resulting songs, on the whole, are very limp. 4/10. (December 2006)
KIM BOYCE : As I Am. (Diadem/Word : 92193-1009-2)
It's almost 10 years since I bought Kim's debut album. A former
beauty queen, it was quite a novelty to hear this pretty young
thing sing about Jesus. Several albums later, Kim Boyce has matured
into a fine songstress without ever really hitting the same heights
as Amy Grant. From the opening "You" and it's good to
be alive feeling, she presents 10 songs from a self prospective.
At times, Kim is reminiscent of an early Madonna and the catchy
"I Fall in Love" confirms that ideal. She duets with
husband Gary Koreiba on "Amazing Love..." and sings
passionately for the Lord on "The Communion Song". Kim
gives consistantly good albums but there always does seem to be
a little something missing. 7/10. (May 1997)
KIM GENTRY MEYER : Herald. (NWN Records)
Award-winning songwriter and poet, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, model, and Mrs. Massachusetts 2020 (part of the prestigious Mrs. America organization), Kim Gentry Meyer, has released her debut solo album. In addition to winning the Mrs. Massachusetts 2020 title, Kim is an International Acoustic Music Award winner and a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition. She was recently named a 2023 Woody Guthrie Poet and was invited to read her newly published poem, “You’ll Find Me There” (which appears in song form on her new album) during the 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, which celebrates the life and work of the late legendary singer/songwriter. With quite a back story, I was intrigued to find out what Kim would share on this release. The first song is called ‘This Isn’t Heaven,’ and is a medium paced, contemporary pop song. It points to the value of planting one’s life in biblical truths, rather than merely climbing the ladder of worldly success or chasing after material possessions. That’s followed by the slower ‘Mind of Christ,’ which begins with an ethereal sound, soon joined by keyboards and sparse percussion. Vocally, Kim has an endearing quality, which certainly suits the songs. The previously mentioned ‘You’ll Find Me There’ is simply beautiful. Piano led, and with a few synth pads, Kim’s vocals caress each word she delivers what is said to be a song “suitable for a moment of corporate worship or perhaps even a communion service.” Indeed, this leads to a similar feel on ‘Remain in You.’ I loved this song and especially the closing lyrics; “What more is there? Than to breathe you in, and breathe you out.” Kim continues to sing well, as on the uptempo ‘Spirit of God’ and the lovely ‘We Surrender to Love.’ A minor moan (not just aimed at Kim) is the number of albums that only feature 7 or 8 songs these days. Although the quality is high, I just feel a little “short changed” by an album that lasts for only just over 25 minutes. Nevertheless, on this release, Kim Meyer Gentry shows enough to make her mark in the Christian market. 8/10. (October 2023, Record of the Month)
KIM HARLEY : I Choose You. (Kim Harley Music)
Kim Harley currently leads worship at her home church in Brooklyn. This song begins with the trill of a bright piano and a guitar solo. The tune, then, settles into a mid-tempo gospel number, where Kim joyfully sings the praises of the Lord. Mid-song, there’s an altar-type call for “people of God” to make a declaration that no matter what’s going on in today’s world, “We choose God.” That’s when the song loses direction, for me. The last 70 seconds of the song revolves around the backing singers chanting the title, while Kim cries the same words, but louder! Earlier, the song is bright with an interesting sound, and great vocals. Such a shame about that ending. 6/10. (March 2021)
KIM HILL : Surrounded byMercy. (Spirit-Led Records)
Kim Hill is one of those singers who's albums have, so far escaped
my attention. True, she's featured on many compilations but this
the first time I've had the pleasure of just hearing her. It's
a live worship album and features 12 songs. Kim gives everything
in her heart to songs like "Born to Worship" and "Famous
One", as they sound the glory of God to the fore. "Glory
Unto You" gets a bit out of hand and you lose the continuity
a little. However, Kim soon pulls things round with "Your
Mercy" and the worshipful "Love You More". A competent,
if not outstanding, release, and you can see why she's so popular
in her own country. 7/10. (December 2003)
KIM HILL : Broken Things. Authentic : 8204252)
Renowned for her leadership at women's conferences and events, it's more than 10 years since Kim Hill last recorded a rock album. But, she returns to her roots with this offering which is very reminiscent of Sheryl Crow, in style. "Here Inside of Me" is about an amazing God, living in you, and it's a strong opening track. "You Don't Belong Here" is a very interesting song. If I read it right, it asks if the likes of gay people and divorcees should really go to church. I'm sure there will be a few comments about that one. "Blame Somebody Else" asks you to take a look at yourself while "Clean" says that God can wash you clean, no matter what you've done. Kim gets writing credits on a few of the songs, but there's also contributions from the likes of Margaret Becker, Jill Phillips, and Kate Miner. Pity is, Kim makes them all sound very much alike. Her vocal range is never really tested, and it makes for a very tired feeling collection. 5/10. (June 2007)
KIM WALKER SMITH : Still Believe. (Elevatin : ELE 1817D)
This is the second solo album from Jesus culture’s Kim Walker Smith, recorded during a night of live worship at the Cascade Theater in Redding, CA. There are no credits or song lyrics on the one page cover, but I’m led to believe that most of the songs are originals. There are only 9 tracks in total, but some of them are quite lengthy, so running time is in excess of 60 minutes. ‘Alive’ starts things off, and this is a belter! At times, the backing music sounds a little like a well known Killers’ track, but it’s an absorbing song. With all the press releases highlighting the fact that it was recorded during a night of live worship, I was rather disappointed with the content overall. For sure, Kim has quite a strong voice but I found very few of the songs having any real pull for collective worship. Indeed, songs like ‘Waste It All’, and ‘Healing Oil’ sounded more like performance orientated numbers that anything else. ‘The King Is Here’ is rather repetitive, and both ‘Spirit Break Out/Spontaneous’ and the aforementioned ‘Healing Oil’ were just monotonous. The audience are obviously loving it all but I found them rather tedious to listen to. Despite all the hype, a rather flat collection of songs. 5/10. (May 2013)
KIM WALKER-SMITH : Just Be. (Integrity)
The song begins with a quiet piano and vocals. The verse is repeated, before a delicate refrain leads to a sumptuous chorus. “There’s nothing I want more; because nothing matters more. I’ll just be, here at your feet, just be, here on my knees. Here in your presence, I am complete. Jesus, you’re all that I need.” Superbly produced, sympathetic backing is added to Kim’s unfaltering vocals. It’s a beautiful song, and there’s nothing more I can say, except, have a listen. 10/10. (May 2019)
KIM WALKER-SMITH : Insatiable. (Jesus Culture Music)
At one time, when a new, powerful worship song came out, sung by a female, everyone said, “Oh, it must be Darlene Zschech.” And, while she is still a wonderful singer, Kim Walker-Smith has proved herself to be every bit as good, and blessed with a wonderful voice. (Mind you, I wasn’t always a fan). This new song sees her vocals carried along by a wave of sound, created by her musicians. “"Your love is an all-consuming fire; And all that you ask for is surrender. Insatiable. My heart and soul, you’ll never stop, until you have it all. Insatiable.” Yes, that is just what Jesus wants us to freely give Him, and to receive His love. Listen and surrender, 9/10. (October 2019)
KIM WALKER-SMITH : Wild Heart. (Jesus Culture Music)
Wild Heart was recorded live in one night at the Cascade Theater in Redding, California. In her fifth solo album, Kim Walker-Smith returns to the place she recorded Still Believe, Consumed (with Jesus Culture), and got married. Wild Heart explores themes of life, beginning again, and returning to our First Love. A couple of singles have already been released from the album, and one of those is “Stones.” It’s a song of praise and, immediately, Kim’s voice is full of feeling. “Come Through” is a bit of an epic, and needs staying power to keep with it. At just over ten minutes, I found it rather too long in length. The title track expresses the jubilant love of the Father, running to meet the prodigal child. It’s fairly predictable in the style of Jesus Culture, but still a worthy listen. In fact, as the album went along, I found myself almost forecasting how each song would pan out! “Simple Days” tells of Jesus being her first love, and that He will be with her ‘till the end of time. Lyrically, the song is fine, and Kim’s voice really soars through it. But, despite all this, too many songs sound alike. “You’ll Always Be” and “Only You” are prime examples. With over 80 minutes of music, listeners certainly get their monies worth. Kim has a terrific voice, but I’d like to hear more variation in her delivery. Fans will lap up this release. 7/10. (September 2020)
KINDLE : Screaming Serenades. (Alliance : 1902402)
Following their recent successful tour with Kato, I was interested
to hear just how this, relatively, new band would perform. Pre-album
material wasn't too impressive and, on first hearing, neither
was the finished product. But, I'm rarely one to review on just
one listen, so I persevered. And, I'm pleased to say, I'm glad
I did. Simon Parkin's vocals almost snarl the words at you and
I still don't like the opening "Every Little Thing You Do".
"Don't Fly Away" becomes more tuneful and this is the
track that I think deserves more airplay. Not sure what happens
during the album but, halfway through, it steps up a gear in class.
"Live For Heaven" finds this Radiohead sounding band
in more mellow mood, as does "Someone to Live For".
Then, the brilliant "Step on Up" becomes almost anthemic
in it's delivery. Predominently a guitar band, these guys have
had great backing from a whole host of people in making this a
solid, if not excellent, debut. 7/10. (July 2002)
KINGDMUSIC : Nobody Like You. (Kingdmusic)
Denga Takalani aka Kingdmusic, is a South African, multi award winning gospel artist. He is also a radio presenter, actor, and a worship leader at Hillsong Church in his native country. An instant groan came from yours truly, when I found out that this EP contains just 4 versions of the same song! The first version is the Radio Edit. Now, as a song in its own right, it has a smooth rhythm, and is quite appealing. Then, we get the Acoustic version. This time, Kingdmusic sings slightly slower to a, mainly, piano sound. For its third outing the song has an Afrobeat sound to it, and I quite liked this version. Apparently, ‘Nobody Like You’ was inspired by 1 Chronicles 17:20 which says, “There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.” Finally, the listener is treat to the Amapiano mix that I couldn’t wait to see the end of. I really don’t understand putting out one song with so many different versions? There’s a good song there, in its original form but, as for the rest, I’ll be leaving well alone in the future. 5/10. (April 2022)
KING OF KINGS ASSEMBLY : "Worship in Jerusalem". (Kingsway Music)
After some of the music I'd listened to this month, this came
as a welcome relief. Praise and worship that I could really use
myself, and enjoy. Don't expect any sort of Worldwide Message
Tribe stuff here, this is pure 'old fashioned' p&w of a powerful
kind. Sung by a congregation from Jerusalem, there's slow meditational
music, as well as up tempo numbers to clap along too. Yes, I know,
it's not the sort of thing I'd usually listen too, but I'm glad
I did. 7/10. (October 1996)
KINGDOM : Redeemer. (Dream Records)
This CD leaps from your speakers like a caged ferret sensing daylight – a massive opening riff, buzzsaw guitars, fabulous chorus, grinding bass, solid drumming: what’s not to like? And then it lifts into the intro of Track 2. Surely they can’t keep this up? Well, they pretty much can – whilst they dip things a bit in the middle of the CD they then go for the big finish: the anthemic “Always You” and radio-friendly version of “God Of Fire”. Lyrically it’s praise & worship (I get so fed up with asking myself “who’s this ‘you’ we’re singing to?” – not with this lot); musically it’s indie guitars meets modern metal. There’s the U2-isms, the Tim Hughes-a-likes, the Sum 41-and-a-bit and the Snow Patrol-ish bits (plus the Arctic Monkeys-styled intro to “What I’ve Found” and the Nightwish-y “God Of Fire”). It’s wonderful and every time you think it’s been great it just seems to get better (the lead guitar beneath the vocal on “All For Love”, for example). If I was to nit-pick (me?) then I’d say that it’s not massively original; that the vocals aren’t the best I’ve heard (mind you, I said that of Larry Norman when I first heard him). But they do it so well and I did love the interplay between the two lead vocals and the way they sat just above the band, singing on the wave of energy created there (e.g. “Made Alive”). Best track (not easy, this one): “Redeemer”. 9/10. Paul Ganney. (March 2014, Album of the Month)
KINGDOM : Acoustic Sessions. (Dream Records)
I really liked the last Kingdom CD I heard (Redeemer) but that was more full-on rock, so I wondered what I might be getting with this one. Some bands do the “Acoustic Sessions” type of thing well and re-arrange for the medium (think of Eric Clapton and “Layla”), but others – well, they just sound like they’d rather be doing the electric versions. This CD falls into the “suitably different” category. It’s not as laid-back as the term “Acoustic” may lead you to believe: there’s still a full drum and bass complement, for example (and they do sneak the electrics into the background on songs like “Flood Song”), but the arrangements are. It’s more country rock in feel, or up-tempo praise and worship (to be fair, they do describe themselves as a worship team). I’ve left the tag for this review as “Rock” although it’s certainly softer than their previous outing. I was a bit negative about the vocals last time out, but this album makes them shine better, as though they’re more suited to this format, the two leads sitting more comfortably against this backing. What of the songs themselves? Well, they’re mostly the ones you already know (if you’re a Kingdom fan) with songs such as “Victorious” sounding more like it escaped from a praise and worship album (albeit a very good one) than a performance rock one. This track just keeps on building and building – it’d go down a storm at Soul Survivor. And it’s just one of many (check out the build on “There Is A King” for another great example) where the choruses are so, well, singable. “Redeemer” has a lovely string part that works just as well in the original rock setting and this acoustic one. The ethos of the band is best summed up by this from band member Nate Parrish: “The world doesn't need more Christian bands or Christian products...it needs more Christ. It is our hope that through our music and through our lives Christ is glorified and people find their hope in Him.” Think of this CD as an acoustic greatest hits and you won’t be far wrong. It really is that good. If anything I preferred the tracks at the start of the CD (and preferred their rock incarnations overall), but you may well prefer the latter ones and these versions. There are no fillers here. Best track: “Flood Song” (although I almost picked “Redeemer” again). 8/10 Paul Ganney (November 2015)
KINGDOM FAITH : I Make All Things New. (ICC : ICCD60830)
Here's a collection of 17 songs (mostly new) that are aimed at
capturing the presence and holiness of God and those who focus
on His majesty and glory. It opens with three songs of exciting
praise before going into four quieter, worship numbers. Darlene
Zschech's "Overwhelmed" is quite outstanding - the female
vocalist excelling in her delivery. "Jesus, Awesome God"
is also very strong and powerful. From then on, things get a bit
samey although Martin Stanesby's "Jesus, Your Glory Fills
This Place" is pretty good. For the other tracks, I just
felt that the production left a little to be desired. Somehow,
many of the songs sounded too old fashioned in their end result.
Couldn't quite put my finger on it but, after several plays, I
was still waiting for something to happen. 4/10. (April 2002)
THE KINGDOM HEIRS : Something God Vol. 3. (Sonlite Records)
When a legendary group takes on legendary songs, the results are bound to be special—and indeed, the first two collections of favourites from the KINGDOM HEIRS were so well received that the quartet has returned to the well once more for Something Good, Volume 3. Well, if you’ve heard the first, two volumes, you will have a good idea just what this new release brings. The group exhibit some smashing harmonies on songs like the gentle paced ‘I Know What Lies Ahead’ and the big production number, ‘The Cross Has Won Again.’ The former also features a harmonica sound – an instrument that we rarely hear these days. ‘Moving Up to Gloryland’ is a faster number, and offers a complete change of pace to most of the other songs. The voices never fail throughout, and lovers of this olde world, southern gospel, sound will welcome this release with open arms. 7/10. (May 2023)
THE KINGS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA : String Heaven. Fierce : FIERCD36)
This orchestra has a career spanning 25 years, bringing improvised music to audiences. They say that this is the first time that they have used worship songs and promise "special moments". Like any music, I guess that you have to be tuned in to enjoy a specific style, and maybe this was why I didn't enjoy this collection. All the pieces seemed to be of one pace, and many sounded alike. My hopes had been raised by the opening 'Be Still for the Presence of the Lord' - a tune that had a calming effect after my busy day. Sadly, as I say, these hopes were short lived, and I found myself dozing off in between 'Jesus Christ, I Think Upon Your Sacrifice' and 'In Christ Alone'. The instrumentation is fine, and the orchestra are fine musicians but I just thought the whole concept felt, like me, a little tired. 'Amazing Grace', 'Here is love' and 'What a Friend I've Found' are three of the other songs on show on a rather disappointing release. 4/10. (Feburary 2008)
THE KINGS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA : String Heaven II - Lost in Love. Fierce : Fiercd48)
Recorded in July of 2008, the Kings Chamber Orchestra are directed by Gerrard Le Feuvre, who also plays the cello. The accompanying sleeve notes say that "prayer" is at the heart of the music and, with this in mind, the tempo of all the music is gentle. Indeed, gentle is one word that certainly describes the opening 'Lost in Wonder'. I believe that it's a viola playing the melody of 'Shout to the Lord', and I really enjoyed this track - bathing in the wonderment of, what is, God's love. The delicate harp sound on 'Knowing You' is enjoyable, but the same sound does get rather lost in the production on 'As the Deer'. The collection is never going to set the world alight with it's sound, but for the individual, I can see the benefit in aiding prayer. 6/10 (May 2009)
THE KINGS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA : Christmas Stringheaven. (Kingsway : KMCD3071)
Directed and produced by Gerald Le Feurve, this is a recording made by an orchestra that has performed over 300 Christmas concerts, spanning 25 years. The press release says that this is the sort of album that "reaches out across the boundaries and connects with a wide audience." Well, all I can say is, that it didn't connect me to the sound of chamber music. I also would question it's appeal to a "wide audience", as I feel that this sort of music is rather limited to lover's of it's genre. I listened intently to the sounds of 'O Come All Ye Faithful', and the shortened version of 'Ding Dong Merrily On High', but wasn't moved by either. The piece entitled 'Pastoral' was simply awful, and mournful in sound. Other hymns like 'In the Bleak Midwinter' and 'Away in a Manger' passed me by, while the version of 'Isn't He Beautiful' sounded similar to the Hovis Bread TV adverts (UK Reader's will understand what I mean!). So, no, I didn't enjoy this CD, and it failed to ignite the Christmas spirit. 2/10. (December 2009)
KINGS KALEIDESCOPE : Zeal. (Rainbow Records).
This is an alternative rock album, so while some tracks are fairly definable, describing some of the other tracks on it isn’t easy. Maybe “vocal over sounds” is the closest I’ll get. The sounds are mostly music, but not always. The opening “The Coma” gives a hint of what is coming – gently sung lyrics over a repetitive chord until a full orchestration kicks in, whereas “Jumping From Jaded Heights” seems to tread the reverse line. Overall comparisons may be with George Ezra, Labyrinth, Jamie T and Professor Green, but there was nothing so striking as to say “that one”. The album consists of 13 reasonably short tracks that combine all sorts of influences, from rap to cinematic to found to orchestral with probably a majority featuring break beats. Over it all rises a sung vocal: sometimes solo, sometimes heavily overlaid, always interesting and always making you ask where it’s going next. Lyrically this is pretty solidly faith-based, with songs such as “Naked Feet and Holy Fire” declaring a desire to always be praising God. An interesting album but one I found to be too varied overall. Best track: About To Break 6/10. Paul Ganney. (June 2019)
An 'alt rock' worship band based in Bendigo, Australia, Kingsdom have been releasing one track at a time since March 2017. Having reached track 4, here we have their 'EP'. The whole project is very well produced and performed. These are also well crafted songs both melodically and lyrically, featuring riffs that tend to stay with you for hours. With an overriding theme of Christian commitment, we kick off with the rousing 'Vultures', with distorted guitars and the repeating lines "It's time to let go of me, I need You more, I need You Lord". This is followed by the slower 'Voyage', - "I'll sail away into the course You've set before me" - and there is also an accompanying YouTube video for this track. At a similar tempo is the very effective 'Forged' - "Through fire and flame You forge me". The eight minute closer 'Oh Father' is a slow and reflective song of praise - "I'll sing a new song that glorifies Your name" - which manages to sound original despite featuring such a common theme, and builds to an effective climax before dropping away at the end. If pushed, I would select this track as my standout - but all four are excellent. If they can maintain this standard I am sure that Kingsdom have a great future ahead of them and I look foward to hearing how their musical ministry develops. My first 'full marks' for a long time, then! 10/10. Dave Deeks (December 2017, Album of the Month)
Following on from their excellent self-titled EP, Australia’s Kingsdom have released this new song, “Spirit.” No guessing for what the song is about! “Spirit lead me to Your heart, Spirit lead me to the waters, where I can drink of You, It's all about, it's all about You.” A pleasing crescendo of instruments introduces the song in a, sort of, Coldplay rhythm. From then on, the song becomes rockier, with lots of guitar riffs and a driving beat. The vocals are perfect for this song, and the guitar solo is excellent. Kingsdom’s EP gained a 10/10 rating from NFN, and I see no reason to follow suit with this single. 10/10. (December 2018)
Back in late 2017 I reviewed the 'Kingsdom EP', describing them as an 'alt rock' worship band. Apologies for that (!), as I now discover that Kingsdom is in fact the solo project of one Jarod Meadows. Hailing from Bendigo, Australia, he describes Kingsdom as "a Christian melodic rock project that explores the facets of God through reflective lyrics, maintaining a deep desire to examine human motives and experiences and release truth over the sons and daughters of the King". Here we have the latest Kingsdom release - a three tracker this time. Much more stripped back than the earlier offering (that earned a rare full marks from me), on first play it came as a bit of a surprise and I actually found myself getting bored and wanting to skip to the next track. Whilst things did improve with repeat playings and I have no problem with 'stripped back' where appropriate, in contrast to the previous release I cannot help but feel that the first two songs in particular sound more like demos than finished articles. 'Grow' brings us nearly 6 mins of almost no variation from single note/chord synth overlaid by slow piano chords and featuring lyrics that I had difficulty understanding e.g. "you're out of time, crossed that bloody line". 'Weathered Storm' is a beautiful personal psalm ("I will wait upon the Lord and His mercy") featuring finger picked acoustic guitar accompaniment with some synth and piano towards the end. Electric guitar picked chords and long synth notes begin the almost 7 minute closer 'Love has come down', continuing until almost halfway through when things transform into the Kingsdom of the 'Kingsdom EP' - too little, too late? Jarod is obviously a talented guy, but to this 'weathered' reviewer (see what I did there?!) it seems that this release would have benefited from more development. 7/10. Dave Deeks (February 2020)
THE KINGSMEN : Victory Shout. (Horizon Records)
For more than a half a century, no group has secured such a far reaching legacy like that of The Kingsmen Quartet. Since 1956, this group has risen from humble beginnings in the mountains of western North Carolina to one of the most beloved and innovative groups in Christian music. The current line-up consists of Alan Kendall, Chris Bryant, Ray Dean Reese, Brandon Reese, and Chris Jenkins. This latest release has already seen the title track hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s Southern Gospel chart, and I can see why. The production is excellent on all the tracks, but particularly stands out on “Victory Shout.” As you would expect from a group of this magnitude, the vocals and harmonies are superb. The bass vocal on “I’ve Ever Been Glad” is especially good. “Just Climb” is one of the big ballad numbers, which basically tells you not to give up climbing “your” mountain, with God at your side. The piano led “It Still Changes Me” tells of no matter how many times you read the passages of the Bible, you’ll always find something new to help live your life as the Lord intended. There’s no guessing what “Prodigal Son” is all about, but the foot tappin’ tune is very catchy. The album is a very good release in its genre, and I’m so glad that groups like The Kingsmen are finally being heard in the UK. 7/10. (August 2019)
THE KINGSMEN : Decades. (Horizon Records)
Southern Gospel greats, The Kingsmen, offer their latest release, titled Decades. This 2-disc retrospective is full of highlights from a storied career as well as some neglected treasures. It even includes some of the group’s very first recordings, unheard for over 60 years. Decades winds through the years, sampling the group’s rich catalogue of long-retired and still active songs. Now, I have to admit that I’ve only become aware of this group’s music over the last ten years, so this release is quite an eye opener for me. The opening ‘Til I Found God’ sounds rather dated, and the intro reminded me of The Muppets Show theme tune! ‘After the Sunrise’ is a foot tappin’ song of joy, while the slower ‘Family Bible’ features some smashing tenor vocals and slide guitar. ‘Walking the Sea’ is one of a number of live tracks featured, and the vocals on this sound rather strained. The opposite can be said of ‘I’m Saved’ that also includes some very impressive baritone lead vocal. There’s a total of thirty tracks on this release, and there’s a “bit of everything” for lovers of southern gospel music. If you want to soak in worship, then ‘God Saw a Cross’ is just perfect. A slow ballad, but with some terrific harmonies and a simple orchestral backing. If you want something more lively, then ‘Shaking Off the Clay’ will suit you down to the ground. It rushes along at a decent pace and there’s some great fiddle playing too. Some of the older songs didn’t really suit me, such as ‘This is a Mean World,’ but it’s bound to resonate with others. Whether you’re hearing The Kingsmen for the first time, or you’ve been a long-time fan, this is a very good collection. 8/10. (June 2023)
THE KINGSMEN QUARTET : Unstoppable God. (Horizon Records)
After a period of change, this new Kingsmen Quartet album features the current lineup of Alan Kendall, Drew Laney, Thomas Nalley and Cole Watson - and, on two memorable tracks, legendary bass singer Ray Dean Reese. There’s a lovely foot tappin’ start with the opening ‘Sound of the Righteous.’ As the chorus hits, the addition of a picked banjo joins in, to give a very pleasing sound. The title track is a majestic number, while the twee sounding ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ is a bit of a let-down. The touching ‘The Me I’ll Never Know’ is a slow number, which benefits from some sporadic organ sounds, as well as the usual lead and harmony vocals. Brass instruments are at the forefront of ‘It Ain’t Nothing for Him,’ but it’s the classy ‘Second Chances’ that gets the big orchestral production. Here’s a song that really stood out for me, with a solo guitar sympathetically thrown in for good measure, too! The new group members appear to have slotted into the line-up perfectly, with high quality vocals throughout. Even though I wasn’t keen on the old fashioned style of ‘Praying for the Prodigal,’ I could still appreciate the excellent vocals harmonies. It’s a release that stands up well against The Kingsmen Quartet’s previous releases, and well worth a 7/10. (March 2024)
KINGSPORCH : Songs for Simple Gathering. Vol.1. (BEC Recordings)
KingsPorch (no space between the words) is a worship collective based in Austin, Texas. Songs for the Simple Gatherings: Volume 1, the first in a series, is a collection of five deeply intimate, acoustic worship tracks that fit with the ethos of KingsPorch, that is an elder lead church that meets in smaller intimate groups in houses. The first song, “I Speak Jesus,” is led by a male vocal, which is joined by more voices, as the song builds. I got a feeling of similar recordings by the like of United Pursuit. In that respect, it’s nice to have some contemporary worship that isn’t lost in a crescendo of multiple instruments. “Saints & Angels” is one such song that benefits really well from this arrangement. “Worthy Are You” features some sympathetic violin, as the voices sing “Jesus we are here for you; Do what only you can do; We give you glory; Worthy are you.” At over six and a half minutes, the song is rather long, but it works well. Only 5 songs on show, but quite an impressive outing from KingsPorch. 7/10. (June 2021)
KINGSWAY WORSHIP LEADERS (KMCD2478)
Now, I usually don't review samplers due to the time and space
limitations of NFN, but this one slipped in by accident. For £1.99
you get 12 full tracks from worship leaders such as Kate Simmonds,
Geralidine Latty, and Noel Richards. Robin Mark's "Find Rest
All the Earth" is delivered in typical Mark style, and I
loved playing the track. Brian Houston's gritty display is a little
different to the norm' on "You Are Mystical", and Dave
Bilbrough is at his best with "Everybody Sing". The
only one I really didn't like was Robert Critchley's "Your
Love is Better Than Wine". How many more songs will use the
cliché about being drawn "like a moth to the flame"?
Well worth your money. 9/10. (July 2003)
KIRAN YOUNG WIMBERLY & THE MCGRATHS : Celtic Psalms. (Elevation : ELE2186)
Here’s an album that is a little different from the usual releases. It contains 12 authentic, traditional Irish and Scottish airs and melodies set to a selection of psalms. Recorded in Belfast, ancient words and traditional music combine to lead the listener into the presence of God. Acoustic instruments are used throughout and there’s some really nice violin playing on the opening “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.” Kiran’s voice is pure and bright, and is joined on numerous occasions by Ellen, Chloe, Kelly and Declan McGrath. The result, on the whole, is very pleasant. There’s some peaceful guitar playing on “I Lift My Eyes Up to the Hills,” and I found this track particularly charming. “You Have Turned My Sorrow” features harp and cello, as well as flute sounds. It’s a lovely rendition and one of my favourite tracks. “Make a noise to God”, sings Kiran on the acappella song “Sing to the Lord,” a haunting melody. A minor moan was that I found the songs to be of very similar tempo. However, “Hear My Cry O God” bucks that trend and is a delightful little ditty. For those who like quieter music for relaxation of meditational purposes, this album is delightful. 8/10. (January 2017)
KIRK FRANKLIN'S NU NATION : God's Property. (B-Rite Music: IND900093)
Promoted as a 'Top Hit' in the USA, I wondered just what to expect
from this black gospel team. What you do get is a mixture of traditional
and rap music, recorded in Dallas. Certain tracks, including 'Stomp'
sound very much like MC Hammer did in his day. Others, such as
'It's Rainin' and 'So Good' are just what you would expect from
a gospel choir - sweet backing and a front singer who can holler
with the best. 'Love' is a personal testimony, that works well,
but it's the straight forward choir filled songs that stand out.
'The Storm is Over' is, perhaps, the pick. It's an album that
begins well, dips into tedium during the middle, and then rises
again for a strong finish. I've heard better, but then, I've heard
a lot worse! 5/10. (January 1998)
KIRK FRANKLIN : The Fight of My Life. (Integrity : GC71677)
It's hard to believe that this album marks the 15th anniversary of Kirk's involvement in contemporary gospel music. This album contains over 70 minutes of music, as Kirk is joined by many friends to play, mainly, gospel music, with some RnB and pop styles thrown in for good measure. The song 'Declaration' is as hard hitting as any pro Jesus song that you will hear. Realising that your life is a mess and that our Lord is the only one who can save you, hits the nail right on the head. There's lots of smooth female harmonies on songs like 'Help Me Believe' and 'Hide Me', and Kirk shines through on 'How It Used To Be'. 'I Am God' produces a rockier edge to the sound, with distorted guitars and well used string pads. It's a corker of the track, and gets my vote for being a radio hit. Friends on the album include 11 year old Donovan Owens, who he duets with on 'A Whole Nation'. Also appearing is DA T.R.U.T.H, who gives his all on the rap orientated 'I Like Me'. With 16 tracks on show, I thought that the album seemed to run out of steam towards the end, but I'm sure that true Kirk fans will lap this up. 7/10. (April 2008)
KIRK FRANKLIN : Long Live Love. (Fo Yo Soul/RCA)
This release marks the 13-time Grammy Award winner’s 13th studio album. Whereas, some artists in this gospel genre shout and yell their lyrics, Franklin comes across as both a minister and encourager. His awesome choir often take centre stage, while Kirk, himself, adds the important words, just at the right time. “F.A.V.O.R” is a great track to kick things off, with that choir singing sweetly, to a beat that reminded me of MC Hammer and “You Can’t Touch This.” In similar style, “Love Theory” also rolls along at pace, with the main lyrics being “I don’t wanna love nobody but you,” [Jesus]. Again, the choirs vocals take control of the smooth sounding “Just for Me,” while there’s hardly a word from Kirk throughout. “Father Knows Best” is a reminder that our Father God will guide us, love us, and continue to work on us, as we walk with Him. My favourite track has to be “OK.” Kirk and the gang just hit the right spot with this one. The message? Even in the midst of trouble, our God is bigger than anything. And I [you] will be ok.” Another highlight is “forever/Beautiful Grace.” It begins as a sweet piano led ballad, but builds into a fusion of great vocal prowess and orchestration - a powerful song. When I struggle to understand certain gospel albums, I am thankful for releases like this one. Kirk’s style really appeals, and this album is one of his best. 9/10. (August 2019)
KIRSTY STARLING : Kirsty Starling (Word : 8862632)
Kirsty's life changed when she joined 6 other finalists on a live
TV talent showcase, wit the winner being picked by an audience
phone in. although Kirsty came second, Warner Bros legendary producer
David Foster had seen enough to offer her a recording contract.
Her songs reminded me of all sorts of singers, from the Whitney
Houston type balled "Broken" to the well written Faith
Hill sound of "All For You". "Water" is the
best song for me and it's given two outings on the track listing.
The first is obviously a radio edit mix, with edgy guitars, while
the second version features some more string effects for that
easier listening touch. "There Will Come a Day" gets
a little raunchier, and Kirsty's delivery isn't quite the same.
It's a sound debut all in all, and there's plenty to build on
for the future. 8/10. (October 2003)
KISS THE FISH : Kiss the Fish. (www.kissthefish.com)
The first thing you notice about this CD is the vocal: it's unusual, but not unpleasantly so. Didi (the owner of said voice) has a decent range, even getting into some Elvis-isms in "God Saved Us". The music is mostly mid-tempo, with some decent arrangements (including recorder, violin and contra bass) and has a semi-hypnotic effect to it. The only time it doesn't really work is on "I Don't Smoke" which aims for a Billy Bragg-style electric guitar & vocal but doesn't really suit the song. Clear standouts are the opener, "This Life" which builds and twists and gets into your head and "Artificial Stimulation" which rocks along very nicely. The lyrics are occasionally in straight P&W territory (not that that's a bad thing - sometimes you spend so long trying to work out what a song's about you miss the music). Overall the CD gets better as it goes along and when you consider that the opener's one of the better tracks this says it's well worth checking out. I'd love to tell you more about the band, but their website is still only a shell, so you'll have to go by the CD (or buy the CD), which is well worth a listen or two. 7/10 Paul Ganney (December 2009)
KISSES FROM HEAVEN - Streams Of Worship. (Kingsway : KMCD2557)
Three of the most well known, and talented US female singers get together on this album of well known praise and worship songs. But, before you think, "Oh, not another worship album", let me tell you that most of these songs have been given a makeover that really does bring more life to them than before. Tim Hughes' "Beautiful One" must have been sung in churches up and down the land, thousands of times over the last couple of years but Michelle Tumes' version has a great production that suits her voice to a tee. In fact, a great deal of thought has gone into a lot of these songs to make them shine. Christine Dente brings a good version of "Here I Am to Worship" and then produces her best moment on Matt Redman's "Once Again". Michelle, then returns to triumphant form with Godfrey Birtill's "Outrageous Grace, while Susan Ashton's highlight must be her powerful rendition of "In Christ Alone". No, it's certainly not just another worship album! 8/10. (April 2005)
KITE : Mighty Flood. (Little Misty Music : LMSTAD4D).
It's almost a year since I first heard this guy in concert, and
I believe that this album was practically finished then. So, a
year on, Kite's songs stand up well to my memories of that live
performance, and the crafted opener 'Precious Holy Spirit' kicks
things off nicely. The style that runs through is a laid back
soul feel, although at the forefront of one such song called 'My
God, Holy God'. The album's title comes from track 6 in which
Kite cries that Jesus came into his heart "like a mighty
flood". "How High" was the song I really wanted
to hear again, and I wasn't disappointed by it's immediate freshness.
Kite has a knack of finding the right sort of catchy chorus and
the formula is repeated on "Carry Me Home". His voice
does seem to be stretched once or twice but, as a whole, carries
quite a bit of texture. Not specifically a p&w album, but
I got quite a lot out of it. 8/10. (December 1997)
KLAUS : Glory - An Evening of Worship with... (Integrity : 44372)
Klaus was born in Germany and now lives in Canada. He writes or co-writes all the tracks on this album, which was recorded live at the Christ For the Nations Institute in Dallas. It's an exciting start, as Klaus whips up the audience with the enigmatic 'The Lord Reigns'. It's a similar formula for the second track, 'Give You Glory' and both songs are pure quality. 'You are The Joy' is a delicious love song to God, while the acoustic led delivery of 'No-one is Like You' reminded me of the vocal style of Neil Diamond. A nice surprise was the guitar sound on 'Stay Amazed'. I've got to say that it was really good to hear this instrument given it's own space to praise God. I'd not heard any of the tracks before, so it was a pleasure to hear them and join in the worship of those gathered. The title track builds into a mighty crecendo of sound, while the closing 'When I Speak Your Name' raises Jesus high. Guest vocalists Kari Jobe and Elizabeth Clark only add to what is, a very good album from a very talented and gifted songwriter. 9/10 (December 2008)
KORYN HAWTHORNE : Enough. (Provident/RCA Inspiration)
Billed as an up-tempo summer song “Enough” was written for the soundtrack for the movie Overcomer, and focuses on finding our identity in Christ. Koryn Hawthorne says this song comes from a place of asking ourselves: “Who am I when I take away my gifts, my abilities? Do I still know who I am? You’re still enough because of his love… Your identity is in the love of God.” This is gospel RnB at its best, in my opinion. Style wise, Koryn’s delivery is similar to Tasha Cobbs. The song has a great melody and the rhythms are superb. I’ve not come across Koryn’s music before, but I’ll look forward to hearing more in the future. 9/10. (July 2019)
KORYN HAWTHORNE : Look at God. (RCA Inspirational)
“Look At God,” is the third single to be lifted from Koryn’s forthcoming third album. It reminds the listener to take a moment to reflect on how God has continually blessed them. Combining a mix of RnB, gospel and pop, the song is a slow mover. “Every time I turn around; you keep blessing me,” sings the songstress, over some lovely guitar sounds. As the song reaches its crescendo, the singer is in full voice as she praises God for all he has done. A nice song, and very radio-friendly. 7/10. (October 2023)
THE KRAMERS : The Hope of All Tomorrows. (Stow Town Records)
This is my first chance to cast a listening ear over a Kramers’ release. I must admit to having a bit of a soft spot for southern gospel in recent years. Rarely, does the quality of the recordings dip into mediocrity, and this record is no different. From the opening “Greater God” the listener is treated to super vocals and plenty of good songs. The group is made up of Scott Kramer, his wife Rachel, their daughter Maria, and her husband, Ben Wolfe. Vocals are shared between them, while a whole host of musicians provide super backing. An early instance of this is Joel Key’s banjo playing on the foot tapping ditty “All the Way to the Gates.” Rachel and Maria sound very sweet on “It’s a Good Life” as they sing “It’s a good life living in love with Jesus, enjoying the journey to the promised land.” I wasn’t too keen on the rather twee “Be Christ.” It’s a full blown, orchestrated ballad, but just wasn’t to my taste on this occasion. Much better, was the closing “Great Beyond Measure.” Somehow, this was much more pleasing to the ear, and closes a short, but enjoyable, Stow town debut for The Kramers. 7/10. (October 2020)
THE KRAMERS : Sing Me There. (Stow Town Records)
This new project is indicative of The Kramers wide range of musical styles as it offers touching ballads, up-tempo songs with catchy melodies, powerful songs of worship and songs featuring awe-inspiring orchestrations. From the off, the vocals are just so rich in tone. The title track heads the listing, and I loved the way that the tempo changes mid-song. Some title tracks can be a disappointment, but this one definitely doesn’t fall into that category. Vocals are shared around and I particularly liked the male led ‘All Day, Every Day.’ “He’s an all day, every day, faithful God.” There’s also some banjo picking in the background, which is also nice. There’s a poignant touch to ‘What the soldiers Didn’t See,’ which looks at Jesus’ resurrection and his redeeming love. It’s a big production number, and very well done. Jesus’ life is told in the following song ‘You At 33.’ Again, it’s a song that is put together really well, with smashing vocals. The Kramers move into MOR pop with ‘If There Was One Thin,’ while ‘I Know There’s a Heaven’ is ‘run of the mill’ ballad. On the whoel, The Kramers deliver some great songs in their own inimitable style. 8/10. (September 2022)
KRIS BAINES : Selah Hymns 2. (ICC : ICCD73830)
Following on from his successful first collection, New Zealand based Kris Baines
plays more well known tunes on solo piano. Undoubtedly, a very talented pianist,
Kris manages to make this simple sound into a very pleasant experience, whether
for private or small group worship and meditation. Saying that, if you just want
to relax and unwind from the pressures of the day, hymns like "Great Is Thy
Faithfulness" and "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" will help you do just that. Other
tracks include "Be Thou My Vision", "I Cannot Tell" and How Great Thou Art".
6/10. (November 2003)
KRISSY NORDHOFF : Thank Him. (ICC : ICMKCD006)
I've not come across the songs of Krissy Nordhoff before so this was a pleasant surprise. Reminding me a lot of Canadian, Carolyn Arrends, Krissy bases her tracks around simple acoustic settings, with the minimum of backing. Not that it's just one girl and her guitar, it's just that the music is kept simple, thus you can concentrate more on listening to the lyrics. Indeed, the lyrics are a strong point of this album and never more so than on the sweet "Little Things". But, back to the beginning, and it's the title track that starts proceedings. It's a nice start, too, with Krissy's voice instantly getting your attention as one of quality. The song "Ninety-nine" sings about how glad Jesus is when "one lost sheep, is found", and this has a really strong chorus. Krissy wanders, occasionally, into a country feel and I felt this strongest on "Daisy Days" - it wouldn't be lost on any country radio station. All in all, it's a lovely album. 9/10. (April 2005, Album of the Month)
KRISTENE DIMARCO : Safe Place. (Elevation : ELE1772D)
Kristene is part of the Jesus Culture movement in America, and released her first album, four years ago, under the name Kristene Mueller. This release lies somewhere in the area of folk and light pop, and kicks off with the lullaby, title track. ‘A Long Time Ago’ tells of having a secure relationship with God. I didn’t care much for ‘Believer’ upon first listen, but subsequent hearing made me change my mind about the song. Kristene’s voice is very nice and it reminded me of a cross between Natalie Imbruglia and Sara Groves. On ‘A Lonely Carpenter’ she tells how Jesus went into the wilderness to pray, and asks if we take time to listen to God? ‘Deanna’s Song’ is quite catchy, while ‘Limitless’ is a prayer of praise to a limitless and boundless Father. So, there’s nothing wrong with the lyrical content of the songs, but their lasting appeal is questionable. Nothing really excited me but, there again, I didn’t dislike any of them. It’s a pleasant enough offering but I doubt that it will be appearing again in my Cd player too often. 6/10. (July 2012)
KRISTIAN STANFILL : Make It Out Alive . (Capitol CMG)
Looking a little into Kristians story, I find he went through difficult personal times in the past few years, and this recording comes as he was starting to recover and discovered a deeper meaning for his life. His website says “Somewhere along the way, I started writing songs. I wasn’t writing for a record. I wrote for survival. I wrote to heal. I needed to process the moment. At some point I started to think maybe these songs could help someone else find hope at a low point”. I got half way through the title track before pausing and finding out more about Kristian and the background for the recording, as I’d been been challenged within moments of the previous song ‘Show Me Who You Really Are.’ It didn’t feel as this was going to be yet another album by someone who just releases regularly to continue their career. The title of the CD reminded me of Pilgrims Progress and, if I can use After The Fire’s Pilgrim lyrics which paraphrases the book, “Through the "Valley of Humiliation" Was there I fought for my life with the one that I used to serve, Then the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" it hung over me. I never thought that I'd see the light of day again”. But, I digress! Back to the album. Musically, it’s very comfortable pop, I guess, with guitar and keyboard leading the way. There are good arrangements, and the songs have a very uplifting feel, as his message clings onto you mind and heads for your heart. The music builds gently and before you realise it starts to be anthemic. I like the simplicity of ‘We Need People.’ Maybe there’s too much reverb in places but as I look past that, again, his message is so true, we need people! It’s a beautiful song, and followed by another called ‘Grace.’ Here, we have nice musical pads over the acoustic sounds, plus well composed percussion enhance the message. I found it nice to hear Kristian’s version of Keith Green’s ‘My Eyes Are Dry.’ Simply done, with just guitar and vocals. It’s rather special and fits in well with the overall CD. Overall I enjoyed this album. There’s nothing loud, no guitar solos, just gentle songs which flow from his heart and experiences of a life growing closer to his maker. The final track ‘Change You’ plots his life, family, relationships. Looking back to look forward. 10/10 Noel Donaldson. (February 2023, Record of the Month)
KRISTINE DIMARCO : Mighty. (Jesus Cluture : B002287702)
I’ve never been a big fan of music emanating from the Jesus Culture stable but last month’s 10/10 for Brian Johnson is followed up by a simply stunning release from Kristine Dimarco. What a wonderful voice she has! Sometimes she’s delicate, like Leigh Nash, while at other times she powerful and exciting in a Darlene Zscech sort of way. The album begins with “Jesus, Your Love”. It almost has a Celtic feel to it, and is raised to thrilling heights when Kristine is joined by a choir. Even as early as the third track, I could sense that Kristine was making each song her own, passionately giving her all. On “I Will Follow You”, I simply love it when she sings the title words. It almost gave me a spine tingling chill, they are so precious. “Carry Me” and “Lily’s Song” are commanding songs but even they are surpassed by the authority in “Wonderful”. Here, the focus is on The Cross. “Oh the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful cross; Where all my weaknesses has a place to die.” Song after song just soaks you in God’s love and I love it. 10/10. (January 2016, Album of the Month)
KRISTENE DiMARCO : The Field. (Bethel Music)
This is Kristene’s fourth solo release, although she is probably best known for her work with Bethel Music. ‘What If Jesus’ made me stop the music halfway through it. Her gentle vocals over acoustic guitar with subtle backing, immediately hit a chord with me. She questions her own thoughts of whether her vision of Jesus was the correct one, when she passes judgement of other’s worshipful actions? Is she right, or has she missed a sight of our saviour which others have seen? It made me question myself. Is my sight of Jesus way off the mark, yet within the bounds of glory? If this sort of deep theology carries on throughout the album I may need this Easter weekend (as I write) to re-evaluate where I am! Back to the music… The introspective reflections continue in ‘Revolution.’ If I was picky, I would say that the vocals on ‘You Are My Country’ are slightly low in the mix, but it’s a faster, pop song in the running order. Then, we’re back to the slower (and better) songs with’ Don’t Pass Me By’. This song is a duet with Jason Upton. But, to me, his solo vocals don’t seem to fit the song. Personally, I think the song would have worked better if the pair had sang together. Now, ‘Idle Idols’ is different! The duet works well on another self-assessing song, which asks us to look at what is important and our motives for what we do. Musically, the album consist of stripped down mixes, guitar, bass, drums and piano/keys with occasional strings – all of which perfectly attach themselves to the songs. Style-wise, there’s a bit of blues and a bit of country. Chord structures are nice and progressive. Yet, where needed. it all drops back leaving Kristene’s vocals to softly ‘get inside’ your head, and taking you to the place she found herself in as she wrote the songs. The vocal style, if I have to look for one, is drifting towards Dido. You know, a slightly carefree style, nothing forced and yet drawing you in to see the beauty she sees. The title song, features just piano, cello and vocals. It’s just fantastic! In fact, all twelve songs are just so good! This is, possibly, the best album I have reviewed. I don’t think that you can listen to the lyrics and the songs, and not start to inwardly look at yourself and wonder if God sees me the same as I see me? 10/10. Noel Donaldson. (May 2022)
KRISTIAN STANFILL : Attention. (Survivor : SURCD5157)
An Atlanta native, Kristian began playing music at 13, leading worship for his home church throughout high school. After graduating college in 2002, he started leading worship at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. In 2005 he became actively involved in the Passion movement and has since progressed to become lead worshipper. This debut album sees him produce an eleven song CD, in a mainly rock style. Kristian, unashamedly, nails his colours to the mast for all to see, as he uses the names of Jesus and Lord in his songs, with the regularity that some artists steer well away from. 'Alive and Running' proclaims Jesus as Lord, while 'Lord of All' is pretty self explanatory. This is a young man with no fear of letting the world know of his saviour and the only downside to this album is that many of the songs sound very much alike. I must admit that the album didn't rate high on first hearing, but subsequent listens raised it's final score. 'Faithfull' and 'I Need You Jesus' are, perhaps the pick of the rest of the listing. 7/10 (September 2009)
KRISTYNA MYLES : Paint a Brighter Day. (Take Note Recordings : Takenote 002)
Discovered playing the streets of Manchester, MOBO award nominee, Kristyna Myles went on to win BBC Radio 5 Live’s Busker of the Year competition in 2005. A self-penned song ‘My Lord’ was featured on the album ‘Songbird 2008’ alongside artists such as Amy Winehouse and Eva Cassidy. Since then, Kristyna has worked with numerous international stars, and released her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Pinch Me Quick’. This follow up is very much in the modern gospel style and, after a short intro, moves into the song ‘I’m Getting into This’. It’s not a bad song, but it didn’t really set my pulses racing. However, ‘Heaven Knows’ did grab my attention. We all know that the road to Heaven isn’t easy. We try, we fall, but God dusts us down and picks us up again. Kristyna’s song is one of encouragement, and just what I needed at this time. ‘Drop Me A Line’ has a funky sound about it, while the album’s title track features some light, jazz guitar playing from Ben Williams. Indeed, it was this song that had me comparing her voice to that of Pixie Lott! There’s a little southern gospel feel about both ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ and ‘Heavy on My Soul’, with the former being ideal for tapping your feet to. Kristyna obviously has a terrific voice, and it’s at its best, perhaps, on the song ‘Garment of Shame’. It begins as a dainty, little ballad, but grows into something far more powerful. Her 2013 single, ‘The Paris Match’, was called “Stunning”, by no less than Paul Weller, and what a compliment that is. I can only add my admiration to this British talent, for an album that should pick up plenty of sales both here in the UK and across the Atlantic. 8/10. (June 2015)
KRYSTAL MEYERS : Dying For A Heart. (Essential : 083061081522)
Since the release of her self-titled debut album, 17 year old Krystal Meyers has received awards, performed before more than 400,000 people, fisnihsed school and now completed her second album. It's style is definitely rock and, in the mould of Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. She takes on issues that are faced daily by her peers and attacks them with great venom in songs like "Collide" and "The Beauty of Grace". "The Situation" is a hard hitting number revealing to the spiritually blind about God's love reaching out to them, while "Only You Make Me Happy" is a declaration of her own faith, and relationship with an almighty God. If you like your modern rock loud and proud, you'll love this album. For me, the one nagging question was "were the songs all too much alike"? Nevertheless....9/10. (January 2007)
KRYSTAL MEYERS : Make Some Noise. (Essential : ER10871)
Tennessee based Krystal Meyers has already topped album charts in Asia with this album, so I was expecting something special when I listened. She takes co-writing credits on all the songs but, in my opinion, she should try something different. Rarely have I come across an album where upon listening, I couldn't remember one single track by the end. 'Make Some Noise' is an 80's style pop track and I hoped that things would improve. Sadly, both the following 'Love It Away' and 'Shine' are instantly forgettable. 'S.O.S. is a medium paced rocker about being made whole but Krystal's voice lacks conviction and sounds over produced, By the time I had listened to the album for a third time I was convinced that this is one of the most unmemorable releases I've ever heard. 2/10 (March 2009)
KURT CARR : Bless Somebody Else. (RCA Inspiration)
Kurt returns with his first new music since 2013’s ‘Bless This House’. Carr is noted for weaving lush live instrumentation and jaw-dropping vocal arrangements into his music ministry. ‘Bless Somebody Else’ speaks to the current season in Carr’s life, and to a message that he feels compelled to share with the world. The title track, and the surrounding body of work, was inspired by the life of Carr’s long-time assistant, Dorothy King, who passed away suddenly. On many of the songs, Kurt lets everyone else take the lead vocals. He seems happy enough to join in every now and again, or lead them with encouraging cries. What is really annoying are some of the female vocalists, who wail like a banshee, making listening pleasure minimal. Like many of these gospel albums, the backing choir are first class, and add some sweet voices to proceedings. “I’ll Make Sure You’re Lifted Up” is the first song to suffer the banshee type vocals, but is soon followed by “Something Big, Something Marvellous.” The latter is quite a good, uptempo song, until the female vocalist reappears. The title track is a nice ballad, which seems to feature various singers. Roosevelt Griffin gives a creditable performance, leading on “Thanksgiving Prelude,” while the purple patch for the album follows. “Blessing After Blessing” and “I Owe You Praise” came over as music to my ears, with both the choir and vocalists in fine voice. When the artist sings like this, it makes me wonder Le’Andria Johnson has to literally scream on “Grace Brought Me Back/Love Lifted Me?” Being totally honest, if she’d sung like that in my church or at a concert that I was attending, I would have got up and walked out. Thankfully, the sweet vocals of Timiney Figueroa saves the day on “Say all is Well.” Proving that a loud volume doesn’t make you better singer, Timiney shines brightly. All in all, I can’t give this release more than 5/10. (October 2019)
KUTLESS : Hearts of the Innocent. (BEC Recordings : BED50969)
This is the Oregon based band's 4th album. The title track is a message of awareness, of which vocalist Jon Micah Sumrall says is "a wake up call to the generation of adults to take a closer look at the neglected youth across the world". The track itself is full of driving guitars and rhythms, and makes a great start to the album. The next track is the current single, "Shut Me Out", which claims that no-one should stop you from speaking about the truth of God. Anyone who has seen the accompanying video will know just how superb this song is. Kutless play modern rock but that shouldn't stop old rock school lovers from sampling the delights of this release. The slower "Smile" tells about faith, and just what a difference your smile can make to someone, while the power and love of "Promise of a Lifetime", made this track my favourite. The closing acoustic versions of some songs lack the same conviction of their full blown version, but this is a terrific album. 9/10. (September 2006)
KUTLESS : Live From Portland. (BEC Recordings : BED64848)
As with many live albums these days, this is a two disc set featuring both a cd and dvd of the concert in question. Interestingly, the track listing for both is the same although there has been some editing of some of the songs to fit them on the cd. I'm not sure I like that, but at least it means that songs aren't missed off. As a band, Kutless are a great outfit, a Casting Crowns with more attitude in a way, but with as much sincerity. Crunching guitar sounds abound here and the two guitarists work extremely well together, almost sounding as one instrument. For all that though it is the two worship songs that stand out, "Strong Tower" and "Better is One Day", neither of which are Kutless songs. That in a sense emphasises their main weakness - their own material just isn't quite as memorable or melodic. Their songs are good but lack that little something that makes them great. However, as a package they are a good band, strongly evidenced by the dvd which is engaging both visually and aurally. I suspect this is also one of those albums that gets better with each repeated play too and that is not a bad thing at all. 8/10 Robin Thompson. (May 2007)
KUTLESS : It Is Well. (Bec : BED67174)
This is the sixth studio album from the Portland rockers and similar to their 2005 release "Strong Tower", this is a worship album. Worship has been an important part of the bands music and live performances, not surprising since the band started out as a worship band under the name "Call Box" in 2000. These aren't Kutless worship songs on this album, but instead they are well known songs and hymns given the Kutless treatment. This album has one of the best intros I have encountered - it is hard to describe in words but it involves the title track and a church choir. It's magnificent and is probably my favourite moment. Other tracks of note are the Vineyard song "Hungry", this version being better than the original in my opinion, and "Redeemer" which is basically the song "There is a Redeemer". I have to say the Kutless do worship rather well and I cannot find faults with the songs presented on this album. If I do have one criticism it is that they are largely mid-paced numbers. I think they have missed an opportunity to pick some more vibrant numbers and give them the real heavy rock treatment. As it stands this is an excellent worship album but a disappointing heavy metal one. So really, this is tame Kutless if you like, but still good Kutless nonetheless! 9/10 Robin Thompson. (December 2009)
This is an EP featuring reimagined, re-recorded versions of three hit songs from the band’s self-titled debut album Kutless. Kutless is celebrating the album’s 20th anniversary with a musical expression of gratitude for 20 years of ministry. Kicking off with ‘You Touch’ I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the song sounded. There’s still the distinctive sound of the band, but comparing this version with the original, it does show how the band have grown over the years. ‘Run’ is a song that lyrically is Jesus asking us why do we sometimes run or hide from Him, He’s still there, and always will be, long to be with us. A mid-tempo song, it was definitely my favourite of the three on show. The final track (‘Tonight’) crashes into being but I found the production left the vocals practically inaudible at times. Overall though, a creditable 7/10. (September 2022)
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