Never for Nothing - CCM Record Reviews archive Q
Queen Yoyo Michael is a gospel artist in the afro-beat style. This new single, which means ‘Lead ME,’ was written by her during an illness. She says; “I wrote this song when I was down with a strange illness that almost took my life, I was confused and didn’t know what to do but I thank God I’m healed now and happy to share this beautiful song with everyone.” The song begins with simple percussion backing the singer’s voice. Quiet keyboard pads join in, but the tune is really carried predominantly by the singer’s vocal delivery. She sings; “The road ahead is narrow; Jesus walk with me; Full of many arrows; Oh Lord Cover me; Like the day needs the sun; And the night needs the moon; I need You; Lord, I need you.” After a few listens, I found the tune buzzing around my head for the rest of the day. It’s a very gentle sound, and I like it. 7/10. (November 2023)
QUENCH : Quench. (Elevation : ELED00531)
Just when I was in need of something to lift my flagging spirits,
along came Quench. If I'm quite honest, it had been a week that
I'd rather forget than go through again. Know what I mean? Then,
"Alright" burst out of my CD players' speakers and deep
into my brain. The effect was dramatic and, suddenly, I was revitalised.
It's one of those songs that as soon as it stops, you replay it
again and again. Boy, is it good! For those of you who don't know,
Quench are made up most of the last Why? Line-up. In their final
days, Why? Were moving well away from that jigging festival music
that they'd become loved for, and by re-inventing themselves as
Quench, they've produced a tight sounding pop/rock band. This
4 track EP showcases just what they are capable of and as well
as the aforementioned "Alright", it also contains another
rip-roaring guitar driven song called "Heaven's Strength".
Yes, we all need it, and Quench have certainly got it! The slower
"Grace" took me a while to get used to but "This
Year's Love" is instantly loveable. If you're thirsty for
good UK pop/rock, prepare to be Quenched. 9/10. (November 2001)
QUENCH : "Afterglow". (Elevation : ELED00730)
Two years after their debut EP, Quench follow in the footsteps
of bands such as Kato, to release an album on ICC's Elevation
label. It's great to see home-grown British talent being given
the chance to shine in their own right, and that is just what
Quench do here. There's some 90's rock traits, crossed with today's
guitar chart sounds. It's an album full of energy and couldn't
start off any better than the sound of "Beautiful".
Jamie Hill's vocals have been polished well over the last couple
of years and the effort has been really worthwhile. Directed by
Adrian Thompson, I'm sure I can hear some Split Level ideas coming
out, and songs like "I Can Hear You" and "Gollum"
sem to confirm this. The former is the best track on the album
and is a gem in today's music scene. "Bring the Summer In"
has a rawness that gives it quite a bite but, on the other hand,
the negative vibe from "Underwhelmed" was quite toothless.
Twelve songs, and only one I didn't like. Be encouraged guys,
I wait to see you live!. 9/10. (August 2003)
QUENCH : Reality Radio.
This is a four track EP that has been released independently by the band in partnership with ICC/Elevation. You can get it as a download from iTunes. All of the songs on this disk are driven along by some fairly blistering rhythm guitar riffs, and I can promise you, you won't fall asleep while listening to this band. According to their bio they have been likened to Foo Fighters, Finch, Fallout Boy, Feeder, Funeral for a friend, and Fightstar. I particularly liked the second track "No More Pretending" which starts off fairly loud, and yet still seems to build up more and more until it reaches a final crescendo at the end. Probably "Chameleon" would be the most commercial track on this CD, arranged as it is with a slightly lighter feel than the other tracks, but all of the songs on here have really catchy tunes, and there are some nice solo guitar parts in there alongside the rhythm guitars. If you go to their Myspace page you can listen to three of the four tracks on this CD, plus a couple of other tracks that aren't on it. The lyrics seem to be well written, and are quite relevant to these days, and a capable vocalist adds to the sound without a doubt. Definitely worth a listen, (This went straight onto my Zen) and I reckon that if you get the chance this lot would be worth checking out live too. 9/10 Andy Sayner. (November 2008)
QUIET MOMENTS WITH GOD - Violin. (Kingsway : KMCD2527)
I know it is badly narrow-minded of me, but I put on this CD containing
instrumental versions of 15 well known modern worship songs without
any great enthusiasm. However, ultimately I was to be very pleasantly
surprised. The collection focuses very heavily on piano and violin
(which is no bad thing in my book), with some nice, subtle use
of drums and bass, and musically it nevers lifts itself above
"gentle", but it doesn't need to. The overall effect
is very intimate, meditative and worshipful - which I think was
the general idea! The selection of songs is interesting including,
as it does, some true modern classics, such as 'Light of the World',
'Be Still' and 'When the Music Fades'. The music flows neatly
from one song into the next and, for that reason, it is hard to
say that any of these tracks particularly stand out from the rest,
but I think that was also the general idea. The inclusion of lyrics
in the cover booklet is a nice touch too. Kick off the cares of
the world, close your eyes and be prepared to meet with God …
which is what worship music is all about, after all. 8/10 David
Cooper (April 2004)
Quiet Moments with God.....Cello. (Kingsway : KMCD2693)
This CD is one of a series, and features instrumental versions of fifteen contemporary praise and worship songs played on the cello with a piano accompaniment. Most CDs in the series feature solo lead instruments - violin, piano, flute, oboe, jazz guitar - and one a string quartet. The cello is an instrument rarely heard in the lead role, but it is effective here. The playing (David McCann, with Jonathan Rea on piano) is sympathetic and beautifully done, and the recording simple and pure with no special effects. Unlike many instrumental albums, the sleeve includes full lyrics. This was a particular advantage for me as I must be frequenting the wrong churches - only two of the songs were familiar! - including Dave Bilbrough's 'Abba Father' which, if pressed for a stand-out track, would probably be my choice. 'Jesus, all for Jesus' (Robin Mark & Jennifer Atkinson) was the other track I recognised but I am pretty sure that one or two notes weren't as written. One unfortunate feature of the recording purity is that on many tracks background sounds can be heard - most sound like sharp intakes of breath or shuffles, but there is also one clear 'creak', perhaps as the cello position was adjusted. These really should have been noticed during recording, and sorted before the final take. Overall however, a nice mellow addition to a CD collection - and turned down low as background music those extraneous noises probably won't be heard! 7/10. Dave Deeks. (July 2006)
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