http://www.xtrlive.com The latest music reviews from xtrlive.com en-us http://xtrlive.com/review.php The debut release from singer/songwriter Chris August under the Fervent record label, No Far Away is an honest collection. The majority of songs tell a part of his story from brokenness to restoration with a glossy pop/rock sound and clean R and amp;B influenced vocals. Within his musical endeavors the polished crooner doesn and #39;t claim to have all of the answers, but sings his with a simplistic authenticity and content that recounts life experience infused with his desire to serve God. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php When you spend your formative years, moving every couple of years to a new place, a new church, watching your Baptist preacher-father burning out of the ministry, seeds are planted in a boy and #39;s heart. For Chris McClarney those seeds and mdash;full of the potential for disillusionment and doubt and mdash;grew a garden of gracious gifts: the desire to serve others; eyes to see the deeper lessons in our hard-knock lives; a fundamental belief in the goodness and faithfulness of God; and the words to bring those realities together in song. Now, with the August 10 release of Defender, Chris McClarney delivers one of the most soulful modern worship collections in recent years and mdash;a triumphant proclamation that God and #39;s got his sleeves rolled up and he and #39;s working it all out for our good...even if we can and #39;t see it. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Between his time in Commissioned and solo superstardom anchored by the 40-plus-week chart topping single and quot;Never Would Have Made It, and quot; Marvin Sapp and #39;s more than proved his place atop the contemporary gospel scene. Though the lead single and quot;The Best in Me and quot; sounds like a lesser throwback to that aforementioned smash, there are still plenty of R and amp;B romps, booming ballads and even the funk throw-down and quot;Keep Holding On and quot; to keep fans on their feet. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php The praise team from central Florida and #39;s multi-cultural mega-church turns in a communal worship experience that simultaneously conveys the energy of a live Sunday service, while ushering individual listeners into a prayerful mindset. The variety of male and female vocalists ranging from rock to soul adds to audience appeal, though an attempt to cross Donna Summer and #39;s and quot;Bad Girls and quot; disco beats with the vertical message of and quot;Favor of Heaven and quot; is a cheesy misstep in the otherwise edifying experience. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php As devoted fans of Petra, Van Halen, Journey and Alice in Chains already know, it can be a seriously mixed bag when you switch up a well-known band and #39;s lead singer. Case in point: Sometimes a change of lineup works remarkably well, (see Petra and #39;s transition from Greg X Volz to John Schlitt) and other times, yeah, not so much (like when Steve Perry officially cut ties with Journey to pursue solo stardom) because the replacements simply couldn and #39;t compete with their more famous (and beloved) counterpart. Now, somewhere smack dab in the middle of the argument (a rarity, really) is the Newsboys and #39; recent transition from Peter Furler to dcTalk alum Michael Tait on Born Again, the group and #39;s 19th album (including numerous greatest hits compilations). Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Conjuring up the passionate deliveries of signature vocalists like Christy Nockels and Susan Ashton, Texas-based singer/songwriter Katie Warren expertly weaves through 12 songs that both question and confirm her sincere faith. Part worship, part pop, Warren frequently leads worship at Houston and #39;s mega-Second Baptist Church, proving her performance aptitude. And though she can belt with the best, Gentle Whispers is lyrically a bit dry. Even still, Warren and #39;s quiet prowess on softer tunes such as and quot;Lullaby and quot; warrants this new artist and her nicely knit debut encore recognition. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Pop/punk hasn and #39;t been the same since Hawk Nelson took the scene by storm in 2004 with witty lyrics, surging power chords and a refreshing vision. This triple disc set doesn and #39;t include any new material, but it bundles together the group and #39;s first three projects and mdash;Letters to the President, Smile It and #39;s the End of the World and Hawk Nelson ... Is My Friend and mdash;at a budget price. While this doesn and #39;t benefit fans who already own these albums, it and #39;s a brilliant buy for newcomers. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Carlos Whittaker is a multi-faceted man. Experienced as pastor, creative coach, web junkie and mdash;a self-proclaimed title that belies his national blog popularity and mdash;and one-time LA Ink celebrity, the seeker-minded entrepreneur now adds singer/songwriter to his diverse resume. Lyrically channeling his spiritual thoughtfulness into a modern musical mix, Whittaker and #39;s debut package is a worthy competitor for his worship contemporaries. And although it lacks the defining originality of its creator, Whittaker and #39;s history in church traditions and recent roles enriching congregations nationwide with his informal spiritual sense makes his musical beginning a valuable exploration. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php After a five-year hiatus, Christian ska and #39;s favorite sons are back together for some summer spot dates at major festivals. Though this isn and #39;t the reunion albums fans were hoping for, it and #39;s an ultra fun 13-track recollection of the group and #39;s horn-heavy catalogue thus far. While not as comprehensive as 2005 and #39;s Unite or 2008 and #39;s double disc Ultimate Collection (and certainly suggesting overkill in the compilations department), there and #39;s still plenty to smile about on these spiritually skanktified tunes that are said to mirror the upcoming tour and #39;s set list. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Most church worship bands are a little shy of the musicians it takes to pull off Hillsong and #39;s massive sound. With well over 10 performers, an occasional choir, a keyboardist (with five keyboards), and skilled singers like Darlene Zschech and Brooke Fraser, their music certainly fills the eardrums. But it and #39;s clear the group recognizes the need for learn-ability with these tunes. The chant in and quot;Forever Reign and quot; and the whole-hearted song and quot;The One Who Saves and quot; are easy to pick up, sure to be on every worship leader and #39;s wish list. Not every song shines, but there are some golden moments, and a very sweet rearrangement of the Rich Mullins song and quot;Sometimes by Step. and quot; Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php