Adoration

Album review

Listening to the funky opener, "He Reigns," on the Newsboys' first praise & worship offering is like opening one gift on Christmas Eve, or the prelude to a kiss. What follows is pure splendor and joy that assaults the senses with a bevy of strong emotions. On Adoration, the Newsboys have delivered a rousing opus that delights with each passing moment. Cuts like "Great Is Your Faithfulness" and "Adoration" come across as sincerely genuine spins with real-world lyrics and a passion that landscapes rich musical textures. When Peter Furler comes off as sincere, his vocals fly to the next level and take the band with him. On "Great Is the Faithfulness," Furler's vocal bursts at midsong are eerily Bono-like. On "Adoration," which was penned by Steve Taylor, the tune's dreamlike keyboards and sonic dissonance give way to a most memorable vocal hook. Sprinkled throughout Adoration are some truly tasty moments. Background vocals, Taylor's shiny production, and the musical interludes are a few reasons to be impressed. What's amazing is that this praise & worship disc doesn't boast "filler" material. It doesn't rely on the "old" classics to boost its legitimacy. Practically every tune is penned by Furler, with collaborators like Taylor, Martin Smith, and Toby McKeehan aiding in the disc's authority. This is a truly inspiring performance that asserts the bandmembers as apt students in the art of praise & worship.

© Steven Douglas Losey /TiVo