World Through Your Eyes

Sounds like … the softer side of Delirious and Paul Colman, plus the worshipful slant of By the Tree, newsboys, and HillsongAt a glance … powerful melodies, yes, but World Through Your Eyes is too routine to assert itself as an above-average worship candidate. Track ListingMy Redeemer LivesHear Our PraisesAll the HeavensI Give You My HeartWaterfallAll I AmStandThe FearWorld Through Your EyesGloriaWaiting Here

Perhaps his name doesn't automatically ring a bell, but avid worship music aficionados are certainly familiar with the songs of Reuben Morgan. After Darlene Zschech, Morgan is the second most visible member of the Hillsong worship team in Australia, having appeared on countless live recordings and written a number of well-loved songs such as "I Give You My Heart," "My Redeemer Lives," and "Hear Our Praises."

With a track record this impressive and his ever-growing catalog of worship songs, it only made sense that Morgan would eventually strike out on his own, which he did in 2004 with the release of his debut, World Through Your Eyes, in his home country. Story has it Rocketown Records was so moved by the worship leader's ministry and impact in the land down under, that they decided to bring his songs to the States. The result is the U.S. edition of the debut, which is surprisingly—or unsurprisingly, depending on your perspective—quite different from the original, and more predictable as a result.

Unlike its predecessor, this brave new World is intentionally frontloaded with all of Morgan's greatest hits, including the three aforementioned songs, plus "All the Heavens," from Hillsong's Blessed. All are nice, effective worship choruses—not to mention perfect singles for today's Christian radio (which isn't necessarily saying much for originality)—but are they really needed? Probably not, but at least their inclusion cements Morgan as a master melody-maker. Nearly all the songs are incredibly catchy, despite the singer's unremarkable tenor, the rudimentary pop/rock motifs, and the predictable production of the album. In this regard, World Through Your Eyes isn't too different from recent material by Tim Hughes or By the Tree, other than the Aussie enunciation that's decidedly more like Paul Colman or the newsboys' Peter Furler.