Sounds like … familiar modern worship styles resembling projects by Vineyard, Hillsong, and PassionAt a glance … while parts of this CD are terribly clichéd, there are enough strong tracks to warrant the attention of modern worship enthusiastsTrack Listing- Everyone
- Rooftops
- The Whole Earth
- Satisfy
- Amazed
- Give Myself Away
- From You
- Beauty of the Lord
- Willingly
- Treasure
- I'll Be OK
- This Is My Life
- For Your Name
- I Am Free
Desperation, a young adult worship movement stemmed from Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado Springs, is back just six months after their first album with From the Rooftops, featuring worship leaders Jared Anderson, Jon Egan, and Glenn Packiam. This worship team is similar to and better than United, but not quite as effective as Passion—it actually combines a little of both with elements of Paul Baloche and Darrell Evans, as well as various worship projects from Hillsong and Vineyard.
Some of the songs are generic, failing to distinguish themselves from similar worship projects—especially "Give Myself Away" and "This Is My Life." Both are clichéd modern worship rock, and the lead vocal is terribly nasal and whiny. "For Your Name" and "Willingly" are both textbook examples on how to write bland, formulaic modern worship.
Thankfully, From the Rooftops also includes some of the better worship songs I've heard this past year. Some of it is more energetic, such as the Relient K-styled power pop of "Rooftops," and the raucous "The Whole Earth," which has a lively call-and-response quality that's as fun as Matt Redman's "Undignified" or "Sing Like the Saved." Like many worship songs today, "I Am Free" relies heavily on U2-styled drive, but it too has a strong interactive quality.
Better still are several effective ballads that are instantly singable. "Beauty of the Lord" is slow, powerful…and probably a bit too similar to Chris Tomlin's "Enough." But there's also "Satisfy," "From You," "Treasure," and the album highlight "Amazed," which features some stunning vocals by Anderson. From the Rooftops won't be a worship classic, but there's enough to please worship leaders and worship fans alike.
