Absolute Modern Worship 2

Sounds like … a compilation of new and already-released pop/rock praise songs from a variety of artists, including BarlowGirl, Shane & Shane, Building 429, Tree63, Sonicflood, and othersAt a glance … Absolute Modern Worship 2 hardly lives up to its name with a poorly sequenced conglomeration of songs that don't really represent the best of what modern worship has to offerTrack ListingDisc One: Building 429-"Famous One" By the Tree, with Inhabited-"Your Grace Is Enough" Shane & Shane-"He Is Exalted" Nicole C. Mullen-"Call on Jesus" Sonicflood-"Everyday" Big Daddy Weave-"For Who You Are" Salvador-"I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" Skillet-"Holy and Anointed One" Sara Groves-"The One Thing I Know" Anthony Evans-"Restore Me" Pocket Full of Rocks-"Falling" Kate Miner-"The Cross"Disc Two: BarlowGirl-"No One Like You" Tree63-"King" Superchic[k] -"I Belong to You" Mark Schultz-"Give Us Clean Hands" Jaci Velasquez-"Sanctuary" By the Tree-"God of Wonders" Rachael Lampa-"You Life Me Up" Fusebox-"Every Move I Make" Lincoln Brewster-"King of Majesty" Selah-"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" Planetshakers-"It's All About Jesus" Mikeschair-"Can't Know a Life" Mark Roach-"A Thousand Hallelujahs"

When a compilation is touted as "absolutely the best songs" with "absolutely the best artists," that's a tall order—especially when the novice can even make a killer mix in a matter of minutes with iTunes and a laptop. If you're looking for a collection of "absolutely modern worship," the homemade route may be the best way to go. With only one new song, a pleasing-enough duet with By the Tree and Inhabited, Absolute Modern Worship 2 doesn't seem like it's the result of much creative effort. If anything, it seems like the musical equivalent of the casserole your mom used to make with all the leftovers—it's digestable, but not your first choice.

With "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever," and "God of Wonders," not to mention Nicole C. Mullen's 2001 hit, "Call on Jesus," these praise songs aren't exactly modern. Nor are relative unknowns like Planetshakers, Mikeschair, and Mark Roach necessarily Christian music's best artists. If the goal is to represent what's hot in worship, why isn't there anything from the bevy of recent reinterpreted hymns projects from Bart Millard, Jars of Clay or Out of Eden? Or how about something from the Passion worship roster of Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, and David Crowder?

I'm sure there was some business reason or other for excluding those artists, but if listeners are to be properly served with what's being sung in churches, it's not going to be Rachael Lampa's "You Lift Me Up" or BarlowGirl's "No One Like You." While there's nothing inherently wrong with these songs, they just don't fit with what's being promised on Absolute Worship.