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Another week, another new worship CD from Hillsong.  Hillsong United is the modern worship branch of the stable, becoming the best selling "modern worship" band in Australia.  Look to You follows the same blueprint  as their previous releases:  verse/chorus/verse/repeated chorus songs that are easy to learn, vary in the depth of spirituality, border on "vain repetition" at times, and demonstrate a modicum of talent.

The title track fares better than most of the songs here, while cover of Rich Mullins' "Awesome God" receives a fair treatment.  "Deeper" is the song that connected most with me, possibly because of the feel that the rest of the disc could have been just that ­ deeper.  Fans of worship concerts will absolutely love this album ­ others will find it hit and miss.

Brian A. Smith  5/21/2005

"All For Love" bears the signature for which listeners will certainly recognize Hillsong in the past, whether from United or their senior colleague Darlene Zschech. "All For Love" is a worship song with music and lyrics flowing together as a prayer to God:

Everything I need is You
My beginning and forever
Everything I need is You

Let me sing all for love.
I will join the angel song.
Ever Holy is the Lord, King of Glory, King of All.

For the most part, the tunes on this album remind me of navy beans--they all look the same. The only exceptions are a cover of the late Rich Mullins' "Awesome God," and the fourth track, "All I Need Is You," which is a very good song which does show us something different.

"All I Need Is You" has a bit of a rasp to it, but in a prayerful petition to God, with beautiful backup vocals. Sonically, this song is distinct from the rest of the tracks on the CD, and that is a good thing. The lyrics are--well, how can you criticize lyrics that are worshipping God? It is a shame, however, that the songwriters and artists did not learn from their contemporaries who are writing some splendid worship songs today with cutting edge lyrics. People do need to hear songs that lead us in adoration of God, but they also need to have missives that point to the struggles we all experience from time to time.

It is kind of odd that an Australian production fell victim to what Nashville is so often accused of these days--formula writing.

By Joe Montague, exclusive rights reserved

This material may not be redistributed without prior written permission from Joe Montague.

Joe Montague is a  freelance Christian journalist / photographer who has been published in a variety of community, daily and Christian newspapers coast to coast in Canada and the United States.  Joe Montague's ministry of journalism is dedicated to the memory of his late son Kent David Montague who went to heaven far too early at the age of 18.