The second album by CCM singer/songwriter
Reuben Morgan is mainstream pop/rock that's catchy enough, but rather overproduced.
Morgan has a solid, country-tinged voice and a strong presence, but he's too often drowned out by the extremely busy arrangements, featuring strings, overdubbed guitars, and a too-precise rhythm section that's usually mixed far too prominently. Those who can listen past the glossy sheen of the production to the songs themselves will find more to appreciate:
Morgan writes simple, straightforward songs with lyrics that express his religious beliefs forthrightly (there's none of the bet-hedging common to some CCM artists looking for wider airplay), but with personal humility, honesty, and humor instead of the po-faced grimness that non-believers might incorrectly assume. Anthemic rockers like "My Redeemer Lives" manage to overcome the overproduced sound, and even to harness it in a manner reminiscent of '80s
U2, but the ballads at the heart of this album aren't done any favors by the stentorian blare of the arrangements.