Adoration: The Worship Album (CD - 2003)

Newsboys: Phil Joel (vocals, guitar, bass); Peter Furler (vocals, guitar, drums); Jody Davis (vocals, guitar); Jeff Frankenstein (keyboards, programming); Duncan Phillips (drums, percussion).

Recorded at Bridge Street Studios, Franklin, Tennessee; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.

ADORATION was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

This Limited edition comes with a 2003 New Music Sampler.

Newsboys: Phil Joel (vocals, guitar, bass); Peter Furler (vocals, guitar, drums); Jody Davis (vocals, guitar); Jeff Frankenstein (keyboards, programming); Duncan Phillips (drums, percussion).

Recorded at Bridge Street Studios, Franklin, Tennessee; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Peter Furler (vocals, guitar, drums); Phil Joel (vocals, guitar); Jody Davis (guitar); Jeff Frankenstein (keyboards, programming); Duncan Phillips (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: David Thoener.

Recording information: Bridge Street Studios, Franklin, TN; Emerald Studios, Nashville, TN; Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Matt Barnes.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Wendy Morgan; Duane Starling; Anthony Davis ; Brandon Alexander; Gale Mayes-West; Nathan Young ; Angela Primm; Ann McCrary; Suzanne Young; Chris Willis; Yvonne Hodges.

Listening to the funky opener, "He Reigns," on the Newsboys' first praise & worship offering is like opening one gift on Christmas Eve, or the prelude to a kiss. What follows is pure splendor and joy that assaults the senses with a bevy of strong emotions. On Adoration, the Newsboys have delivered a rousing opus that delights with each passing moment. Cuts like "Great Is Your Faithfulness" and "Adoration" come across as sincerely genuine spins with real-world lyrics and a passion that landscapes rich musical textures. When Peter Furler comes off as sincere, his vocals fly to the next level and take the band with him. On "Great Is the Faithfulness," Furler's vocal bursts at midsong are eerily Bono-like. On "Adoration," which was penned by Steve Taylor, the tune's dreamlike keyboards and sonic dissonance give way to a most memorable vocal hook. Sprinkled throughout Adoration are some truly tasty moments. Background vocals, Taylor's shiny production, and the musical interludes are a few reasons to be impressed. What's amazing is that this praise & worship disc doesn't boast "filler" material. It doesn't rely on the "old" classics to boost its legitimacy. Practically every tune is penned by Furler, with collaborators like Taylor, Martin Smith, and Toby McKeehan aiding in the disc's authority. This is a truly inspiring performance that asserts the bandmembers as apt students in the art of praise & worship. ~ Steven Douglas Losey

One of the few Christian rock bands with a hipness quotient to rival any secular group, Newsboys developed a trademark sound that's a thoroughly modern mix of passionately wailing U2-like vocals, electronic-tinged Britpop-style production and power-pop-approved shout-along choruses. On ADORATION: THE WORSHIP album, the band further explores it's '80s influences, injecting a healthy dose of New Romantic drama and a funk/R&B-tinged swagger that recalls THE SWING-era INXS. As usual, there are enough hooks here to properly equip a meat locker, and leader Peter Furler's vocals have never sounded more impassioned or soulful. Though they are one of the most overtly religious mainstream CCM rock bands, Newsboys (unlike many of their jangle-pop oriented contemporaries) never forget that in rock & roll the beat is king, an attitude that keeps their music easily palatable for the faithful and non-believers alike.

One of the few Christian rock bands with a hipness quotient to rival any secular group, Newsboys developed a trademark sound that's a thoroughly modern mix of passionately wailing U2-like vocals, electronic-tinged Britpop-style production and power-pop-approved shout-along choruses. On ADORATION: THE WORSHIP album, the band further explores it's '80s influences, injecting a healthy dose of New Romantic drama and a funk/R&B-tinged swagger that recalls THE SWING-era INXS. As usual, there are enough hooks here to properly equip a meat locker, and leader Peter Furler's vocals have never sounded more impassioned or soulful. Though they are one of the most overtly religious mainstream CCM rock bands, Newsboys (unlike many of their jangle-pop oriented contemporaries) never forget that in rock & roll the beat is king, an attitude that keeps their music easily palatable for the faithful and non-believers alike. minimize