Rescue (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Billy Goodwin (vocals, guitar); Scotty Wilbanks (vocals, accordion, saxophone, keyboards); Michael O'Brien (vocals, piano, keyboards); Eddie Carswell (vocals); Richard "Cookie" Thomas (guitar); Jack Pumphrey (drums).

Additional personnel: Rico Thomas, Matt Adkins (guitar); Mark Clay (bass guitar); Jack Pumphrey (drums); Matt Goodwin (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Paul Mills.

Recording information: First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA (11/14/2004).

Photographer: Keith Rocke.

Arrangers: Paul Mills; Michael O'Brien; Scotty Wilbanks; Matt Butler.

Rescue reflects NewSong's skills not only as faith communicators, but as a professional-grade live band. It's the award-winning CCM group's first straight-on praise & worship project, recorded live in November 2004 at a church in Woodstock, GA. It's slick and reverent from the start, with a rousing version of Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name" to open. There's another Redman composition in "Wonderful Maker," and that song's gentle crescendo (with B-3 highlights) fades nicely into the cello and solo piano intro to the worship classic "How Great Though Art." Fans will recognize "Your Favorite Name Is Father" and the big group vocal closer, "Arise My Love," as NewSong's own, and the band turns in strong versions of contemporary worship stuff like the introspective title track and the wrangling, triumphant rock of "My Glorious." The crowd gets an assist on the latter during the big "One more time, y'all!" breakdowns. It's the nature of worship projects that message will trump music, but NewSong handles this pretty well. They're unfailingly sincere, and also incredibly honest -- vocalist and keyboardist Michael O'Brien introduces the title track with a reflection on suicide. But while their music doesn't really take chances, it's well-played and they have a knack for nailing that live music intangible. ~ Johnny Loftus minimize