Everything Glorious (CD - 2006)

PASSION: EVERYTHING GLORIOUS documents the music of Passion 2006, an arena-capacity Christian worship concert. With song titles like "Awesome is the Lord on High," "Jesus Paid It All," and "Our God Reigns," the music's faith-based messages aren't hard to miss, and the powerfully dynamic performances of the Passion Worship band are lively and engaging throughout. A suitable souvenir for those who attended the festival, or for those who wish they had, PASSION is a hefty blast of contemporary Christian music.

The Louie Giglio-led Passion conferences continued their annual album release streak with 2006's Everything Glorious, the Christian collegiate movement's ninth recording since 1998's Live Worship from the 268 Generation. By the time it was released, the gatherings had already launched into superstardom the careers of Chris Tomlin and the David Crowder Band, so it's only fitting that, at least from a producer's standpoint, they're the two acts with the lion's share of the spotlight, each end-capping the set with three songs apiece. While Giglio has said students who come to the meetings do not do so because of the celebrity aspect, Tomlin's Tom Petty affectations in the all-too-silly "Party" turn Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment "Center" into a ho-hum rock & roll show -- a career low point for the popular artist-worshiper. Other than that, the participants are good at keeping to the vision of Passion, churning out familiar, serviceable worship anthems like only they can deliver. From reflective ballads (Charlie Hall's "Center") and alt-rock fervor ("You Are My Joy") to stadium-sized rockers ("Awesome Is the Lord Most High") and amped-up classic hymns ("Jesus Paid It All"), the whole of Everything Glorious is exactly what conference-goers have come to expect from Passion over the years -- no more, no less. An abridged cover of Delirious?' "Our God Reigns" shows up at the end, but its striking verses -- which include arresting facts about genocide and the HIV pandemic -- get left out, perhaps out of concern that some might think the concert is ending on a glum note. More left-of-center moves like that could only help the case of these yearly discs -- which are fine as far as modern worship fare is concerned, but tend towards conventionality more and more with each passing release. ~ Andree Farias minimize