Cameron Conant
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An Angel of Mercy
Nancy Alcorn, founder of Mercy Ministries, leads a one-woman crusade to help abused, addicted and pregnant girls find hope.
Nancy Alcorn slips into the back of the room and takes a seat. She’s in a large common room at Mercy Ministries, one of several Christian homes for troubled girls, the first of which Alcorn, a charismatic, started nearly 30 years ago. On a pristine, unseasonably warm November morning in Tennessee, five girls are preparing to graduate from Mercy’s Nashville home. These girls have lived here for an average of five months due to a myriad of addictions and problems, from eating disorders and substance abuse to depression.
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The Long Fall Back to Earth
By Jars of Clay | Essential Records
Jars of Clay follows up its critically acclaimed 2006 album Good Monsters and its excellent 2007 effort, Christmas Songs, with The Long Fall Back to Earth. The Grammy- and Dove Award-winning band said the title of the album is not an admission these songs won't measure up to its recent portfolio, but rather refers to the interpersonal issues the new recording addresses. -
More Than I See
A worship leader at North Point Community Church outside Atlanta, Seth Condrey's second album is an interesting collection of praise and worship tunes and modern rock-infused pop ballads. Condrey, who attended college in South America and won a Gospel Music Association Dove Award for his 2007 Spanish-language album De corazon a corazon, is pretty impressive singing in his native tongue, too.
By Seth Condrey | Koch Records / Kosmos Records -
The Power of One
By Israel Houghton, Integrity Music. Kudos to Israel Houghton for not staying in his comfort zone and giving listeners another standard, albeit solid, praise and worship album with those funky guitars that he and his band mates play so well. On his latest album, The Power of One, Houghton finds inspiration from pop stars past …
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Take Everything
By Seventh Day Slumber, BEC Recordings. Seventh Day Slumber play alternative rock with melodic vocals, orchestral sounds and big guitars, but much of the guitar work is scaled back on Take Everything, a collection of praise and worship standards. In its place, the band offers sincerity and restrained arrangements. Well-known songs such as “Famous One,” …
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Small Sacrifice
By Twila Paris, Koch Records. Music veteran Twila Paris is back with an album that until recently was only available at LifeWay Christian Stores. Paris, whose career has spanned three decades and produced dozens of hit singles, offers a solid collection of gentle pop that’s in keeping with her past work. Though far from edgy …
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Light in the Darkness
By Freddy Rodriguez, Integrity Music. This live album from Freddy Rodriguez was recorded at the Champions Center in Las Vegas where he is worship leader, and it begs the question, “Can really predictable worship music still be really good?” If this doesn’t sound like an Israel Houghton album, nothing does. But Rodriguez–who has a wonderful …
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Your Name
By various artists, Integrity Music Your Name features songs by praise and worship artists, including Phil Wickham, Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster and Leeland Mooring. With the exception of the title track, each of these pop-rock tunes explores a different name for God, from “Healer” and “Almighty” to “Lord” and “Savior.” “Life,” a strong progressive rock …
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