Surrender

It's testament to the musical intensity, immense artistry, and rich global popularity of contemporary Christian rocker Jeff Deyo that he could make his third solo album a live date in front of 23,000 worshipers in New Zealand. And his band definitely rocks hard from the get go, whipping the crowd into a frenzy with a handful of crunchy, guitar-driven tracks upfront. As much fun as everyone's having, however, and as catchy as the hooks are, the instrumentation tends to drown out Deyo's passionate vocals and any audience participation you could be hearing. Finally, when he slows the pace on the thoughtful, swaying original "Be Lifted Up," he allows the heavens to rejoice and everyone to join in (as the guitars retreat). The best singalong, "More Love More Power," begins with the catchy "Oh I Love You, I Praise You" over only sparse instrumentation, which captures a truer spirit of call-and-response worship than the rockers allow. Other new cuts include "Jesus, I Surrender" and "Nothing Less Than All of Me," which are compelling in their passionate simplicity. The beautiful piano-driven "You Are Good" also allows room for the audience's voices to be lifted up.