No Other Name (Live)

No Other Name represents a deliberate return to the Hillsong Church’s core mission of reaching out across cultural barriers with a unifying message of faith. Recorded live in February and March 2014, the album features new songs written and/or performed by such veteran worship leaders as Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding, Matt Crocker, Joey Houston, Autumn Hardmann, and Annie Garrett. No Other Name's keynote is set by the opening track, “This I Believe”: a simple yet powerful spiritual statement based on the Apostle’s Creed. The mood of deep reverence is sustained throughout the set, whether the focus shifts to uplifting pop/rock (“Heaven and Earth”), simmering Celtic-tinged folk (“Depths”), or exalted praise balladry (the title track). Of special note are “Broken Vessels” (a reframing of “Amazing Grace” in a contemporary setting) and “Calvary” (a melodically rich track based on a 1934 hymn by Mrs. Walter G. Taylor). “Mountain” shows off the Hillsong band’s prowess as an ensemble as it unfolds with a stately beauty worthy of its lyrical grandeur. Overall, this is a work of renewal, both spiritually and artistically.