Michael W. Smith knows a great worship song when he hears one, and once again he's raided the libraries of Sixstepsrecords, Integrity Music, and others to pick some of th t stellar worship songs of the last few years. And Rich Mullins' vast library of songs is always a good bet; Worship Again features two of Mullins' classics. Smith himself even wrote four tracks this time around, most of them with wife Debbie. The songs themselves are all fantastic and instantly memorable.

There's nothing quite like hearing 11,000 people pouring out their hearts in worship to God, and the production on Worship Again, just like its predecessor, somehow manages to capture every single one of them on tape. The clarity of the live band's sound is unparalleled, and the vocalists all do great work. The overall atmosphere once again oozes humble worship, the crying of the heart for mercy and grace and the greatness of God. Fans of the first album will recognize this; on the new album it feels exactly the same -- the two recordings sound so much alike, in fact, they could have come from the same concert.

- Robin Parrish