<P>At a time when everyone seems to be recording a worship album, it's so refreshing when someone does something different. Heck, it's even refreshing to hear a <I>different</I> kind of worship record -- one not filled with the "modern worship classics" we've all heard dozens, perhaps even hundreds of times now.</P>

<P><B>Twila Paris</B> is no stranger to praise & worship; many songs from her two-decades-plus career have found their way into modern hymnals. In fact, modern hymns are perhaps what she's best known for. And while from a marketing standpoint, it should come as no surprise that Paris has chosen to record an entire album full of worship songs during our current worship-friendly climate, what <I>is</I> a pleasant surprise is that every song on the album is brand new, entirely written by Paris herself. (Okay, there are a couple of remakes: her classics "We Bow Down" and "We Will Glorify.") But what's more -- these are <I>great</I> new worship songs.</P>

<P>Featuring Paris' light-as-a-feather, effortless touch, <I>House of Worship</I> offers praise to God's greatness, His love, and His majesty. Acoustic production courtesy of Brown Bannister provides a rich, organic palette from which Paris can work. But lest you think this is one big snoozefest, she doesn't shy away from kicking the tempo up a few notches in several places. And yes, most of its songs feel custom-made for use in a corporate worship setting.</P>

<P>Paris says that having a new baby in the house and all of the responsibilities that comes with that forced her to come up with new ways of approaching her music, and it shows. Just when we were drowning in recycled worship songs and desperately needed new ones, Twila Paris has swooped in and saved the day with her most memorable and enjoyable album since 1996's <I>Where I Stand</I>.</P>