It's hard to fathom that newsboys has been around almost a quarter century, long enough to release 14 studio albums. Granted, Peter Furler is the only original member, but it's still impressive to see the longevity, which will continue with the addition of legendary dc Talk vocalist Michael Tait. He took over the frontman duties this spring, and I caught his first show performed without Furler present. It was a little strange, but good, especially since the band did a couple of dc Talk songs to help fans adjust. Jody Davis is back on guitar after a six-year hiatus.
In The Hands of God still features Peter Furler's trademark vocals. The band has been known as more of a worship band on recent projects, but it's fun to see a hint of the off-beat old newsboys humor in a song like "My Friend Jesus," with its lament about tech support on flawed products.
"The Way We Roll" is similar in theme to "Where We Go" from the Thrive project. Not many bands could write about all they get done without sounding boastful, but when the newsboys recite their accomplishments, it's just fun history.
I especially enjoyed "No Grave," "In The Hands of God" and the cover of Hillsong's "Lead Me To The Cross." This is not the best-ever newsboys album, but it has some good moments and will please most fans despite being on the short side.
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