Style: alternative worship; compare to Phil Wickham, Kristian Stanfill, Owl City, Apt. Core
Top tracks: “Jesus Paid It All,” “Into the Quiet Place, “Oh How I Love Jesus”
The 28-year-old music director for Calvary Chapel Montebello (CA) takes on several old Sunday favorites with an electronically-enhanced backbone. There’s an obvious Euro-pop appeal, but there’s also a homespun quality, better suited for headphones listening as opposed to full-out club craziness. Mixing the lo-fi dance beats of Owl City or Apt. Core with a voice sounding like something out of the Passion movement, Hooks has compiled a hymns covers collection that could appeal to both the alternative minded and to modern worshipers. Though some interpretations fail to bring anything new to the table, the album generally lives up to its title of acrobatic variety.
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