Songs 4 Life: Embrace His Grace! CD

Photographer: Kevin Mazur.
Like other entries in the Songs 4 Life Series, Embrace His Grace! contains 22 CCM anthems over the course of two discs. It's not the most varied collection in the series, but it does feature enough heavy hitters -- Steven Curtis Chapman, PFR, Cece Winans, Point of Grace, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Out of the Grey, Wayne Watson, Wes King and Sandi Patti, among them -- to make it a solid bargain for budget-minded casual fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
In the '80s and '90s, Christian music, previously a Gospel-only affair, broadened its horizons, expanding to incorporate contemporary pop production values and song structures. With this progression, millions of spiritually inclined listeners, who were previously put off by the old-timey aspect of the "old school" opened up their ears, hearts and wallets, making contemporary Christian music a major player in the music industry. The smart folks at Time-Life decided to document this phenomenon with SONGS 4 LIFE, a quartet of compilations that walks the listener through 25 years of Christian pop.
While there's too much diversity on this two-disc set to pin EMBRACE HIS GRACE down to any one them, a common thread here seems to songs of pure exultation. There's an undeniable celebratory feel to many of the songs here that harks back to the most devotional songs of the traditional Gospel canon, but the decidedly modern approach taken by the artists brings it all squarely into the present day. From Steve Green's "Glory to You" to Keith Green's "You Put the Love in My Heart," this volume in the SONGS 4 LIFE series is full of artists who are able to make their commitment to God both instantly believable and downright catchy.