Hillsong

Part greatest-hits collection, part social justice initiative, Hillsong United's The I Heart Revolution with Hearts as One is exactly what thousands of fans of the alternative praise band have been clamoring for: a comprehensive, two-disc recap of all the highlights of the group's last three years in music and ministry. United has been around since 1998, but it wasn't until 2005 that the team truly hit its stride, releasing a trifecta of best-selling albums (Look to You, United We Stand, All of the Above) that really put them on the map and at the forefront of youth-oriented worship music, not just in their native Australia, but globally as well. These twenty-somethings are a sensation everywhere they go, so it makes sense that With Hearts as One was recorded on location at different stops during the group's worldwide travels. Save for a few omissions from their earlier years ("Everyday," "My Best Friend," "Now That You're Near"), every major United anthem is included here, including "One Way," "Salvation Is Here," "Tell the World," "Take It All," "From the Inside Out," "Hosanna," and two dozen others. In the spirit of their booming, larger-than-life performances, these recordings are kept mostly raw and unretouched -- the idea is for listeners to get a feel for what it's like to be in the thick of a sweaty, floor-stomping, arm-raising United crowd. No shoving allowed, of course, but when the intention is to draw kids' attention away from themselves to a greater cause, that's quite all right. ~ Andree Farias, All Music Guide