Artist:  Vicky Beeching
Title:  Eternity Invades
Label:  Integrity Music

CCM popster returns to worship roots …

Before UK born and bred singer/songwriter Vicky Beeching began her pursuit of professional music, she enrolled as a theology student at Britain's renowned Oxford University to ensure her spirit-led songs indoctrinated sound Christian creed rather than simply combining corporate feel-good phrases.  And with a post-graduation education in the field of her choice, having mentored with the likes of Matt Redman and Tim Hughes, Beeching's place in the modern worship scene seemed like a no-brainer.

But fast forward a few years and Beeching was a major stateside label artist and being touted as Christian music's "next big thing," gradually losing focus of what originally compelled her to create music—helping usher people into the presence of God through music.  Thankfully Eternity Invades, Beeching's debut Integrity release, brings the musician back to her roots, recording songs designed for corporate praise.

"Salvation Day" starts the CD from scratch with an electric performance of an arena-worthy praise chorus and "Deliverer" crescendos a chorus of redemption over an ambient, Coldplay-influenced soundtrack, chant singing, "Your blood is enough to break every chain." Beeching enhances an acoustic demonstration of Fee's hit song, "Glory to God Forever," a tune she co-wrote with the band's front-man, with a string quartet and an outro of impromptu worship while Irish worship leader Robin Mark contributes his stellar penmanship to the perfectly corporate "One Day."

But it is the beautiful lyrical imagery of "Blessing and Honor" ("The air is filled with angels/Who speak and shout your name/The atmosphere is changing/As eternity invades) that truly captures Beeching's intent and reminds listeners that worship is an invitation for interaction with a living God. And though the record musically clones the worship music's infatuation with Brit-rock, it is rare the genre is able to marry depth of verse with current musical elements.  And for that, Beeching deserves a bit of praise all her own.

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**This review first published on May 4, 2010.