You Are Love

You Are Love is the fourth solo album by well-known songwriter and former Hillsong worship leader Darlene Zschech. This is a powerful and reflective album from one of the leading voices and writers in modern Christian worship, and will delight many listeners. Many of the songs would not be out of place in a congregational worship setting, and this is part of the appeal of the album.

It is a veritable list of worship’s ‘who’s who’, including Hillsong’s Paul Mabury, Marty Sampson, and producer Israel Houghton (who co-wrote three songs on the album), as well as other well-known worship leaders Pete Kipley (MercyMe), Ryan Taubert, Josh Telford and Michael Gungor.

At times, this album has passionate songs of praise to God; at others, it is a soft, gentle, intimate adoration of how worthy God is. It does suffer slightly from over-production, being too ballad-focused and lyrically generic. But overall, You Are Love reinforces just how pure a voice Darlene has, something that is easy to forget when listening to the more anthemic Hillsong numbers.

Highlight tracks are ‘I Will Wait’ and the opener ‘Under Grace’, a stirring and prayerful song of God’s forgiveness and grace that demands repeat play. 

By Martin Barratt