The Playlist Album

iTunes Review

Since the ‘90s, Rita Springer has brought a personalized touch to the worship genre by adding a delicate yet passionate musical sensibility and a tinge of mysticism to her hosannas, framing them in visionary lyrics and stirring tempos. The Playlist pushes this approach further by stretching out its melodies and widening its dynamics. “Over I Go” matches a deliriously buoyant tune with a sense of spiritual surrender that’s both joyful and enraptured. “Falling” invokes a sense of divine communion, while “Make You Happy” offers a burst of celebratory rock energy. Springer’s vocals radiate a Spirit-filled commitment, whether applied to meditative piano-based balladry (“The Whisper”) or vibrant gospel-rock settings (“Made for This”). The album’s most arresting track is “This Blood,” a dramatic invocation of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ that recalls Johnny Cash’s later work. Springer has a real talent for infusing praise music with individuality without losing its vertical focus. The Playlist doesn’t disappoint as a worship experience or a heartfelt artistic statement.