There’s something about Matt Redman’s earthy English accent that diffuses some of the emotional hype that often accompanies this form of modern worship music. And then there’s the fact that, while not exhibiting David Crowder Band levels of creative ambition, he often finds subtle ways to introduce out-of-the-ordinary musical snippets. Witness the very ’80s “We are the Free,” which features heavy use of synth and some interesting climbing vocal scales, or the Spanish guitar that overlays the title track.

Lyrically, Redman is solid but not spectacular. He leans mostly towards the hopeful and motivational (“You can move the highest mountain / You can keep my dreams alive”), which can occasionally sound somewhat triumphalistic (and very Western), but it’s not enough of a problem to hobble the album. 10,000 Reasons is by no means perfect, but it does stand out among the glut of modern worship albums by being, at least, decent. The faster songs are particularly appealing, and if you’re on the lookout for a few new songs for congregational worship, this is a good bet.

Four stars out of five