Reunion shows can be a tricky highwire to balance. They will often attract a loyal, long-term fanbase for attendance, and many of these fans will have seen the band or artist back in their prime and have memories of past shows to compare the present version of the band to. And a bit of rust is to be expected. Older songs will often have their keys lowered to accommodate vocal ranges that have dropped over the years, and stage chemistry will not be the same as the version of the band that spent WAY too much time together on stage and in the bus / van together on those long trips between tour stops many years before. But nothing beats a reunion show in the hearts of fans, long-term and new alike...

I know I'm not alone when I say that John Van Deusen has become one of my favorite artists in the modern era, thanks in part to the high quality of each and every album he's released so far. And he keeps pumping out great music on nearly an annual basis at this point. After his aggressive rock album, Anthem Sprinter, in 2024, Van Deusen took a sharp left turn last year, delivering his first ever CCM-style worship album. Unsurprisingly, and despite the album having 18 tracks, he somehow had more ready to go, which now comprise this year's offering, As Long As I Am in the Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise Pt. 2...

Cochren & Co.'s Michael Cochren has the sort of massive, bellowing, soulful voice that can fill up a room even before turning on the microphones. And as the leader of the ostensible “company” the past decade, he has put out a number of good, soulful albums that put that big-hearted voice to effective use. And like his fellow full-throated vocal contemporaries, like Brandon Lake and Jellyroll (and even classic rockers like Bob Seger), he knows the sort of sounds and songs that carry that voice over the radio, loud and clear.

Runs In The Blood is full of rock and roll energy from the very top, and the thumping Memphis Soul of “Stand My Ground” flows out...