Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes have begun to emerge as the power couple of worship leaders. Heck, they have been doing the "big-name couple" gig (in the Christian market) as husband-and-wife longer than Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been together as a whole. While Jobe has been a centerpiece in CCM and worship music for about a decade and a half, Carnes has been a bit more recent of an addition. However, his songs, such as "Christ Be Magnified" and "Firm Foundation (He Won't)," have been sung all over the world, along with Jobe's "Forever," "Revelation Song," and her mega-hit "The Blessing." It is fitting then that they should take their talents across the pond and provide their live worship experience to Europe in their new release, simply titled Live From Europe.

Stop me if you've heard this - Each song on this worship album is around 7 or 8 minutes in length, "vamping" (a term used when worship leaders do ad-lib singing lines to encourage the worshippers) is utilized throughout each track, and half of the songs on here are from other worship leaders. Sound like almost every worship album (with several outliers) released in the past eight years? That's because this album is largely the same worship experience recycled from every other worship band. The only thing that separates this one from the rest is that Jobe and Carnes are the ones singing. Yes, there is a little flair used in "Praise" with more aggressive chants at the beginning, bongos in the verses, and an outro that's brought back for additional energy (which quickly overstays its welcome). And yes, the songs are sang solidly, especially Carnes's "Firm Foundation," which is probably a relative highlight on the album. Even Martin Smith's addition for "Obsession/Worthy of It All" is fine. It's just questionable as to why it needs to exist.

There is no denying that worship music that follows the "mould" of modern worship can actually be uplifting to Jesus and beautiful. I am far from the kind of person who constantly bashes modern worship as "inauthentic" or "sacrilegious." But where this album fully loses me is in the fact that all of these songs are sung by others a hundred times over, and are at times given FAR more creative liberty than these do. For example, Brandon Lake's "Praise" will always win out in a choice of Bethel, Seacoast Worship, Elevation, Maverick, etc. He wrote it, and his passion in it is hard to beat. This version would not change that.

What makes this album worth listening to? Well... there really isn't something that makes it stick out. If it were all originals of theirs, I would give them a little more of a pass. But the fact that all of the covers are way overused makes me lean more critically on this project. Even if you're heavily into modern worship, and keep up with all of the different bands and projects, this one will still baffle you in its recycled nature. And those critical of modern worship... I need write no further; this will provide you a treasure trove of critiques.

- Review date: 8/11/24, written by Josh Egan for Jesusfreakhideout.com