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 like a mission statement from the trenches: “I'm lying awake tonight / With the weight of the world on my shoulders / Got me feeling older / These thoughts in my mind again / When the fear starts creeping in / Oh my, not this time / 'Cause I got that fire in my bones / Got that power in my soul / I'm a fighter, a survivor, ain't no stopping now / No, I'm never giving up / 'Til I see that Kingdom come / Ain't no devil gonna knock me down / I will stand my ground / I will stand my ground.”

The following “Light On The Coast” is a mature, anthem of a song that shows Cochren’s growth as a songwriter: “I've been stuck in a bad dream / And I just can't shake it off / A storm is brewing inside me / And I've never felt so lost / Like a ship on the water miles from the shore I'm just fighting for survival / I need You / Shine a light out / On the dark night of my soul / I need You / Throw a lifeline / 'Cause I'm sinking like a stone / When waves of fear have me surrounded / You're the hope that leads me home / Like a light on the coast.” While a “lighthouse” metaphor is nothing new in Christian music, Cochren does give the idea a fresh coat of varnish here and successfully weaves the word picture into a great tune.

The title track grooves and slithers with Cochren testifying in that Saturday-night barroom kind of way: “Well, there's power in the blood, I can testify / 'Cause I used to live a different kind of life / I've been underneath the crimson flood / And washed away who I once was / Oh, they say "People don't change" / But I know I'll never be the same / Every heartbeat's a miracle / Like a river rushing through my soul / I've been made new / And there ain't no one undoing what the Lord has done (What the Lord has donе) / It runs in the blood.”

Cochren continues his passionate testifying song after song on Runs In The Blood, with final tracks like the explosive “Money Can’t Buy” and the wonderful 80’s anthem “Eastern Sky” (with a musical nod to such classic acts of that decade like Journey and Foreigner) ending the set well. Runs In The Blood does not reinvent the rock and roll or pop wheel, but it does show Michael Cochren’s mastery of it. Turn it up loud and be blessed, wherever you may find yourself.

- Review date: 9/10/26, written by Alex Caldwell of Jesusfreakhideout.com