Brooke (Fraser) Ligertwood has been nothing short of a blessing for the greater church. The GRAMMY-award winning, platinum recording producer and songwriter has penned some of the most beloved worship anthems of our generation, including "What A Beautiful Name," "King of Kings," "Hosanna," "Who You Say I Am," and "A Thousand Hallelujahs." Off the heels of her first live solo album, SEVEN, released in 2022, Ligertwood returns with the aptly titled EIGHT.

The eleven-track studio album features new and reimagined songs of love, devotion, and praise to the Lord. What I love most about this project is the way that it feels like an extension of Ligertwood's previous album, by embracing the simplicity of worship. The use of a choir roars across multiple songs giving a new feel to some of these previously released anthems. With the help of renowned Christian writer and producer Jason Ingram (who also produced SEVEN), and features from Martin Smith and John Wilds, EIGHT encourages us to remember the old and behold the new.

The opening track, "Bless God," which was originally recorded by Cody Carnes, lays the ground work and ultimately shows the heart of the album. The chorus sings, "Come on and praise the Lord with me/Sing if you love His name/Come on and lift your voice with me/He's worthy of all our praise." Voices of the choir anchor this song (along with many others on the album), bringing a full heavenly sound that you can't help but sing along with. We hear this song unravel into a beautifully worshipful moment, spanning into the second track, "Every Chance I Get." One of my favorite tracks of the album is "Fear of God." The edgy, foot-stomping track is the driving force of EIGHT. Unique from the other ten songs musically, "Fear of God" reminds us that the enemy is always at work. But it's the respect and the reverence of the father that will protect and keep us. This song reminds us that our eyes, our hearts, and our minds should be fixated on the Lord for his eventual return. Lastly, "Calvary's Enough" is Ligertwood at her best. It's just the songwriter, her heart and the piano. The results are a gorgeous, melodic song with beautiful lyrics that sit in the heart of every believer's faith in Christ: The Gospel. The chorus says it all, "Calvary's enough/Calvary's enough/God, I know nothing but I know this much…"

EIGHT includes many more highlights for me, such as a reimagined version of "Lead Me to the Cross." This song features Martin Smith, but was originally performed by Ligertwood herself with Hillsong Worship. Others include "Authority" (featuring John Wilds), which was originally recorded by Elevation Worship, and a reimagined version of "Like Incense / Sometimes By Step" (another song originally recorded by Ligertwood herself with Hillsong Worship). Ligertwood's latest project is a simple one. It doesn't rely on anything more than the worshipper's heart to bring beauty to it. Many have heard these songs, but Ligertwood proves that it's important to be reminded of the truths that don't always have to sit in newer worship melodies.

- Review date: 10/26/23, written by Michael Carder of Jesusfreakhideout.com