The slogan on the back of the project states, "Yesterday's hymns mixed for today's generation." This isn't the first project to attempt that idea, and probably won't be the last. But, in the meantime, Hymns in the House has taken a dance approach to their arrangements--through the production and arrangement of Ian Eskelin.
I say dance-style, because the album title would lead you to the conclusion it is house music, which I think is incorrect. The music is more of a dance/pop variety than a club/house mix in most spots--though very synthesizer/drum machine driven. There are some spots with heavy beats throughout, but the tempo stays short of a frenzied dance pace--it holds plenty of slow groove-based tracks as well.
The vocals are offered by Tabitha Fair except on "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" which is sung by Crystal Lewis. The other hymns featured are: "Power in the Blood," "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," "It is Well With My Soul," "Victory in Jesus," "In the Garden," "Great is Thy Faithfulness," "Amazing Grace," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."
I found the project enjoyable and it kept my toes tapping. Some of the vocals are very impressive, with Fair doing a nice job of background vocals over her lead. As with almost any album in this genre, there are repetitious spots, but that is only a minor complaint.
The CD version of Hymns in the House contains 4 additional sing-along trax versions of "Joyful, Joyful," "All Hail," "In the Garden," and "Holy, Holy, Holy" in case you want to perform a few songs yourself.
A welcome release in contemporary praise music. I recommend Hymns in the House for anyone enjoying pop/dance music, and possibly those liking more hard-core dance--such as club or house.
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