Much like contemporary Christian, its cousin genre, modern gospel music showcases a larger variety of styles than ever before. The diversity is quite obvious on the WOW Gospel 2001 collection, a 32-track spiritual pick-me-up bound to find favor with most listeners. "Let's Dance," one of the release's hotter grooves, shows this well when the more traditional (Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir) meets the not-so-traditional (rapper B.B. Jay). Or check out the blistering soul and hard-driving bass lines of John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir on "Right Here." Of course no gospel collection is complete without a Yolanda Adams ballad ("Still I Rise") and a CeCe Winans tune ("Alabaster Box"). Disc one holds surprises such as ol' Doobie Brother Michael McDonald on Darwin Hobbs's "Everyday." The second disc focuses more on traditional gospel instead of crisp urban pop. You'll have a hard time not raising your hands to the soaring choruses of "Battlefield" by Norman Hutchins. And Aaron Neville brings forth "Mary Don't You Weep" in the classic spiritual style of gospel. Altogether, this collection testifies to the great and varied sounds in today's gospel music scene. --Michael Lyttle