reaction at the time was positive. Writing in CCM Magazine, critic Dave Urbanski said that Flap Your Wings was a "decidedly delicate mix of the band's best musical elements from its '90s catalog, and although there's not a whole lot new here musically, The Choir does throw in a few pleasant surprises." He called the lead single "Hey Gene" "an energetic pop-rock gem," adding that it was "the most rock oriented tune on the record — and the obvious centerpiece." With the inclusion of the worship song "Beautiful Scandalous Night," Urbanski summed up Flap Your Wings as "a fine record with more than enough shining moments." Cross Rhythms gave the album a perfect ten, with critic Mike Rimmer writing that the album was "classic Choir," with "well-crafted songs and warm production." He added that "Flap Your Wings sees humanity and eternity meeting in a collection of songs that build on the foundation of their best work." The Phantom Tollbooth was especially effusive, naming Flap Your Wings the August 2000 Pick of the Month, and included three separate reviews. In the lead review, critic Michial Farmer claimed that Flap Your Wings was an "immediate contender for best album of 2000." Although critical of some "missteps" like the drum machine in "Flowing Over Me" and the re-recording of "Beautiful Scandalous Night" not "[reaching] the magnitude of the original," he praised "Mercy Lives Here" for avoiding "the cheesiness and banality typical of modern worship, and [it aims] at the brain as much as the heart." Retrospectively, Flap Your Wings has also received praise. Mark Allan Powell, writing in the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, called the album a "warm, relaxed, and generally gentle record," adding that it "revives their atmospheric tradition, with perhaps a little Radiohead influence showing around the edges." He praised the title track's "profoundly spiritual lyrics," and called "Hey Gene" "the highlight of the album." "As sentimental as any Bob Carlisle song," Powell added, "it recalls the mercy their friend always showed them, sheds a few tears over his absence, and then bids him adieu." Accolades Christianity Today Readers' Poll: Most Deserving – 2002 Grammy Awards Awards and nominations 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002) – Best Rock Gospel Album (nomination) Track listing All lyrics by Steve Hindalong and all music by Derri Daugherty, unless otherwise noted. Personnel The Choir Derri Daugherty – lead vocals, guitars, drums, loops, keyboards Steve Hindalong