Reviewed by Danny McMartin

Two brothers Ben and Bill Kristijanto originally formed Bread Of Stone. After years of dues-paying the band have finally landed a label deal and this is the first result. It's something of a concept album with most of the lyrics revolving around the theme that the world is caught in a cycle of trends, distracted and fed lies. 'The Real Life' is a response that the "real life" is one as God intended, to be with him. Dream Records have opted to re-issue the foursome's 2012 independent album 'The Real Life' that was produced by renowned Nashville hit-makers who have worked with the likes of Switchfoot, MuteMath and Faith Hill. "The Line" is a combination of atmospheric pop with underlining '70s flavour. The tastefully positioned "Changed" by comparison displays a positive rockier edge hinting at Switchfoot's "We Are One Tonight". "Parachute" resonates catchy emo-tinged pop/rock. "One Way Runner" springs to mind with its infectious garage feel. While "I'll Be" is late on the play list it seems to rise above the rest of the songs with a catchy soulful riff from the get go. Coming from a band that has even started their own charity The Light Project based in Indonesia, you know they're not just chasing rock stardom and mean business for the Kingdom. 'The Real Life' features a sunny presentation and crisp production with a balance between approachable pop and indie. While nothing is overtly wrong with this album there are some tracks here which are content to be stylised radio friendly pop rock while those that hint at other approaches like electro rock never quite convince.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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