Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

After the success of their debut album ‘Invade My Soul’, By The Tree are maturing into a very fine band indeed! At the core of the band is the songwriting of Chuck Dennie and Kevin Rhoads who pull the band in different directions, the former towards worship and the latter towards communicating with those outside the walls of the Church. The conclusion is that By The Tree aren’t quite a worship band although lyrically a lot of this is still vertical and uplifting. However, beyond dispute is the fact that when it comes to melodic, hook-driven, guitar-based poppy rock, there are few bands that can match them. Anthemic is also a good word to describe them! ‘These Days’ sees them coming of age and packing the album with powerful songs. The title cut shuffles along confidently whilst the pleading prayerful “Your Presence” adds a pile of vibes to the proceedings. They also do a good turn in upbeat catchy songs that explode into unforgettable choruses that you end up humming for days like “(Jesus Is My) Everything”, “Alright” and “Change”. Powerpop anybody? I have to confess that I am totally in love with the Beatley “Salvation Song” which was on repeat play on my stereo the day I first heard the album. Oh yeah, and any band who chooses to do a cover of the magnificent Lemonheads song “Into Your Arms” has got to be cool. Right? By The Tree are still largely unknown over here so hesitate no longer and investigate!

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