Reviewed by Phil Thomson

In case you didn't know, FM Static is the popular side project fronted by Thousand Foot Krutch singer Trevor McNevan. Don't be surprised if, halfway through this album you think - heard it all before. In this case, it's a good thing. The accent is unashamedly on marginal tongue-in-cheek soft-rock with a lightness of touch bordering on self-parody. Add energy, sincerity and rather incisive lyrics and the FM Static package comes together as a band completely in touch with their (mostly, I suspect) young audience. The songs are guitar-led and incredibly wordy in the manner of schoolboy rock confessional and written with considerable wit. And that's where it scores: memorable moments, with heaps of cultural relevance, delivered flat out. Even after several plays, there are always new lines jumping at you, nuances rolling over you. If anything, the references in the songs keep the concepts firmly rooted in the angst-ridden middle-American urban sprawl of campus life - which might just mean that it doesn't travel all that well. I was tempted to feel it was a little tiresome in its one-dimensional nasal delivery, but I soon "got it". The well considered wordiness takes you deeper into the mission statement. The first "Jesus" turns up in track six. This band know how to connect, how to entertain, how to let the penny drop. Not groundbreaking; but the moment you're not sure if they're serious or not, they've got you hooked. Worth it.

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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