STYLE: Rock RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 145758-21104 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Oscar Hyde
This Oklahoman quartet are beginning to make a name for themselves as an outreach band; they're moving away from the Kutless-style radio rock and have taken on large dollops of Family Force 5 and TobyMac. The lyrics aren't the most poetic - "'I'll be shouting, yeah, whoa, that's my Dad!" - but that's not necessarily a bad thing; it fits with the broad strokes that help spread the good news to the world. I'd be perfectly fine with this set as a party album with Christian overtones if it were more. . . party-like. The bass is never quite as powerful or danceable as it could be; the anthems feel as if the singer is holding back; the rapping lacks energy. The production, though it's full of interesting burbles, leaves wide empty spaces in the music; the songs lack drive or even much energy. It wouldn't feel disappointing if each song didn't feel like a four-minute introduction ending before it gets a chance to drop. The best song here is "You Told Me I Am Your Son", which contains genuinely lovely and heartfelt expressions of thankfulness, but still bubbles just under the surface and is based on an age-old (but cool) chord progression.
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