Reviewed by Ato Erzan-Essien

This outfit from, of all places, the Faroe Islands, could be potential heirs to the mantle of vanguards of Scandinavian powerhouse rock famously occupied by Roxette, Aha and those guys who did that annoying Final Countdown song... Europe I think. Technically they are faultless. Birgir Sigurdsson has strong, clear vocals ably supported by tight harmonies from the rest of the band; helping to ensure the Gospel message of their songs is displayed prominently throughout. And although sparing use of the synth drum achieves the difficult task of not cheapening the tone of the album, the best of this album is a slight cut above the standard Christian worship/rock stuff and have a strong commercial feel. With a bit more exposure beyond the Faroe Islands and its 45,000 population, there is no reason why I Am could not have a wider appeal on mainland Europe. Having said all that however, it would have been nice to hear the band use their obvious talents to take more risks and lean towards the musical trend set by their Icelandic neighbours the legendary Sugarcubes.

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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