Reviewed by Jon Cooper

I applaud the New Jersey-based ska punk band's admirable mission statement - "to bring people hope and encouragement by letting them know there is a God who loves them" - and wish them the very best in doing just that. However, the painful truth is that 'NLC' is an awkward listen. The bulk of the tracks here don't really offer anything in terms of originality, arrangement or stylistic diversity; the onslaught of messy distortion on every chorus becomes wearying by third track "Fight Alone", and the intermittent lead guitar breaks are often over-complicated by effects or are fractionally out of tune. The vocals are sometimes so muddied by poor pitching and the frugality in production ("Paid For" is the worst culprit) that the lyrical content often remains hidden. Looking for positives, one highlight is "No Weapon", which has a much harder, "shoutier" edge than the other tracks. A band best experienced live, I suspect.

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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