Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

I met up with this American independent band when I was in the USA earlier in the year and was impressed by their approach. Formed at the University of Wisconsin in 1999, the band are concentrating their efforts on reaching out to non-Christians so they are playing mainly to student crowds and in mainstream venues rather than hitting the church circuit and they should be applauded for that. The album itself contains plenty of emotional music that connects with the heart but here's a band that know how to rock! Highlights include the opening "All I Need" which is a song of finding security in God, packed with edgy guitar and some '60s harmonies. Guitarist Lance Moe certainly has the chops and with a powerful rhythm section propelling the band forward, singer Josh Neumann is sitting on top of a supple and supportive sound that helps the band get the message across. The songs are packed with Christian truth and there's no compromise here but it works because the band have strong musical credibility and they're not being preachy. Songs like "Meaningless", "In Your Arms" and "Run From Me" show the rockier elements of Poverty but there's so much more to this band than simply pinning you back in your seat with swathes of guitar! Check out the emotionally powerful "Screams Fall Silent" or "If She Only Knew" to really grasp the diversity of Poverty's musical vision. Sometimes the most refreshing American Christian music comes from the independents and Poverty illustrate this point very powerfully.

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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