Reviewed by Phil Thomson

I'll get the sound-alike bit out of the way at the start - Andrew Osenga leads the Normals with a hint of Bono in reflective mood. The songs themselves are a tad more mellow, wordy and introspective than U2, but the hunger is there; the searching honesty of life unresolved, raw and, dare I say it, normal. Now, I'm not supposed to get euphoric (Reviewers' Class, lesson four, bullet point three) but this is a memorable album particularly in what it awakens in you as you are drawn into it. There are all sorts of twists and turns in the songs, mostly written by Andrew Osenga himself - with the inventive arrangements given global band credit. It is full of terse musical understatements and deeply intimate lyrical moments. The experience is like listening to the diary of a journey. You'll find yourself in there somewhere, surprised by the way the music adds your meaning to the unfolding stories; it is a subtle, surprisingly uncomfortable - yet ultimately redeeming feature. Forefront impress me with the faith they place in their artists, and to my non-American ear, this is one offering which definitely travels well. Set the button to random and nothing will disappoint you.

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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