Reviewed by Chris Tozer

The city of Vail in the Colorado Rockies is best known for its skiing but local band The Ride hope to change all that with their debut album 'New Day'. Certainly, for new kids on the block, they have a refreshing degree of originality in their songwriting. The brilliant opening track "Okay" reminds us that it's right to express our feelings honestly - even when we feel failures or afraid. Sadly, such thoughts are hardly written about in the world of CCM where no one wants to let the side down and opts instead to write as if everything in the Christian garden is rosy. "Nobody Knows" continues the theme by echoing the psalmist who wrote of the fears of loneliness. Throughout the album the band give ample proof of their ability to play driving rock music that would please lovers of grunge though they can also turn out a cool jazz number on demand. On "The Real Me" the band write of God's ability to meet our deepest needs whilst "Better Day" showcases their ability to write a pretty stunning contemporary worship song. But, as "Human Behaviour" proves, The Ride are at their best when writing about the fallen world we are called to minister to. The band claim Switchfoot and the Newsboys as major influences and you can certainly see similarities between the veterans and the rookies. The Ride certainly deserve a wide hearing on both sides of the Atlantic.

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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