Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Going for a Switchfoot/Foo Fighters type sound, This Beautiful Republic deliver their debut release. Setting their stall out clearly with lead single "Jesus To The World", this is a band unafraid of expressing their beliefs. Heartfelt, evocative lyrics perpetuate this album, as the band explore faith, Church and relationship with God. They manage to strike the right balance between their personal journey and more imaginative lyrics, such as opening track "Casting Off" which is written from God's perspective. Musically, the band have all the right ingredients for a successful pop-rock group: pacey, energetic songs; acoustic ballads; vocal harmonies; and quiet-loud dynamics. They also have enough variation in the musical arrangements to offset the problem of very set song structures. This Beautiful Republic have enough talent to stand out from the crowd, and with the considerable backing of EMI CMG behind them they could well end up as major players.

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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