Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

For this debut CD, Canadian husband and wife team Marshall and Malynda Zacharias were joined by Marshall's sister Sheralee to create a vibey pop sound with touches of R&B thrown in, Thematically, our identity in Christ is one of the fundamental thoughts informing the songs recorded here. Marshall is the musical brain behind the music, and also the album's producer, whilst the vocal performances from Malynda and Sheralee are spine-tinglingly good. Well-produced and catchy enough to grab the attention, Avante are best when they're lay­ing down some grooves, so "Back To Basics", the groovy "When Oh When" and the harder edged "Identity" all highlight the band's strengths - slick vocal performances and tight ear-catching production. However, where this blends out a little is on the slower stuff. "I'll Never Forget" still maintains a strong pop feel but "Find Me Here" could almost be the Carpenters! And oh dear! The poppy but vacuous "Wherever You Go" sounds like something off a Jaci Velasquez album. Still, even acknowledging those weaknesses, "As Sure As I Am" is the sort of ballad that Anointed would be proud of recording, and "Do We Have To Fight" only highlights the vocal talent on display here over an understated groove. Plenty here to shout about but what we really need from Avante is a no holds barred, kickin', full-on R&B album. Now wouldn't that be something? For now, this is a fab start.

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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