Reviewed by Phillip Rowe Essentially a vehicle for Vineyard veteran Jeff Searles, Everyone's debut is a mixed bag. Left to their own devices they probably would have come up with something better, but the ultra-sheen production of Julian Kindle (Sonicflood/Audio Adrenalin) polishes away any real edge from the sound, and the spectre of label owners Delirious? (the album was co-produced by Stu G) dominates throughout. The band themselves aren't totally blameless, however. The lyrics can veer dangerously toward cliché (“What are you gonna hold on to/When the walls come crashing down on you”) and on songs like “Dream Of You” and “Love That You Give” the spirit of Coldplay, while never far away anyway, comes a little too close for comfort. They do, occasionally, raise their game. “Lovely Way”, “Crazy” and the Oasis-sings-REM vibe of “It's Alright” show potential and the standout track, “Jesus Saviour” hints at real promise, but this is not enough to promote the album into the big league it so obviously aspires to. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with ‘Everyone’ - the musicians don't lack skill, the songwriting isn't terrible and Searles has a decent voice - but, on this showing at least, nothing especially exciting either.
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