Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Blending Britpop with large doses of passion and reflection. Fruit present us with a debut album that is inevitably going to raise comparisons with Delirious?. Indeed the album was skilfully produced by D:sidesman, Blueberry's Paul Burton and has a tight, memorable sound with passionate lyrics and enough of a punch to grab attention. Concentrating on a vibey. intense, brooding approach rather than an all-out, right-between-the-eyes knock out. this works well drawing the listener in. Singer Aaron's lyrical concerns tug at the heart. "Living For The Day" is built on a funky little groove and is a song for our times pleading with God to move in this generation. "Calm Before The Storm" paints a metaphorical picture of the spiritual climate and is built around Aaron's memorable repetitive refrain "Wailing for you". The epic "Here You Find Me" (it's nearly eight minutes long!) is a brilliant song of surrender recognising our need for God which builds to a pleading conclusion. "Be Free" is a chunky, funky slab of rock and is one of the moments on the album where the band actually don't sound like Delirious?! The album closes with a little soulful introspection on the gorgeous "Keep Believing" and I love the title song that recruits believers to stand up for God in the midst of a society that badly needs Jesus. The album has both a stripped down acoustic version and a vibey full band rendition that continues to catalogue society's need of Jesus. Overall, I love this. Fruit's material is stirring and heartfelt but can't help feeling that the band need to fully find its own musical identity.

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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