Reviewed by Debbie Edington

What is this music? I kept wanting to say that this band sounded like another artist but I somehow couldn't quite manage it. Painted Orange have gained the ability to play sounds that resemble other, more familiar artists and yet keep a unique identity of their own. I'm impressed! If you insist on pigeonholes let's call it EuroAech/dance, the 'Euro' despite the fact that they hail from the States. Like other products of the US Christian underground, bands like Code Of Ethics and Deitophobia, Painted Orange have at last picked up the gauntlet thrown down by the early techno Mad At The World. If you're hip enough to have the 'Painted Orange' privately recorded cassette, fear not, this is a new album... their first with a big CCM push. Sowhazitlike? Just about every track is multi-layered, meaning that you can listen to them three or four times in succession and not get bored. Because of this advantage, Greg Fain's lyrics are given a chance to sink in and do their work. "Take a look in the mirror and see the lines upon your face, are you really satisfied?" - "I'm here calling and you're there standing still": "Standing Still". For me, some of the outstanding racks were the first, "Colours", with it's slightly eery intro which progresses through synthesized strings, to a punchy, aggressive dance track. In complete contrast, "Amanda", although containing an evident beat, is definitely a ballad. The use of strings is also fused into the track and along with a soft sounding electric piano, an effective yet airy song is produced. In my opinion, a band who can sound familiar and yet new and fresh must be good. Painted Orange live up to this expectation.

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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