Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

Californian punk three-piece A Broken Line met in church and began playing songs to raise money for the charity HOPE California and then gained opportunities to play further afield, all of which "career to date" culminates in this debut album. Their fiery sound has a mix of street punk, ska, pop punk, metal and rock and roll and the focus for their music is a desire to know God and make God known, through lyrics that reflect the battle for faith in a difficult world. Theirs is a very enjoyable mix of styles held together by sheer energy. No track is longer than 4:14 and the excellent "Drive" is only 41 seconds which really did epitomise the saying "leave them wanting more." The mix of styles, especially the ska influence invokes memories of the Clash, with the guitar work being more Buzzcocks/Only Ones and vocally possibly Sham 69 with less shouting or the Libertines ("Alive On The 111" being a good example). There's some lovely riffing going on between the three band members, especially the intros to "Teeth" and "The Enemy Is Within When The Heart Is Without" and the outro of "Big Black Ocean" plus the vocal hook from "John Tesh! You're Giving Us A Bad Name" will stick with you long after the album has stopped playing, though those who enjoy Richard Clayderman-style piano doodlings will find it mildly offensive. Overall a very enjoyable album and possibly the best punk offering I've heard in a long time.

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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