Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This is the third record company release by the band from Toledo, Ohio and the follow up to their big US CCM hit 'Fight The Tide'. So it's hugely impressive that the band have brought a new, confessional lyrical reality to their lyrics and explore the dark night of the soul as well as the joy of new birth in an album which makes previous work seem shallow and immature by comparison. Producer Chris Stevens (TobyMac, Shawn McDonald) brings all the light and shade out of these powerful songs while the themes examine the acute awareness of sin ("Eloquent"), the problem of pain in the life of a believer ("The Face Of Love") and possibly the most impactful of all, a spiritual reality check for fallen man ("We're Trying"). There's no hint of shallow evangelical sloganeering here, just songs forged in trial while those discerning enough to read the works of Henri Nouwen and Brennan Manning will find echoes of the great men's work in these powerful, surging, gutsy rock songs. The worshipful "Magnetic" bears repeated listening while the stripped down acoustic "Benjamin" is a haunting closer. Eloquent, impassioned rock from a band who've matured to become, to my ears at least, a top act.

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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