Reviewed by Gareth Hills

When I first gave this album a spin, what struck me was the bold, rough-around-the-edges sound of a band on the cusp of mainstream success. I was therefore shocked to discover that they have since broken up! 'Secrets Of The Soul' is a delicious fusion of Smashing Pumpkins psychedelia, the atmospheric indie of Doves and Editors, and the ambience of post-rock. The opener "Without Love" kicks off into what sounds like typical indie fodder, but morphs and grows as the piece progresses, until becoming a song that I happily had stuck in my head for a day afterwards! Following this comes "Release", which sounds a little like a Psychedelic Furs resurrection. The album varies in intensity, and the expansive psychedelia-drenched "Someday" provides a nice change of pace. As the title track kicks off, the band add yet another style to their list of influences: trip-hop, as Massive Attack's "Teardrop" beat makes a subtle appearance. It truly is a shame that this band are no more, because they had potential in buckets. Sure, the album isn't perfect, and some songs sound more convincing than others, but it shines as an example of musicians who went way, way further than most bands distributed by a Christian record label.

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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