Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

You won't find Twelve: 12 on the CD sleeve as the band were called Gimp until a recent name change. They're a four-piece rock team based in the American heartlands who seem to have taken on board a pile of rock influences and melted them together to form their own unique sound. Pitching in somewhere between alternative and hard rock, this will appeal to you if you're into anything from the diversity of Led Zep to the current noises made by Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Reading their press material, the band are also gifted with a sense of humour and this spills over into their approach to songwriting. Incisive and witty yet addressing some hard topics, they communicate well on songs like "All That Jazz" which laughs at the idea that the quality of your consumer goods says anything about the quality of your character! "You Lose" is a sharp, humorous critique of celebrities grumbling about the downside of the fame that they have so single-mindedly chased. Musically the band know how to pull out the stops so "Doesn't Matter" is a dense slab of atmospheric rock'n'roll while "Gift" and "Responsibility" rock out. "Parent" is a little more alternative sounding and slows down the pace but ups the vibe whilst "Win, Win" is another cracking song that shows how well Twelve: 12 let loose! Perfect Christian rock intelligently constructed where the message is at the front end but freed from cliche. As Americans are apt to say - Twelve:12 rawk!

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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