Jon Foreman - Limbs & Branches

Review by Becky Pullen Like a gentle stroll down a tree-lined avenue in dappled sunlight, Jon Foreman’s Limbs and Branches calms the soul and soothes your mind. The distinctly acoustic countrified sound that Foreman’s solo project brings an aura of a lazy summer afternoon on the front porch, perfect for those chilled-out evenings at home, or some background music while you’re plodding through that essay. I must admit that I was surprised by this Jon’s solo work, I expected something with a similar sound to that of Switchfoot, but this change of scene is not entirely unsavoury. Jon’s time away from the band, an opportunity for him to explore his own ideas with freedom, and will hopefully breathe some fresh air into the Switchfoot sounds.

Most songs on this album are reflective in nature and slow in tempo, but my favourite, Resurrect Me, has a faster tempo, and some true cowboy-style guitar sounds. In all honesty, I will admit that this song is most like Foreman’s work in Switchfoot, which I prefer to this solo project. However, I think this track brings a bit of life to an album that would otherwise caress your ears to the point of slumber.

The album has a very back to basics, earthy, raw sound, which Foreman has used to explore his faith and some issues that he has clearly been struggling with. This can most clearly be seen in Instead of a Show, which examines the ways we worship God and calls for us to be involved in social justice.Overall, this album is a good collection of the best Jon's Foreman 4 solo releases, Winter, Spring,Summer & Winter and an interesting change from his usual style of performance.

Becky rating 3 out of 5 Stars
Standout Tracks
Resurrect Me
Instead of a Show
In the House of God, Forever

The Kings Chamber Orchestra - Lost In Love

review by Jono Davies The debut album from The Kings Chamber Orchestra certainly created a buzz and people soon began using "Strings of Heaven" in their Bible quiet times, devotionals & other such "hushed" church moments. Now they're back with the eagerly anticipated second album "Lost in Love". This album is, of course, in the same general style as the debut album; it sees a selection of worship songs, old and new, pulled together with the addition of the smooth sounds of the orchestra on each track. I am told that The Kings Chamber Orchestra, lead by Gerard Le Feuvre who founded the orchestra back in 1985, are sensational live and the overwhelming sense of worship that you get listening to this album seems to confirm this.

I loved the debut album "Strings of Heaven" with its great track listing and I'm sure this album will sell well, if you enjoyed the first album you should certainly pick it up. In my opinion, the track listing is not as interesting as the first and it seems to be missing one or two extra 'classic' tracks. Despite this the album is of top quality, reproducing the orchestras great live sound on CD without losing anything of the atmosphere through the recording process. I now can't wait till the next offering.

Jono rating 3 out of 5 stars
Standout Tracks
My Jesus, My Savior
Worthy Your so Wothy
Faithful One

Choirboys – The Carols Album

review by Rich Smith

For one that isn’t keen on carols and choirs, this was an interesting album to review, however I was taken slightly by surprise as to how good I thought it was. It has given me a new fondness of carols, and I actually want to now go out and sing some. It is very well produced and the boy’s vocals are on form, getting all the right notes, and harmonies in the right places, it is classical, and in a way quite stylish, though it is how carols generally sound, but it is different, it sounds more heavenly. The music from the instruments, mainly woodwind with some strings, and also some brass added to the blend really compliments the album and goes well with the vocals, the arrangements are very well done.

I think some tracks could have been arranged differently though; giving the boy’s a bit more of a chance to display their style, maybe put silent night in some different languages, but now im just being picky. But the album finishes with the perfect ending. In general it is what you would expect from a Carol album, it is traditional, and those who are fans of traditional carols will not be left disappointed, it is a gentle, easy listening album.

Listening to it, brings images of Christmases from long ago, where people would gather together in the village square and sing carols together, on Christmas eve, a beautiful time, a time of peace, and this is what this album offers, it offers listeners to just feel at peace and I feel that is something that is missing from Christmases these days, is the peace, so much is going on around, people shopping, people panicking because of the credit crunch, but its not about presents and shopping, its not about money, Christmas is about the birth of a king, the birth of our saviour Jesus, and this album is just a very gentle reminder of the meaning of Christmas. I recommend just listening to this, take some time away from the crazyness and just welcome the peace the Jesus offers. Beautiful.

Rich Smith Rating 4 out of 5 Stars
Stand out tracks:
In the Bleak Midwinter
Coventry Carol
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Switchfoot – The Best Yet

review by Jono Davies

6 Albums, 10 years, Switchfoots 'The Best Yet' is out. Many people think of greatest hits albums as cashing in on a bands success; a last ditch attempt to hang on as the band is falling away from the public eye, or simply a way to say "We're finished. Thank you and goodbye". Thankfully this particular 'best of ' album doesn't fall into any of those categories. This greatest hits album is a way of giving an album, to all the people who become fans when Switchfoots latest album "oh Gravity" was released, which summarises the highlights of the previous 10 years. It's also an album to cap off a great ten years which have seen the band grow in musical ability as well as seeing their fan base increase exponentially. It must have been hard for the San Diego band to pick their 'best of' as they have so many great albums to look into. However they have succeeded and settled on 18 great tracks which have been featured in movies and won awards over the past decade.

"The Best Yet" includes the massive hits "Meant to Live" & "Dare You To Move" as well as their radio hits "Stars", "Oh Gravity", "Awakening" and "This is Your Life". Each track on this album is pure anthem for a generation. I suppose, if you have all of Switchfoots albums, this might not really need to be purchased, but for anybody who has just recently discovered the pure brilliance of the San Diego boys, then this is a must. The one real problem with Switchfoot's "The Best Yet" it's the knowledge that there's way, way more to come.

Jono Rating 5 out of 5 Stars
Stand out Tracks
Meant to Live
Dare you To Move
Stars

Matthew West – Something to Say

review by Rich Smith Matthew West is back with his third album and he really has something to say, to sing infact. This album has come out of a time when Matthew could not say anything, he lost his voice had to have an operation on his vocal chords and could not speak for a long time, and through that time he had no idea if he would be able to sing again.

Something to say is one miraculously incredible album and I say it is Matthew’s best work to date and definitely one of the best albums of the year! Apart from being fantastically produced, and sounding so on form with both music and strong vocals, the lyrics are just spot on and awesome, which will strongly encourage people from all walks of life, with cry out anthems like all the broken pieces to quieter tunes like safe and sound you can hear the passion and plea in Matthew’s voice through out, which adds to the strength of this album.

This album is really soaked with the spirit and has the ability to speak out to people, really this review does not do the album justice, but sometimes there are no words to describe just how much this album can blow you away by listening to it, if your going through tough times, have questions, or just want one incredible album then this is for you, prepare to be in tears crying out to God, as you take a journey from the start to the end of this album. I have something to say about this album, summed up in one word: incredible.

Rich Smith rating 5 out of 5 Stars
Stand out tracks:
Life inside you
The moment of truth
All the broken pieces

Tobymac – Alive & Transported

review by Ben Sutton

It seems to be a growing trend to release a CD/DVD combo once an artist or group has amassed a certain amount of following and back catalogue material. And if you’re good live why not? I personally love these packs although they make me slightly annoyed at the times when I had to buy both separately. Iv never been a huge fan of Tobymac but have liked enough of his songs to give him a few chances to impress me, and after being keen for a him to do a best of I gladly purchased this album with the hopes of hearing his best songs on CD and seeing what he’s like live. And that is a perfect overview of what you get here. Tobymac’s best of, presented live but with double the passion and energy they could ever capture in the studio.

Tobymac was one of the three men who made up DC Talk, one of the most innovative and successful Christian groups to date, but the Tobymac here or on any of his solo albums is far from alone, his group “the Diverse City band” are as important here as he is. Each member is given their own moments to shine and all accompany each other to great effect as each have their own talents and attributes that shine through on different songs, all of which floats around and compliments Tobmac brilliantly. That said, its clear it’s all about God and there is no one trying to claim any glory here, bible readings, prayers, speeches and continual pointing upward remind us what it’s all about.

The songs are superb, they really pick the best material from Tobymacs three studio albums as well as a good version of DC talk’s “Jesus freak” where Rebecca Barlow appears on stage to guitar with them (though you have to look really hard on the DVD to realise!)The crowd are involved and you can hear them sing along without drowning anyone out, and the recording isn’t too tinny or distorted there’s a very good balance. Whilst watching the DVD you’re enthralled and whilst listening to the CD you could close your eyes and picture being there because the energy comes across on both formats.

There are some great moments that stick in my mind from the DVD, one of the Diverse City band stand on top of a speaker toward the end and does a full back flip off a speaker nearly twice his size! There’s a great bit during “Jesus Freak” where everything stops mid song, the instruments, dances, everything and its like a freeze frame then suddenly all in sync they burst back into life it sent a shiver down my spine! There’s the bit right at the climax of the concert where Tobymac just runs and dives straight into the crowd. And there are many more it’s an amazing concert, it will make you wish you where there if you weren’t!

It’s hard to pick any stand out tracks from a superb collection but “ignition” is always one of my favourites and at the beginning of the concert it works excellently to give u a feel for what is ahead. “Jesus freak” is a fine nod back to Tobymacs previous outings with DC Talk. “Burn for you” is a wonderful track with a beautiful guitar rift that’s very well sang, one for the crowd to join in with and though less lively than some of the other tracks its one that gets you moving in other ways and helps show the diversity of Tobymac and his band. “Extreme days” is just a rip roaring adrenaline fuelled anthem from Tobymac’s first album and stands out at the end of the concert.“Catchafire (Whoopsi daisy) is great fun, another sing along catchy tune for the crowd to get into.

This is one heck of a good concert, fuelled with passion, energy and love for God that comes across plenty with Tobymacs bible readings and talks with the crowd, and then the documentary on the DVD shows the serious side of where he’s at and why he does it all. Though he’s not a young man, he has twice the energy of many people half his age and this comes out in abundance on this CD/DVD. The sheer value of getting two for one and knowing how good Tobymac and Diverse City are live should get you excited, but if not, trust me its fantastic. Hip Hop, pop, rock, R&B, metal, even jazz there are so many genres and music tastes present here without ever feeling lost or confused about what it’s trying to be.

Ben Sutton Rating 5 out of 5 stars.
Standout Tracks
Ignition
Jesus Freak
Extreme Days

Group 1 Crew – Ordinary Dreamers

review by Rich Smith Ordinary Dreamers is the second album from Group 1 Crew, their debut self titled album won a Dove award, unusual for a debut album but not surprising as the album was awesome and very original sounding, with their powerful Latin infused R&B hip hop mix, and they do not fail to deliver this on Ordinary Dreamers. The sound has matured but is still original, and still has awesome uplifting beats and lyrics. Every track on the album is fantastic; it is another one of those rare albums as their first was that you like all the tracks. This album will have you singing along, dancing and just taking you high.

Ordinary Dreamers is brilliantly produced and the rap collaboration between the members of Group 1 Crew flow through the songs, rapping from life experiences from the past and present, with tracks like Critical Emergency on the state of society where people are in desperate need, and with tracks that talk about the Kingdom of God in Keys to the Kingdom and proof of God in I see you, this is one awesome album where the focus is definitely on our saviour Jesus, from the first track Movin’ to the last Living the life, they are all laced with spiritual adrenalin.

This album is a must for Group 1 fans, hip hop fans, and just everyone really, even if you do not like hip hop, im sure you will find Group 1 Crew a real refreshing to hear, I know many who don’t like hip hop but love listing to Group 1, so give it a go, you might be surprised.

Rich Smith Rating 5 stars out of 5
Stand out tracks:
Keys to the Kingdom
Critical Emergency
Live Out Loud

High School The Musical

film review by Rich Smith

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is the third instalment of the High School Musical franchise and is the first to be shown on the big screen. Set in the senior year of High School, they decide to put on one final musical. High School Musical 3 is a good clean family film full of dancing and song and with a bigger production budget, it is a sure hit with the fans. But it won’t be everyone’s cup of coffee, especially if you drink it.

To be honest though I was slightly disappointed with the film, I am a fan of music and dance films, and like the previous two high school musical films, however I think I was expecting more, the production of the film was bigger, they had more special effects and bigger sets, however I think that brought the viewer away from the originality of the first two films, they seemed to focus more on the production then on the songs and dancing, which I believe could have been better, and they borrowed songs or bits of songs from the previous films. Though having said that, I feel that the film will probably grow on me, and being kinda like a critic I do focus on different things than a child does, and having spoken to various children and fans of High School Musical, they love the film!

So even though having said what I have said, I do recommend this film to fans of High School Musical, and those that do like films of a similar nature.

Rich Smith Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Charlie Hall - The Bright Sadness

Review by Jono Davies

The Bright Sadness is Charlie Hall’s 4th album and, to be honest, it is the first full album, of his, that I have had. Of course I have had the honour of hearing his great vocals on numerous other albums, including a few tracks on all eight of the live Passion Albums, where he has been leading worship for a while.

The album, according to Charlie Hall, “comes from me understanding my ordinary human condition and my deep love for Jesus.” This issounds like a good theme for an album. The Bright Sadness was recorded in Oklahoma City & LA and deals with a lot of issues and themes that are at the forefront of the church; redemption, compassion and injustice. Lyrically, as an album, it also deals with the issues of brokenness and real life struggles. The best part of the whole album has to be the brilliant Lyrics, each track deals with a different issue.Of course I have a favriote and The lyrics of the track “Hookers & Robbers” are the perfect example of this brilliance. There is something very different, yet uplifinting and interesting about the sounding of this track which I found very appealing. Another beautiful crafted track is album opener “Chainbreaker” with its powerful guitar which leads beautifully into what I thought was the second best track on the album in “New Year”. On a different matter, Some tracks on this album don’t do much musically but, as I said before and ill say it again, the lyrics on this album always keep you listening.

I wasn’t sure how to review this album as each track is different to the last and well worth getting into, overall, a fantastic album with great bass melodies and driving guitar riffs but its sadly not an outstanding album. You probably will not find yourselves singing these songs in your local church on a Sunday morning. However, it is still a CD to inspire you to worship and one which deals with many issues. This is a enjoyable album, just not a great album. It’s certainly well worth a listen to.

Jono Rateing 4 out of 5 Stars
Stand Out Tracks
Chainbreaker
New Year
Hookers & Robbers

Chris Tomlin – Hello Love

review by Little Jon

I have had this album for about two weeks now, and have had it on a number of times. But to be honest, I’ve struggled to really forge an opinion of it. That may be a good thing. Jono and I have had several conversations about how dangerous it is to judge or criticise worship songs, because at the end of the day you’re not worshipping the song, or the author, or the author; you’re worshipping God – and let’s face it; He’s perfect!

My initial thoughts when I first put the album on were “I’ve already got this song ... and this one.” I immediately recognised two of the first four songs as being from the latest Passion album, and considered turning it off, as I’m not a fan of the latest Passion album. However, I’m pleased to say that version of ‘Sing, sing, sing’ and ‘God of this City’ are better than I’ve heard anywhere else. In fact the quality of the whole album is very high.

In fact the more I listen to this album, the more I begin to love it. The simplicity of many of these songs lends them very well to be played and sung in church. On the whole, it’s quite a gentle album – lots of strings and choirs. However there are exceptions (‘You lifted me out’ being a very good exception). And really that’s what I would have liked more of - more variety. This is a very good album, and I would thoroughly recommend it as a purchase, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to add it to our growing list of four star Christian albums. Very good – but not quite a classic.

Little Jon rating it 4 out 5 Stars
Stand out Tracks
You Lifted Me Out
Sing Sing Sing
God of This City

David Crowder Band :- Remedy Club Live Tour

review by Jono

Let me start by saying that I am not a big fan of live albums and I honestly doubt that I ever will be. I love seeing a band play live, the atmosphere & sheer volume of a gig, the different people around you, the energy of the band and that overwhelming sense that just about anything could happen. This feeling just can’t, in my opinion, be conveyed by a live album, the screams of a thousand people when the band take to the stage & the applause after each song really doesn’t add to the music and can sometimes detract something from an otherwise good song.

However, I am a big fan of the David Crowder Band, they were our Artist of the Month last month and their last album, “Remedy”, was the best album of the year, as far as I’m concerned. So could this album be the one to change my opinion of live albums? Sadly, no. Each track on the album is amazing, pure brilliance at times, but you are quite likely to have their last few albums so you’re gaining nothing new. After the initial screaming and clapping the mix of fans singing is very low and the recording does sound very polished, you do also get a DVD of the gig, which, I believe, is far better than a live CD. The DVD at least allows you to watch the band on stage and some of the crowd watching, unfortunately there seem to be very few camera options, the editing is a little ‘samey’ and uncreative and the visuals are nothing special or exciting.

I truly hate being negative about any album and try to find the best in everything. David Crowder Band are great at pulling out creative songs for their albums, in this instance it feels as though they are trying to wring out the last few ounces of life from what was, and remains, a classic album in “Remedy”; and I don’t use the term ‘classic’ lightly. I do regret being negative about this album, and obviously it is only my personal opinion, I just feel that it doesn’t add anything to their previous albums. As I said, I’m not a fan of live albums so this album would have had a long way to go to win me over completely, however, in reality I don’t believe it ever came close. I shall have to wait for their next new offering and hope for a return of the creativity that we know and love.

Jono rating 1 out 5 Stars

CompassionART

review by Jono

CompassionART It’s here! However, before starting the review I wanted to share what this album is all about & how it came to be. Finding himself traversing from one extreme to the polar opposite, sitting in plush, 5-star hotel rooms before going to the slums to minister to some of the poorest people in the world, Martin Smith (Delirious? Frontman) was struck by the dichotomy of the situation. He felt called to do something about it. Calling on 11 friends to join him, he decided to give in the way he knew best; through his gift for music.

The group of 12 cleared their schedules and came together for a songwriting retreat. What makes it even more amazing a feat is that all 12 members of the group happen to be amongst the most well-known and gifted Christian songwriters in the world. The 14 songs that we see revealed on this album are the fruit of this retreat. So what makes this album different from other charity albums? The simple answer is that ALL of the proceeds raised by the album and, further still, from each song featured on the album will go directly to the poorest communities in the world. The songwriters will not receive a penny.

You can see that the pressure when reviewing this album was high, I surely couldn’t slate an album such as this regardless of the quality of the actual content. Thankfully any worries I may have had were short lived. The songwriters, who together account for at least 42 millions album sales, 82 No.1 songs, 10 Grammy Awards, 118 Dove Awards, 2 Stellar Awards, 2 American Music Awards and 98 current CCLI Top 500 songs, were joined by 7 genre defining vocalists during the recording of this album and those talents are clearly on display throughout the album.
Each track on the CompassionART album is different from the last displaying the range of styles and sounds of both the songwriters and vocalists. The amalgamation of talent on this album is truly astounding, opening with the rocking “Come to the Water” containing the passion filled and sincere vocals of Chris Tomlin followed by the funky gospel sound of “Shout of Praise”, sung by Israel Houghton, Toby Mac & Darlene Zschech. Immediately following these powerful & passionate songs is my personal favourite, “King of Wonders”, sung by Matt Redman, Tim Hughes & Joel Houston. You can easily imagine this song on the next Matt Redman album, simple chords with a beautiful chorus (sung by Hughes) that will surely be sung in churches everywhere for the next few years.

For an album that was recorded so quickly, (3 days in Abbey Road), the quality and purity of the sound is amazing. There is some great guitar work on “Fill My Cup”, which had me singing all the way to work. Overall it is a great album, I don’t want to spoil it for you aas it is truly an album which you have to listen to, I have nothing but positive comments to make about this album. The fact that every single time this album is bought/played in church you know it is helping improve & save lives in the poorest communities in the world makes it worth buying in itself, it’s an added bonus that the music is great too. A definate must-have album.

Jono rating 5 stars out of 5
To Buy the album from survivor.co.uk click here

Krystal Myers :- Make Some Noise

review by Jono

I first had the opportunity to hear the self titled debut album from Krystal Myers 2-3 years ago. The style of the album was very much from the same mould as a certain Avril Lavigne. I very much enjoyed her debut, especially the track “My Saviour” and The Jono Show gave it 9 out of 10 at the time. Krystal Myers is back with her third album ‘Make Some Noise’ and having moved away from the sound of the angry American guitar girl which has somewhat died in recent years, it has a very ‘now’ sound. The first track, “Make Some Noise”, sounds much like something penned by Katy Perry (with the exception of the slightly questionable lyrics). The album is filled with track after track of amazing tunes which are verging on dance tracks, in much the same style as so many new & popular songs at this time.

Overall, if you did like the style and sound of Krystal’s first album then you may like this album but probably not. That’s not to say that the great “Reflections of You” wouldn’t have easily fitted onto the debut album, it is just that this album has a different kind of sound. I personally like it and the fresh, up-to-date sound that it possesses. Will it stand the test of time? I’m not so sure, as is the case whenever music takes a new turn, we never know just how long it’ll remain in favour. I find that I like the directions that Krystal has taken with this album & hope she continues pushing the boundaries of Christian music without getting stuck into any one set style for her entire career. Whether you like the new style or not is something you’ll have to decide upon but it’s certainly and album that is worth checking out.

Jono rating :- 4 out of 5 stars

If you would like to purchase the cd from Integrity.com click here

Storylines : - Tracing threads that run through the Bible

By Mike Pilavachi & Andy Croft
review by Jono

Now I don’t read many books, (but please don’t look down on me, I can simply never find the time). However, when I was given this book, ‘Storylines’ by Soul Survivor founder, Mike Pilavachi, I simply had to read it. ‘Storylines’ is a book which addresses the issue that faces many people, young and old alike. So many of us quite simply don’t know how to read the Bible, what’s in it and how it relates to itself & our lives now. This book deals with all of this by exploring the main themes in the Bible: covenant, kingdom, salvation, presence, worship and Jesus.

Personally I didn’t know what to expect from the book, for a start it has no pictures! What this book did manage to do, for someone like me, was take me on a journey through the history of the Bible, through the issues that arise, the reasons that things happen and also the way in which the Old and New Testaments link together. Whether you are old or young in your faith this book will help you take those extra steps into learning more about the amazing Bible. ‘Storylines’ has, if anything, made me want to seek more of God through his word and that is always a good thing.
Fancy reading this book yourself click here to buy the book from Survivor.co.uk

5 stars out of 5

Hillsong - This Is Our God

The Jono Show would like to welcome our newest reviewer to the stage, Mr Little Jon. Me and Little Jon have been friends since we were very little, so please give him a very warm welcome.
His first review is of The Latest Hillsong album "This is our God"

The first time I heard this album I was in a prayer room in August 2008, and I loved it. If you want a worship album to quieten your heart and help you relax in God’s presence you can’t much better than this. Because the majority of these songs are simple and fairly repetitive, it doesn’t take long for these 16 new songs to become familiar, and you’ll soon find them stuck in your head.

But for me, the problem with Hillsong’s albums has never been the quality of the songs, or the recording, or even some of the cheesy lyrics at times; but that all the songs, after a while, sound the same. The sound is good, but it can easily get tiresome. Take a look at bands like U2, Delirious? and Switchfooot. Their success is partly due to the variety of sounds they can produce, within and between albums. Does worship music always have to have such a clean sound? I don’t think so.

Back to the good stuff; you can’t deny that the songs on these albums aren’t creative and very powerful. It’s refreshing to hear bands not afraid to carry songs on and continue worshipping after a song would normally have finished. This is probably the best example of this since Delious?’s album Glo. Some people may accuse Hillsong of putting on more of a show than a worship time, but in my opinion, if your focus is on God you are worshipping. It doesn’t matter if it’s an electric guitar solo, a symphony orchestra, or an organ that leads you into his presence – it’s the fact that you’re there that matters.

Little Jon's score :- 8 out of 10

Live To Worship 4

Various Artist
review by Jono

It’s like the arrival of the newest Star Wars movie, so far we’ve had three compilations albums from the “Live to Worship” series and now our wait is over and the newest offereing has arrived. It seems like only yesterday that I was given the first of, what is now known in the industry as, “the best compilation album series”. So, what’s new with this album? Live to Worship 4 features 28 tracks, using only original artist recordings, compiled from todays greatest worship songs. Some people may say that sounds perfect recipe for a compilation album and I would have to agree.

Each song adds something new and unique to the blend from the beautiful, indie “God of this City” to the equally inspiring R&B sound of “I am a friend of God” by Israel Houghton. This truly is a great album, full of uplifting songs that you’ll hear in churches for years to come. My only concern is the number of songs which also feature on other compilation albums, or have been around for a few years. This isn’t to say that they are bad songs, simply that people may think it’s just more of the same.

All in all Live to Worship 4 is a great addition to the series. Is it the best? I’m not so sure, it’s good, it does exactly what you expect of it but I don’t think it surpasses its predecessors. In movie terms, is the 4th film the last installment or is there more waiting just around the corner?

Jono Verdict 8 out of 10

Buy this album at Purashop.com

Brenton Brown - Because of Your Love

review by Jono

When artists or bands, who have been around for years, release a new album we often find ourselves developing an idea of how we expect it to sound, even before we have heard the first chord. Sadly bands do, all too often, get trapped into a certain sound or style and this can cause problems, sometimes leaving the music feeling tired or stale. When I got Brenton Brown’s new album, ‘Because of Your Love’, I thought I knew what it was going to sound like; thankfully he surprised me.

Brenton Brown’s first album on Survivor Records was ‘Everlasting God’, a project crammed full of amazing songs. Indeed the song ‘Everlasting God’ itself has become a major church worship song globally and has been featured on albums by Chris Tomlin, YFriday and Lincoln Brewster: Brewster’s version even topped the US CCM chart.

This new album is 13 tracks of pure, high standard songwriting. In terms of style Brenton hasn’t really taken this album anywhere new, he hasn’t changed the face of worship. However, although not breaking any moulds, he uses this well-established, and well-liked, formula to write and record 13 great songs which can be used in churches or small groups alike without sounding stale or worn.

On this album Brenton has delved into his past to re-record 3 classic Vineyard songs, ‘Holy Holy’, ‘All Who Are Thirsty’ and ‘Humble King’. Initially I found this annoying as I thought they were simply old songs being re-recorded. Although they are well recorded I still wonder if maybe Brenton could, or should, have had 3 new ones to work with. The album does feature a couple of co-writes with Paul Baloche, ‘Our God Saves’ & ‘Because of Your Love’, which are both very, very good.

Brenton’s band features Dwayne Larring on an album recorded to the highest standard and produced by Joe Baldridge (Tree 63’s ‘Sunday Album’). The recording and mixing of this album are pure quality.

All in all, this album displays the high level of songwriting skill, and the energy, that we would expect from Brenton Brown as well as some of the best vocals I have ever heard. Be ready to sing these songs at a variety of different events and festivals in addition to your own churches.

I would have given this album 8 out of 10 but sadly the inclusion of the 3 old Vineyard songs somewhat spoilt it for me. So….

Jono Verdict:- 7 out of 10

ELECTRALYTE:-SCRATCH BENEATH THE SURFACE

Review by Jono
Electralyte first came to my attention when I saw them supporting Delirious on their UK tour. The last thing I expect when I go to gigs it to be blown away by the support band & when this previously unknown, to me, 3-piece ensemble took to the stage I must admit I feared the worst. I immediately worried that they were simply going to be a Christian Blink 182, or Greenday, rock punk band who should have released an album 4 yrs agowho were trying to jump on a bandwagon that had long since left. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised & really enjoyed their set. Then, one fine summers day, an Electralyte album popped through my door; from then on I've been a massive fan.

Firstly, lets go back in time slightly to give you a brief history of the band. The band was originally started because the Salvation Army wanted to start a rock band, in order to help young people worship in a style that is more accessible & familiar to them; Electralyte was born. In 2006 they receivedsome great reviews in the Christian music press for the album "Breakout" and they have continued their success from there. Initially brought together as a 3-piece, the band have recently added a second guiterist to the line-up bringing a new edge to their sound.

Back in the present day and we have their newest offering, the newly released "Scratch Beneath The Surface". So, what does it sound like? Let me start by saying that I love this album; it's so British, so in your face, without being rude; aggressive without shouting; rock and roll without the egos. An amalgamation of the best bits of British music without any of the unwelcome extras that so often feature. If I had to put them in a box I would have to say they're a combination of the anthem style of The Manics with the sound of Steve or early Stereophonics.

This album contains the perfect balance of anthems, rock tunes and ballads needed to create an amazing overall sound. You've got the radio singles in "Athens" and "Again Again", the live anthem in "Where In The World", the beautiful chords & vocals in "Stardust" and even the slightly strange "Lets Get Married" all of which come together to corm an album which blew me away.

If you want an album that is pure rock yet still has a whole lot of roll, this is it! The new British revolution starts here!

Jono rating:- Ten out of ten
Stand out tracks:- "Again Again", "Where In The World" & "Stardust"

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