Starfield - Beauty In The Broken

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The band from Winnipeg, Canada made an arresting record label debut with 'Starfield' and now this towering, passionate and edgy rock music album builds on that to make this one of the best worship albums of the year. Production maestro Ed Cash understands the light and shade dynamics of the best rock and as he did with Chris Tomlin allows the layered guitars to swirl and sway around the haunting vocals to make a sound which will come across on the radio while never disguising the fact that the songs here are intended for corporate worship. Singer/guitarist Tim Neufield has been quoted as saying it is essential that the band "write and record songs on this album that will lend themselves to being singable" and, as with the best Tomlin, that indeed is what has been achieved. Four songs here are near classics, "My Generation" (with a solo piano belying the initial blast of heavy guitars); the chugging rhythm and The Edge-like guitar sounds underpinning "The Hand That Holds The World"; a wistful, mid tempo "Captivate" which starts with a simple acoustic rhythm before developing into almost an alt country vibe; and "Obsession" (no, not the Delirious? number), another floating, mid tempo number with a confessional lyric and a surging chorus. Clearly, there's still plenty of creativity and passion left in the loud guitars and anthemic choruses of the modern worship template.