Reviewed by Ian Webber

With their dance-driven brand of rock, this five piece outfit from Texas produce perfect material for remix treatment. 'Control' was previously reviewed on the Cross Rhythms website, but this expanded edition includes four remixes from some notable musicians. As highlighted in the original review, strong vocals in the style of Martin Smith lead this release, but strains of the Newsboys can be heard throughout the more upbeat chart friendly tracks. It is these dance ready offerings that have been revisited. Of the new additions, each track has its own merits. Family Force 5's Solomon Olds produces a driving, commercial "Feel It In Your Heart" that really picks up energy levels at the tail of the album whilst Darren King from Mutemath provides an interesting set of drum loops and dissonant rhythms on "Live It Out". Personally I thought the inclusion of muddy guitars in "New Year's Day" added little, but this only set up the excellent David Crowder remix which gave the lightest of touches and oozed quality. Abandon have definitely added to this collection with these new extras and are certainly a band who are comfortable in a pop groove. If you missed the original release, the four extra tracks make this package a little more appealing.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.