Reviewed by Paul Keeble

This is the first album from the winners of the 2004 Exalting Him National Talent Search. Guess which country? Right. As is usual on American albums, there is tight and accomplished playing with tidy and polished arrangements and lively production. And as usual I find myself longing for a bit of letting rip! Only at the end of the first track, the up-tempo "From Your Hands", does guitarist Jesse Triplet really cut loose and it is a glorious if brief pointer to how good these guys could be live. Lead singer Shane Bower's voice reminds me of Lindsay Buckingham (this is good!). The songs are well written, "One Step Away" being a highlight, lyrics nicely crafted mostly avoiding easy cliche. Julian Drive are obviously talented and intelligent and I'd love to have seen some songs on this album (on ANY worship album!) that bring a Christian perspective on real situations that concern ordinary people rather than a one-dimensional focus on personal faith. That reservation aside, a solid debut.

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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