Reviewed by Ewan Jones

The feeling that I get while listening to 'Felt' is the same shiver-down-the-spine that I felt when Mew's 'Frengers' first drifted dreamily from my speakers - and the sensation doesn't diminish on repeat listening. It's ironic that as Anberlin are starting to make a splash in the UK rock scene after five albums into their career, Stephen Christian's side project sneaks up and wins this reviewer over with its imagination, charm and genuine likeability. Christian's voice is passionate and soulful, sometimes a confident falsetto and at other times barely audible, intentionally cushioned deep in the mix, only to break out and blow you away a moment later. Meanwhile, brass instruments stab, xylophones plink, pianos take the lead and flutes haven't sounded so beautifully melancholy since "Fool On The Hill". Guitars come and go, drenched in reverb for solos, beats and electronic samples tease amongst the diverse instruments. Strings soar over "Blur" and "Sheet Music/Sheet Music" while "Calm, Calm, Calm Yourself" sounds like an old time number that McCartney would have snuck onto the White Album - a little out of place, but quirky and sweet, you soon realise that you wouldn't have the album without it. "Wedding/Funeral" is a heartbreaking song with zero cliche - it's a gorgeous, piano-led track bookended with vinyl samples that genuinely add a sense of lost time. An unexpected delight that has great depth.

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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