Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Brian Becker is a singer, it's other people who mostly write his songs which, on this album, are dished out with lashings of sentimentality and just about manage to stay on the right side of the cringe factor, (i.e. Jesus "is waiting for our tender touch.") This fresh-faced American wants to rock our socks off, I mean, bless us each one, but the music won't sit down, like a car that kangaroos down the road. The snare accents on the third beat like it should be a reggae song but the rest of the band is trying to play a funky tune. Saxophones and other brass blare rather aimlessly. There's a version of the hymn, "I Surrender All" which starts off with a searing guitar having a go at something like Gary Moore's "Parisian walkways" but the bends make the axe sound slightly out of tune. Overall, 'Daring 2 B Different' is well recorded. And the drums sound beefy. But if the music has no soul no amount of turning up the kick drum in the mix will save it.

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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