Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

His first album in three years, 'Explosions Of Light' sees Atlanta, Georgia-based singer/songwriter John Waller continue to offer up songs relating to the Christian faith in radio friendly fashion. The upbeat opener "You Say I Am" - dealing with finding identity in Christ - kicks off a collection of songs that hone in on the singer's personal relationship with God with each track benefitting from Waller's perfect pop voice and the kind of CCM savvy sound (produced here by Dove Award-winner Ian Eskelin) that has become the man's trademark. Tour de force numbers like "Comeback" and "Epic" reflect the general anthemic feel of the album although quieter pieces like the autobiographical "Mama's Prayers" - which happens to share the same hook as the Michael Card classic "El Shaddai" - do help provide some subtlety amidst the broader brush strokes used elsewhere. Lyrically, Waller keeps things fairly accessible whilst explaining with clarity what God has done for him although the painful line "she doesn't understand the reasons why I get all like Liam Neeson" in the Avicii-like stomper "Mine" and the "whole lotta Jesus and a little caffeine" premise of the workmanlike "Awakening" do see Waller's writing dip uncharacteristically below par at times. Nonetheless, the thought-provoking song of trust "When God Says No" will be incredibly helpful to those facing disappointment whilst the likes of "I Choose You" and "Here's My Yes" sees Waller close a pleasing if artistically safe album in forthright fashion.

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.

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.