Reviewed by Tony Cummings

For my money NeedToBreathe are the best Southern rock band in Christendom and like all their thousands of fans I've been waiting three long years for the followup to 'The Reckoning'. It's certainly been worth the wait. The hit single "The Heart" with its rollicking, knee-slapping, banjo-driven rhythm and its hugely catchy chorus ("Long live the heart/Long live the soul/That knows what it wants/That piece you can find/That part is the whole/It never lets go") is as infectious as measles while the abrasive rocker "Feet, Don't Fail Me Now" has a guitar riff to run on hot coals for. Their years of touring have given them a tight, bluesy sound while lead singer Bear Rinehart is surely one of the most underrated singers on the scene today with his close-mic'd vocal on the acoustic-driven opener "Wasteland" being a haunting example of country-tinged introspection. The fact that this delicious album has made number one in America's Christian music album chart and number 12 in the mainstream album chart demonstrates once again that when you've got quality songwriting and a band on the top of their game, all resistance melts away.

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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