Reviewed by Haydon Spenceley

This Florida pop-rock four-piece are among the most heavily promoted of this year's slew of new bands to come out of the US CCM scene. Often, these bands don't have the songs to back up the hype, but I'm glad to report that Tenth Avenue North most certainly do. While their sound is not really groundbreaking, their amalgam of acoustic-led indie rock, with some strong alternative leanings (Switchfoot and Future Of Forestry come to mind) works very well. Similarly, the straight ahead lyrics which permeate the whole album will get you singing along in no time, right from the opener and lead single "Love Is Here" to the atmospheric closer "Hallelujah". While, sonically, the band probably could have pushed further, this is a pleasingly artistic worship album, with enough potential singles, as well as enough songs which would work in corporate worship. Tenth Avenue North's debut is definitely one to search out, and in Mike Donehey they have a leader to watch out for in the future.

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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