Reviewed by Stella Redburn

It's so refreshing to find a Christian album that breaks out of the CCM mould and uses imagination and flair to re-tell aspects of faith and bring them to life. Dave and Licia Radford, from Crystal Lake, near Chicago, define their style as "narrative folk pop" and these songs allow the pop to break out a bit more than previously. The story-telling is an important part of their style as they say they have found that "sometimes the most powerful and effective way of communicating truth is through story." All these lyrics reveal faith seen through a different lens and the theme throughout is hope. They manage to combine the aching simplicity of Dave's attractive voice with a new, heavier feel which to me makes the catchy choruses even better. The title track is a good example of the full sound produced by the multi-tracked layers. Other favourites are "Take This Slowly" with a great build up from delicate acoustic to a self-assured big climax, and "Diamonds And Gold", a pop-influenced big electronic sound as they explore what is precious in life. "This My Soul", which tells the story of creation, the garden, the fall and the incarnation is my favourite track, with a clever chorus.

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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