Fitch Says. . .

I first heard this band's music pretty much where everyone else did, on the "Extreme Days" soundtrack. Their offering ("Loss for Words") made me think of a poppier version of Matchbox 20 or a harder version of (insert Boy Band name here). When I heard their stuff on DC Talk's "Solo" album, though, they caught me. The almost-alternative-but-not-quite sound of "Alibi" was actually intriguing, and lead singer Michael (who the band's named after) showed that laying down the soul over heavy guitar hooks works pretty well, and I gave it a try. (Hey, if it works for Lenny Kravitz...) Seriously, though, this is a very good first effort from these guys, and there are quite a few gems on this CD. Yeah, they sound a lot like Lenny, but the lyrics are awesome and send good vibes and messages. The roads Mike and the boys travel down lyrically really provoke thought and inspiration. They talk about racism ("Tragedy"), temptation ("Empty"), persecution ("Spy"), perseverance ("All You Got") and other issues Christians face today, and send the messages without pushing too hard. One of the best songs on the CD is "Talk About Jesus", which is a unique sort of story about someone who has a hard time believing in the great works of God when he sees nothing but hatred and destruction around him. What makes it unique is that it's told from the non-believer's point of view. Some big talent went into putting this album together, too, with Pete Stewart (former headman of Grammatrain) lending his keyboards and huge writing talent to many of the songs, and even Michael W. Smith himself(!!) making an appearance on piano for the last track ("Unglued"). "Empty" is quite the departure from DC Talk's sound, but it's worth the trip. I hope these guys will get together for another go in the future. I recommend it.