You know, I really shouldn’t like Avalon. I spend enough time ranting about pop groups thrown together by a record label in a quick attempt to make money who don’t play their own instruments or write their own songs. Most new Christian singer/songwriters who come down the pike get rated in my little world on how vulnerable and emotional they are, and how much of an album they can pull off without too much outside help. So why in the world do I own every album this foursome has put out? (That excludes their Christmas album, of course - I just don’t do Christmas music, and their newest record Oxygen, which hasn’t hit stores yet, but which I’ve heard through Napster and also enjoy.) I can’t really explain it. Maybe I forgot that sometimes, a record label could audition a vocal group, hire some songwriters and a producer and all that, and actually get it right. This is more or less the case with Avalon. They debuted on the Young Messiah Tour in 1995, put out their first album in 1996, and from there, they’ve put out an album every year. This is the kind of high-energy pop music that can be fluffy at times, but you have to give Avalon credit – they have a lot of songs given to them for each album, and they do a darn good job of picking the ones that suit their style. Almost every song they’ve put out has burned up Christian radio charts – from the early days when their power-ballad ode to destiny, "The Greatest Story" first caught my ear, to the unthinkably huge smashes from their second album, "Testify to Love" and "Adonai", to this album, which is only a slight step back from the intense success that was A Maze of Grace. A few things have changed. One of their powerhouse female vocalists, Nikki Hassman, left the group in 1998 to pursue a career in mainstream pop music. Her replacement – the youngest member of the group – is Cherie Paliotta, and overall, I find her voice to be a smoother fit with this group – she can deliver a song without getting too caught up in the vocal acrobatics. She is joined by the other three members who have been with the group from the first album – Janna Potter (who can belt it out when she needs to), Michael Passons (whose vocals are subtler but warm and welcoming) and Jody McBrayer (who adds a slight touch of the feistier, boy-band vocal stylings to the mix). All of this would mean nothing without some respectable music (they’ve always had a good balance of deliciously catchy pop/dance tracks and solid ballads) and lyrics that at least try to extend beyond Christian cliches. Are there any tracks like that on this album? Definitely.

Take You at Your Word
This song is bar-none the best way to start off an album like this – a slamming techno-pop sort of track with some great, soaring vocals from the group, well written encouraging lyrics, and just enough real instrumentation to give the song a heart. It fades in with the group singing "Your word is life/Your word is love/Your word is truth" over and over, getting louder and louder until the bass-heavy beat kicks in. The song was a timely reminder to me when it came out – God said we didn’t have to worry, and God will always provide, and there’s just no sense losing sleep over it. Yes, we will have problems and we will have pain, but there is no excuse to assume God will leave you behind in a tough time. Contained in a song like this, the lyrics just had to make this bitter, cynical boy smile.

In Not Of
The second track seems to slow things down a bit soon, but listen up – it’s one of Avalon’s deepest songs to date. It floats along quite comfortably on a slightly urban beat, accentuated by a cool trumpet playing in the background. Though the message is obvious from the title (Christians should be in the world, not of it), the song does a great job of delving into exactly what that means. It addresses the tendency Christians have to shut themselves out from the real world instead of choosing to face it and be honest with it about the hope that they have. It basically asks the listener to put their idle words into action: "Wait a minute/If we say we love them/Why are we not in it/Why we run and hide/Entertain a stranger/Maybe entertain an angel/The danger is if our worlds don’t collide." Kudos to Nick Gonzales (who, by the way, is the lead singer of the Latin praise band Salvador) and Grant Cunningham for penning a great song.

In a Different Light
I’m not as sure about this track. It’s upbeat and catchy, but a little too bubbly and perky for my taste. It’s a pretty simple song of encouragement – don’t worry, because everything will work out in the end and it will all make more sense when you’re looking back at your trials from a different angle. Sort of a continuation on the thought of the first song, but I don’t think it’s nearly as convicting.

Can’t Live a Day
One of the biggest singles from this project, along with the first two tracks. It’s a keyboard-based ballad featuring Janna on the lead vocal – and it’s definitely one of her finest moments. The overall tone of the song is sappy at first, but I do like how Janna describes several different things that people dream of achieving, such as seeing the world and being rich and all that, and affirming that she’d be miserable without the hope of Christ. You might think, Easy for them to say, they’re shiny, happy, pretty people with a hugely successful music career. But choosing Janna to lead on this song was wise – she had an engagement broken off either before or during the recording of this album. So she’s gotta feel every word of this song, even if she didn’t write it. The only real complaint I have about this song is that someone got the great idea that it should be marketed to mainstream pop radio, and they did a not-so-subtle edit to take out the "Oh, Jesus" in the bridge. I’m all for crossover success. But let’s not mess with somebody’s songwriting to do it.

Always Have, Always Will
After the previous song fades out into the soft sound of an old record player, this song picks up the pace with some refreshingly real instrumentation – the song starts out with an acoustic guitar and builds with real drums and electric guitar. I wouldn’t say the song "Rocks", but it’s a nice change of pace for Avalon, whose music up until this point has been highly synthesized. Michael takes the lead for the verses, describing the all-too-common habit of simultaneously loving God and breaking God’s heart with the things we do. I guess the lyrics are quite a breath of fresh air here, too – they are on much of this album. The conclusion is that God’s love for us still exists regardless of our stupid mistakes – we’ll always be sinners and we might as well admit it. This song really soars on the bridge, when the guitars and drums open up a little more and all four vocalists are going at once. It’s one of those songs that reminds me why pre-fabricated groups aren’t always a bad thing.

I’m Speechless
This is the first song where Cherie gets her chance to shine – as I said, she’s a welcome addition to the group. The lyrics may be a little weak, describing artists and poets and the like who try to describe God and then simply concluding that there’s nothing we can say to truly describe God – it’s definitely true, but I guess Steven Curtis Chapman did a better job of addressing this theme (which isn’t Avalon’s fault; his album came out later that year). The tone of the music is a little too girly and lovesick for my tastes. But it’s not a bad song. Avalon just has more powerful tunes in its arsenal.

If My People Pray
Another barn-burner of a ballad. It starts off with some slow, contemplative keyboard tones and builds from there, developing into a song with a bit of a Gospel feel to it, just due to the background vocals (I think there may be more than just the four members of Avalon on this one). The chorus is written from the point of God, and taken pretty much straight from the Bible, carrying a similar message to Rebecca St. James’ song "Pray": "If my people pray/And reach for Me with hearts that are broken/I will not forget what I’ve spoken/Come and seek My face/And Heaven will reign/Rivers of my grace overflowing/Night and day my ears will be open/If my people pray." The verses seem to be from a human point of view, which is an interesting counterpoint, but the tone is still just as hopeful. It may not be anything I haven’t already heard, but it’s still a powerful tune. I really like how underneath the chorus is an alternate vocal line with slightly different lyrics, which complements it nicely.

Only for the Weak
This song definitely has its roots in irony. It only barely speeds up the tempo from the past few songs, but the lyrics really nail it on this one, with a clever approach just to make sure you’re listening. (Does anyone remember Steve Taylor's classic song "Jesus Is for Losers"? Same idea.) I think Michael and Jody share the lead on this one. The tune is ominous – remaining firmly on the pop realm, but not always taking the notes where you’d expect them to go. The main point of the song is a warning to those who consider themselves to be the "holier" Christians – Jesus came to heal the sick, and those who can’t admit to their own sinfulness and need for help need not apply.

Let Your Love
This unabashedly techno-influenced song picks the pace up after the crisp, clean ending of the last track. It may not be as bass-heavy as "Take You at Your Word", but it’s darn catchy, and it has just the right melody for a pick me up. Lyrics such as "In a dream I’m falling" add just the right touch of elation to the tune, and once again we get some nicely interwoven vocals from the entire group, which are the last thing we hear as the song fades out.

Hide My Soul
I didn’t realize it at first, but this is one of the key songs on this album. I don’t know if it was ever a radio single or not – it should have been. It deals rather generally, but still bravely, with the concept of suffering, creeping in on a tense note and driving along on a steady beat. Michael is at the lead again here, at least at the beginning, as he sets the mood for the dark period his faith is going through, wondering "Can you see the pain behind my smile/The tears run down my face/Will the sun ever shine on me again?" Avalon may not deal with it as specifically, but this "Dark night of the soul" is something all Christians go through sooner or later. The promise that "There will be no pain in Heaven" helps us somewhat, but more importantly, Christ has offered us a refuge and reason to take comfort here and now, in this life. I think it’s the same theme that the title track was going for, but it comes across with much more urgency here. A more aggressive mood and some nice echoing vocals from the band catapult this song into a more special place than where most pop music goes.

First Love
Well, we couldn’t expect to end an Avalon album with anything other than a peaceful ballad. It starts off on a gentle note, though still a sad one, as the lyrics describe a stale faith, a person who is no longer excited about Jesus. The song is a simple prayer for God to bring back the fire we once knew – it’s like a more personal version of "If My People Pray". Musically, it may venture once again into slightly sappy territory, but the message is solid, and something Christians need to hear, especially in the context of many of the other songs on this album ("In Not Of", "Always Have, Always Will", "Only for the Weak") that fully admit we Christians don’t have it all together. The song doesn’t offer all the answers; it just recognizes how we all felt at one point or another, affirming that we can have that passion back if it is truly our desire.

In the end, this CD is a worthwhile listen if you’re looking for encouraging Christian music that will also challenge you to not just stay where you are in your faith. You might have though Avalon was another trite, oversimplified pop group, but you haven’t seen them in this light before. However, I say this with caution, because this has all been done many times before. Avalon just has that extra energy and cross-gender appeal that will catch fans who weren’t as impressed with Point of Grace or 4Him. But if youre tastes run more on the rock side, I won’t expect this to impress you. It’s okay. Avalon’s comfortable where they’re at on this album.

I’ll have to review the next album soon (once Epinions adds it to the site). I won’t go into too much detail here, but it’s different. Avalon has started courting a younger audience in the new millennium, and I’m not sure the results of that experiment are as solid as their second and third albums.

Oh, by the way, if you’re wondering why I dedicated this review to Cherie Paliotta – it’s because I very randomly ran across her on Napster not too long ago. She noticed that I had the new songs already, and she found this amusing, unlike many artists who would be indignant to find out someone had downloaded their album before it hit the stores. I assured her I would be buying the finished product; she was very cordial about the whole thing. She firmly stated that as long as music that glorified God was getting out there, it was all good. That’s the kind of attitude I appreciate. I told her I was a budding music reviewer and I’d have to write up one of Avalon’s albums. And she might just try to talk her manager into booking a show in L.A. so I can see them live (there were no L.A. dates posted on the group’s website at the time yet, though I’m sure they’ll hit it if they go on a major tour anyway). I haven’t interacted personally with very many Christian artists (or artists in general, in that matter) beyond the hurried "Here, sign this for me", so it was truly a pleasant surprise. Keep up the good work, Cherie and company!

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Take You at Your Word, Hide My Soul, In Not Of, Always Have Always Will
Good: Can't Live a Day, If My People Pray, Only for the Weak, Let Your Love
Decent: In a Different Light, First Love
Weak: I'm Speechless
Skippable: NONE

Group Members:
Jody McBrayer
Michael Passons
Cherie Paliotta
Janna Potter

Website: http://www.avalonlive.com



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Cleaning the House