Customer Reviews

Arms Around the World

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cd captures the hearts of young and old alike. The artist conveys the simple truth of the gospel. He is easily understood. With confidence he sings "He's still got His arms around the world" . His our personal relationship with God is reflected in His music. Barry, we love you!!! The Grissom Family

Do they want to be Nine Inch Nails....or OMD? The opening track sets the theme of musical confusion as psychedelic backwards guitar gives way to a dance pop beat.(?)

The band's leading light Barry Blaze allows a harder edge to the sound in general..even the synths are allowed to be threatening at times ("Hurricane" especially has an air of menace.) He also experiments with vocal processing and distortion. The problem is that he isn't ready to completely break with the familiar so those tunes have to share time with much more poppy fare. (Some of it good, some not so much). The lack of cohesion leaves the band treading water instead of moving forward.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Sticks and Stones" is pretty good straight forward pop with a dancey edge. It's not groundbreaking but it's solid. "Take Control" flirts with a house music tempo on a collaboration with All Star United's Ian Eskelin. "Hurricane" may mix its metaphors ("you're a hurricane with a gun") but its stark picture of a condemned man treads furthest into Trent Reznor territory and includes one of the better lyrics here ("Don't underestimate intense deception/Or confuse the truth with what you know.."). The operatic female vocal on the bridge and brief backmasking are also nice touches. "Just a Man" is a further detour into the industrial sound with keyboards that screech at times instead of merely blip. It's a reminder that we all have feet of clay set to a tune reminiscent of NIN's "Closer". ("I'm just a human being/Not an angel who can hide his wings..")

LOWS:
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" takes one of the heftier tunes from a lightweight band and turns it into Monkeeshines again with a frothy electro-pop arrangement that incorporates a bit of hip-hop lite. "Nothing Really Changes" is evisceration not modernization a la Howard Jones. Larry Norman deserves better than this. Definitely NOT a modernization, just evisceration. "Well Done" and the title track are bland and formulaic Christian radio pop. "Garden for Two"

BOTTOM LINE:
There are some good moments in the 2nd half, but as a whole it's a step sideways, not forwards. Definitely hit and miss...