Customer Reviews

Oxygen

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After a two year wait since their last non-holiday project, Avalon has returned to breathe some much needed "oxygen" into the Christian pop scene again. Tempo-wise, OXYGEN is a bit of a departure from IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT and A MAZE OF GRACE--both of which are more driving in their sound and generally very upbeat. OXYGEN has a lot of mid-tempo cuts, which gives the album a different feel. But "Testify To Love" fans shouldn't fear, because the pop cuts here are all quite good. With Brown Bannister back at the production reigns, what else would you expect.

The first two tracks are solid; I really like the groove and the hook of "The Best Thing," and "Wonder Why" is a good high-energy opener. "By Heart, By Soul" is a departure for the group, which teams with Aaron Neville to produce some gorgeous results. His SOUL blends perfectly w/ Avalon's harmonies and this ends up as one of their best-ever sounding songs. "Never Givin Up," another mid-tempo cut, just soars on the chorus with the men on lead vocals.

"Undeniably You" and "Make It Last Forever" are the two big pop productions. "Undeniably," has a great hook and perhaps best typifies the traditional Avalon-pop sound, with layers of programming and an underlying rock edge. "Make It Last Forever" pours on the production even thicker, veering ever-so-close to boy band territory. Listening I still get flashes of Backstreet Boy's "The Call" in my mind, but I doubt we'll ever see Avalon bust into choreographed dance when performing it. The song speaks of how a relationship with God is better than any high that a drug could give and lasts an infinity longer. Boy band fan or not, this is a fantastic and production-wise ranks with Avalon's best.

"I Don't Wanna Go" doesn't work for me quite as well as Avalon's previous big ballads, but it's not bad. "The Glory," on the other hand, is one of the best ballads that I've ever heard. This song was actually recorded by Truth a few years back, and I was skeptical when I first heard Avalon had covered it. But when I gave the song a chance it seduced me with it's perfect production and powerful message. Lyrically, the song refers to the blood that Christ shed on the cross: "when I close my eyes I can see Him hanging there/the precious wounded Lamb of God/and all the majesty in this world cannot compare to the glory." Cherie shines on lead vocals and there is enough of an Avalon spin here (with a powerful performance by the backing rhythm section) that by now I've come to think of this as the definitive version of the song. A true tour de force, and now one of my all-time Avalon favorites.

The title track's message reminds me of Out of the Grey's "Love Like Breathing." Musically, it's a bit different from anything you've heard from these guys before, but it grows on you. "Love Remains" has a really cool groove on the chorus, and "Come & Fill My Heart" is one of the most worshipful songs that the group has ever recorded.

On the whole, OXYGEN is a great pop album that contains some extraordinary high points. Is it better than AMOG and IADL? It's certainly different. AMOG really first defined the Avalon sound. IADL built upon that. While I would've loved to hear AMOG Part III, I certainly respect that they didn't do it and tried a few new things. OXYGEN, to me, is Avalon showing some maturity and branching out of their well-defined niche by not relying solely upon high-energy/produced pop. The results are quite good, and fans of the group as well as people who simply want some great pop music should be well pleased. FOUR 1/2 STARS.

This CD is definately one of Avalon's best! All the songs are awsome. Here is my overview on each of them.

Wonder Why - This song is so cool! The tune is great and the lyrics are catchy.

Best Thing - This is my favorite song on the CD. The lyrics are so beautiful and really thought-provoking.

By Heart - This song is really nice and Aaron Nelville sings on it also.

Undeniably You - This is my 2nd favorite song. It's a great song and it's also good to dance to.

I Don't Want To Go - I love this song! The lyrics are slow, but awsome.

Never Given Up - I like this song, but it isn't my favorite. Still, it's really good.

Make It Last Forever - Unlike the other songs on the CD, this song is a little more popish. It's tons of fun to dance to and it's a song you want to play over and over again!

The Glory - This song is soo beautiful! It's the most worship-like song that Avalon has ever done.

Oxygen - This song is also a slower song, but the tune is really cool and fits it perfectly.

Love Remains - Another worship song. But this one isn't nearly as good as Glory.

Come And Fill My Heart - This song is a great way to end the CD. It is so pretty and the lyrics are great, especially the chorus.

All in all, this CD is great! To me, it's probobly tied as #1 with Maze of Grace, which is also a wonderful CD. It is different from Avalons normal, but I still love it!

I now own all four of Avalon's non-holiday albums, and I can honestly say they have never disappointed me. One thing I like about their music is that you never get "the same old, same old" Each of their releases seems different from the previous. This one has just the right mix of upbeat and ballads, though a couple of the ballads, in my opinion, drag just a bit (My music tastes are more on the upbeat side). But I can honestly say I do like every song here. While reading some of these reviews, however, I was surprised that many think they're drifting into the pop scene. The first time I listened to this I didn't get that message at all, it was very clear who they're singing these songs to. You don't have to mention God in every sentence to get your message across. I highly recommend this album, I think this group is showing incredible improvement each time.

This album definitely places Avalon in the Power Poppers category, but there is little on this album about the gospel. Although I enjoy most of the numbers on the album as pleasant pop songs with a spiritual twist, I get the distinct impression that Avalon is hoping one of the songs on this album will become a crossover hit on the secular pop charts. The overuse of the generic "you," which could mean God or could mean the person I just had a date with, sounds suspicious and distracts the listener. This is dangerous territory for a Contemporary Christian act. They might get a crossover pop hit, or they might not. (There is plenty of competition out there for the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync,etc.) By trying too hard for the goal of secular pop superstardom, they may end up alienating their Christian audience.

Some of the arrangements on this album are far too complicated and overwrought for these talented vocalists. I wish Avalon would try a different producer other than Brown Bannister, whose overuse of techopop electronic elements ruined the otherwise beautiful "Can't Live A Day" on the the "In A Different Light" album. If you were lucky enough to "pre-buy" the "Oxygen" album and got the free "Limited Edition Single" CD bonus, you can hear a live version of Avalon's greatest hit to date, "Testify to Love." The live recording lacks all of the electronic sound augmentations, and the purity of the vocals really comes through. It shows you what Avalon can sound like without all of the electronic junk cluttering up their music.

I like "Oxygen" as a fun album, and I am sure I will play it often. For spiritual depth, however, I think "In A Different Light" is a better collection.

I've followed Avalon since their first release -- stellar vocals, creative pop sensibilities and an undeniable faith in God are their trademarks. To a great extent, this continues in their latest release, "Oxygen".

Like many others, I think the magnificent power ballad "The Glory" deserves the unilateral praise it's receiving here -- it really showcases the best of Avalon. Throughout this CD, everyone seems in excellent voice -- particularly the unsung hero Michael Passons. "Oxygen" overall is a solid release and a worthwhile listen.

Having said that, a few things just keep nagging at me. Distorted voices and overproduction diminishes many of these songs -- melodies are bogged down and vocal lines are lost -- unfortunate with singers of this caliber.

The content factor also seems inconsistent. Some contemporary Christian songs fall into the "love song to God or love song to my boyfriend" trap -- I had never noticed this with Avalon until I heard the title cut "Oxygen". "Make It Last Forever" is like sonic cotton candy -- there's not a lot of "there", there.

"Oxygen" is definitely worth a listen -- "The Glory" being the high point -- but it doesn't have the substance of their earlier releases.

I purchased the CD for "Make it last forever" and expected to like a couple of the others. This CD however, starts out with a great rock song and has several other that are good listening. I love songs that glorify God, and Avalon does a great job writing their music to the glory of God. I found the entire CD to be great and 3 of the tracks to be superb. I am in my 40's and embarass my teenage son by turning the sound up and singing along. This CD has some superb Christian and Rockin' Songs.

This album would make a great gift for that teen in your life who is torn between his/her faith and the catchy but morally foundering tunes of the Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, Britney and Christina. I found myself singing along after just one listen, and still finding surprises in the melodies after ten times through. While I can understand the concerns raised about the vaguely "romantic" writing on many of the songs, I, for one, found myself reminded by them to focus on loving God with the same single-minded attention I've felt for my husband. There's enough here to keep the album spiritually grounded while allowing for cross-over success if it comes their way. Don't condemn such a possibility outright - God used Amy Grant years ago to wake me up spiritually. If I'd never heard "Baby Baby," I wouldn't have heard "El Shaddai" and gone looking for answers to the questions it raised. Yes, this album is lighter than Avalon's previous offerings, but it still showcases their powerful faith and powerful voices.

...it is a tremendous offering by the Contemporary Christian group, Avalon.

I listen to it often and it never ceases to touch my heart and lift my spirits.

Since I was diagnosed with COPD last year, breathing has become something I no longer take for granted. So the title song "Oxygen" is especially meaningful to me.

Avolon's powerful song "Glory of the Blood" beautifully tells the story about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It focuses on the tremendous love and purpose that motivated God in Christ to subject himself to such an excruciating death--our redemption.

Those two songs on this CD are my favorites, but the truth is that there isn't a bad song on this CD. If you like a soft rock sound with beautiful harmonies and great voices, you will enjoy Avalon. And if you ever forget that God loves you, Oxygen will reconfirm your place in Christ's heart.

I think this is Avalon's best CD, which also includes The Creed. I love every song on here, and they are all upbeat and catchy with FANTASTIC singing!!! Avalon has a way with blending harmony perfectly, and that's what really makes them one of the best. They are at the top of Christian charts for a reason.

Avalon is so good. This CD stabilizes their already well-grounded places in Christian music. They sing with such feeling. "undeniably you" is so catchy and cherrie does such a great job. "the best thing" is another fav. its a michael song and he also does a great job. both of these songs i still listen to a couple time a month at least. now for the ballad-y songs. "i dont wanna go" is great. I love it so much. its very v e r y slow, but worth every second. janna is so good! but "the glory" is without a doubt the best and the stand-out track on the album. Jody is so phenomenal! For real! and i can't remember who sings it with him, cherrie i think(i feel like such an Avalon-failure! :) ) the two of them together on this song...unbelievable!. Not to mention the lyrics, which are so WONDERFUL! mm-HM! the title song is a little...weak, ill say...but as a whole the cd is really good. I highly recommend it if you like avalon or if you wanna try them out and are into pop music.