Rating:
Genre:
Gospel
Release Date: 03/14/2006
This modern
worship debut from Texas-bred
Pocket Full of Rocks has few missteps. The sextet conveys its faith in the same style as
FFH or
Casting Crowns.
Michael Farren's rich vocals recall the tenor of
Clay Aiken and shine best on deeply personal
ballads like
"Falling" and
"This Is the Life." "Now I Sing" kicks up the tempo and gives them one of their only
rock tracks. Then there are generic contributions like
"Bigger" and
"Closer to You" that tend not to say anything memorable. Of course, it's difficult to attribute that to the songwriting or to the
worship genre itself, which by definition prefers substance over originality. After a decade of innovative
worship artists like
Matt Redman and
Chris Tomlin, though,
PFOR seems to suffer slightly from a lack of identity. The glaring mismatch throughout the album is the combination of watered-down lyrics -- which typically appeal to teen audiences -- and a sophisticated,
adult contemporary sound. Still, the group shows potential with
Farren's vocals and lush, melodic arrangements that could find their place with a more contemporary sound.
~Jared Johnson, All Music Guide
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