Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

While at first glance (at the band’s Myspace or Wikipedia pages) you may not notice, Article One is in fact a Christian Alternative Rock band.  Granted that may automatically turn you off to this band, but it’s still a fact that I feel should not be hidden.  The fact that this band does not outright stake claim to their Christian undertones is a bit disturbing but don’t worry, one listen to their music and their Christian background will become immediately apparent.

Colors and Sounds is precisely what you’d expect from a band like Article One.  The songs are easy.  Titles like Without You (I’m Not Alright), Angels and Dare to Believe are exactly what you’d expect from a fresh-faced family-friendly band like Article One and their lyrics are just as conventional.

“I know you understand, with all the world in your hands,” are a handful of lyrics from the God-pumped track Above All Else that make me cringe a little but then I’ve always been a fan of more subtle Christian preaching.  But despite their 12 heavily Church-ified tracks, Colors and Sounds does house 2 purely instrumental tracks that I’ve grown to love.  The opening track for Angels, Looking for Angels is a short minute and 11-seconds track that actually does have that element of beautiful music that reminds me a bit of angels.  Also, the ending track, Peace ‘Til We Meet Again is truly nothing short of magnificent, a fact that makes me wonder if this band should stick to their instruments and leave the preaching to the Baptists.  The combination of gorgeous violin, steady drum beats, and the very limited subtle vocals towards the end of the final track of Colors and Sounds wrap this otherwise predictable album up to an elegant close.

So my feelings about Article One are mixed, while I’ve never been a fan of Creed-esque music and I’m only a casual listener of Switchfoot and Lifehouse, I feel like Article One still has a chance to turn things around and make their next album something less expected and more honest to “God” original.  So I, the skeptical Christian-rocker, am definitely not going to boast any Hallelujahs about Colors and Sounds but I will say this, if you are a fan of boy-band Christian rock, then pick up this album.  And if you are a fan of more subdued Christian rock, only download tracks 10 and 14.