Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

New indie band Half Past Forever, with front man Chris Sligh, former American Idol contestant; say it all in the title of their debut album Take A Chance on Something Beautiful. It certainly does feature some beautiful songs, but it’s not exactly a great album. However, it certainly does deserve a chance. Think Coldplay and Keane yet a little more rock guitar trying to reach higher in a U2 sort of way.  Their sincere pop rock is catchy yet meaningful. Half Past Forever commits one of the deadly sins when it comes to putting together an album and that is throwing on all you got. As I always say, less is more when it comes to making a great album. That’s not to say any of the songs are horrible, but a bunch of mediocre songs suffocate the great ones that need more room to shine and stand out.

Some standout favorites on the album for me are Hero, Somewhere and Naïve. Hero is great and can go with any superhero movie soundtrack since a new sequel comes out every summer it seems, but its lyrics and powerful rock sound can go with any occasion. The band’s lyrical prowess is evident on tracks like Naïve and Somewhere backed by driven vocals and powerful guitar solos.

Sligh’s gentle voice can still pack a punch with uplifting guitar and great melodic backdrops. It’s amazing to me I haven’t heard them on the radio yet. It’s clear the promotion has been poor since many non-winning idols have found their place on America’s Ipods and radios. Where’s Half Past Forever? I hear more about Sanjaya than this kid and his band. Perhaps it is because Sligh didn’t last as long on the show to demonstrate his immense talent. Nevertheless, Half Past Forever are a band to keep an eye since they are capable of much more.

Take A Chance on Something Beautiful is a pretty good debut and I anxiously await what they can come up with next time around.