Radio rock, lyrically clean-cut and musically polished to perfection has always been the Smalltown Poets' forte and little changes on this, their third album.
Catchy opener "Every Reason" is a great tune with a somewhat heavier beat than previous offerings, and threatens the killer blow which, unfortunately, this album never delivers. Most of the songs offered here have an immediate pop-rock accessibility but fail to generate much in the way of energy or innovation, save perhaps "The Line," and a cover of The Seventy Sevens' "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes and the Pride of Life," both of which are satisfyingly frayed around the edges.
Conversely, the Poets mine the pits of blandness in the album's second cover, a laboriously dull reworking of the Choir's classic worship song "Beautiful Scandalous Night." Whereas the most recent recording of this song by the Choir is wonderfully spacey and genuinely innovative, here it is a religious-sounding dirge with nothing creatively commendable.
This religious tone stretches across the breadth of the album, from the smooth CCM-ish backing vocals on "Any Other Love" to the refrain of "No Kinder Saviour," where Michael Johnston sings, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah/ Sing the blessings sing them down," with a markedly churchy feel. Along with most of the material here, these songs prove that while the Poets know how to write good tunes, they have yet to deliver them in a fresh way that has appeal beyond the borders of Nashville CCM. As could be said of many ForeFront bands, although it often sounds pretty, it just ain't rock 'n' roll.
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Mark BakerWhen something good comes about, clones are going to sprout out from every corner in its wake, hoping that they can be as good as the real thing. Just look at the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. When that book became popular, out came a million other books such as Chicken Soup for the Country Soul, and many others. It's just plain annoying. However, sometimes there are exceptions. The Smalltown…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by John M. De MarcoThe Poets have quite a reputation to live up to: Ten Top 10 singles, six Dove nominations, two #1 videos, one Grammy nomination, and a Billboard music video award. Their much anticipated third album, Third Verse, arrived in stores at the end of September, 2000. Their notoriety earned them the help of big-wig producer Paul Ebersold (Sister Hazel, Three Doors Down). Poets lead singer Michael…Similar sounding releases
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