Reviewed by James Morris

It has been a long time since I have heard a traditional rock band make music that sounds this sophisticated, but San Diego-based Future Of Forestry have managed to create what deserves to be hailed as a modern rock masterpiece. With lyrics by band member Eric Owyoung and skilful production by Ken Andrews, the album kicks off with the inspiring track "Open Wide", in which the band sing "Open wide the arms you're given/You're too alive to just stand still." From then on, sweeping orchestral guitar chords herald a great deal of sonic variety, with each track having its own distinct personality and mood. Standout tracks on the album include the tender ballad "If You Find Her", the epic "Gazing" and the wonderful "hidden" track which follows album-closer "Stay Beside Me", in which the band, accompanied by swirling and magisterial guitar-pedal melodies, repeat the refrain that "There is no-one like you. . . There is no-one else"; a classic in its own right. Future Of Forestry, who chose the name of their album after reading the phrase in a work by C.S. Lewis, have the ability to take a Bloc Party-approach to guitar-based alt rock and fuse it with spirit-led and contagious emotion. I highly recommend 'Twilight' to anyone with a love of intelligent, God-centred and well-crafted music with a heart.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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