Reviewed by Tony Cummings

As we all know, the thing about these slickly produced, highly polished pop projects is that (a) they stand or fall on the quality of the songs pitched at the project by jobbing songwriters, and (b) the genre often comes within a hair's breadth of bland. On the group's best album (the classic 'A Maze Of Grace') the snappy pop production, stacked harmonies and switched leads create an exhilarating sound. On Avalon's worst (their miserable Christmas album) the effect is like nine sugars in your tea. Here they often get it right, the wonderfully catchy "The Best Thing" or the surprisingly effective cover of Mr Mister's "Oxygen", though there's still too many OTT inspirational ballads to win over us Brits. But let's not be churlish. Avalon do this harmony pop thing brilliantly and producer Brown Bannister sure knows the Nashville market.

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