Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Hmmmm.Canadian country pop anybody? Like many independent albums, this is well meaning but sadly a pretty sorry state of affairs as the glaring musical deficiencies counteract the ministry potential of this album. B4 The Rapture are Jim and Cheryl Boos and their kids Amanda, Buck and Jenny. Unfortunately, Buck, who takes quite a few lead vocals, has a whining tuneless voice, which irritates almost as soon as he opens his mouth (Amanda is marginally better!) and in some places the drum tempo is decidedly unsteady. Most of the songs are written by the family themselves and unfortunately, they struggle to create catchy melodies to hook the listener (even if they did sing consistently). Where they have chosen other people's songs, the results are slightly better. Cheryl singing Chuck Girard's "Lift My Hands" works well, complete with country guitars however their version of Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" is once more hampered by vocal deficiencies. The outcome is undoubtedly created from a pure motive to reach out and sing the timeless truths of the faith. But you can't really get past the artistic deficiencies to receive their ministry.

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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