Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Another of the growing band of secular rock bands with clear Christian affiliations. The opening track the gorgeously catchy "Shine" was a huge hit Stateside. "Show me where to look/Tell me what will I find/Oh Heaven let your light shine down" oozes singer Ed Roland over doddling riffs that run soft and hard deliciously. There's much else here to delight - rock, to soul, to pop and back. Ail the cuts here are 90's rock but steer clear of grunge, techno et al and stay marvellously radio friendly. Another standout is gutsy power-pop "Goodnight Good Guy" with an intriguing lyric, "Who's going to straighten me up when I'm Iearning?/Who's going to soothe my heart when it's burning?/Who's going to be the one to tell me everything's alright.../I'm going to let you sleep/I'll let you fade off in the night/I pray the Lord to hold you tight/Goodnight." "Wasting Time" recalls 70's California country rock, "Sister Don't Cry" has an 'Horrendous Disc' Daniel Amos feel about it as the singer explains his desire for his sister to find salvation. Throughout it's catchy melodies and state of the art production values. After the classic Newsboys album reviewed last ish I thought it would be many a long month before these ol' ears heard pop rock of such infectious quality. But 'Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid' is as good, and stunningly for a band plugged big on MTV and recording for Atlantic Records only a little less overt in its proclamation of spiritual truth.

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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