Reviewed by Paul Keeble

As anyone following Christian rock will know, Florida's Fireflight's second record label album 'Unbreakable' was a massive Christian radio hit Stateside. This, the follow-up, has already peaked at number five on Billboard's Hot Christian Albums chart and is well on its way to being even more successful. Beginning with an Eleanor Rigby-style strings intro, opening track "For Those Who Wait" quickly kicks into muscular guitar-driven rock. This is followed by "Desperate" and "Fire In My Eyes" which continue in a similar vein - big grungy guitars, big drums, big vocals from lead singer Dawn Michele (think early April Lavine). "Core Of My Addiction" has a more restrained start, but soon revs up, though generally shows a bit more light and shade. This is also the case with "What I've Overcome". This is followed by "Name". I'll come back to that one. "New Perspective" is up tempo and back to the big guitars etc. "You Give Me That Feeling" is similar but a bit slower, and "All I Need To Be" takes things back some more with acoustic guitar and strings. I was expecting the album to finish with another up-tempo rocker, but "Recovery Begins" features a lovely piano figure and builds with drums and strings into a rather lovely devotional song which, like "Name" (I'll come back to that one) shows Dawn Michele's remarkable emotional range. "It all comes down to this/The quiet in the end/I listen for your voice/Recovery begins". Song for song this is a strong, well-written and produced album, but after the first five tracks it was starting to get a bit repetitive with the big guitars and drums and lyrics centered on personal spirituality. Then comes "Name" which is the album's highlight - a beautiful piano-led, almost drum-less ballad, with verses about two life and death cases in a hospital with desperately praying families, and a non-triumphalist chorus: "He sees you/He's near you/He knows your face/He knows your pain/He sees you and he loves you/He knows your name/He knows your name". It may sound mawkish, but it isn't. In fact it's a great song.

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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For Those Who Wait, the anticipated followup to Fireflight’s breakout second album Unbreakable, once again delivers Dawn Michele’s soaring vocals and the band’s signature melodic rock.

Produced by Rob Hawkins, For Those Who Wait introduces new musical elements coupled with vulnerable lyrics, offering hope and recovery to recharge listeners.

A dynamic progression with songs like New Perspective and Proof of Our Love, Fireflight encourage fans to reach out to a world eager to find healing and strength in the waiting,
stating “the hard lessons make the difference, and the difference makes it all worth it.”