Reviewed by Tony Cummings

As we all know, Kevin Max Smith is one of Christendom's true eclectics, who down the years has drawn us in with everything from electronica to spoken word poetry, though often returning to his British pop and rock influences. On this album he takes in everything from the Beatles to Depeche Mode while his current CR radio hit "Lay Down Your Weapons My Friend" has more than a bit of Queen about it. 'Broken Temples' features some songs actually intended for Audio Adrenaline before Kevin's departure from the band while "Freak Flag" could easily have fitted onto a 'Supernatural'-era dc Talk album. What is clear is that down the years this most versatile of creative spirits has lost none of his abilities to write memorable songs, be it the funk bass-driven "Clear" or the power pop "Desperate Heart" while "White Horse" features lyrics about Christ's return on such an animal. Another outstanding cut is the electronic sci-fi "Going Clear" (actually a Derek Webb remix of "Clear"). When originally released in March last year 'Broken Temples' felt incomplete. But the Deluxe Version with additional quality songs makes this another impressive release in Kevin's wide-ranging catalogue.

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