Reviewed by Nigel Bayley

If you're a fan of this US rock band, beware - the piano-based pop found on 'Glowing' bears little resemblance to anything else you own that has Seven Places on the cover. There is a good reason for this: only one member remains from the original group, so this is effectively a Seth Gilbert solo album but it's no less impressive as a result. Lyrically, Seth remains upfront about his love of Jesus and commitment to him and musically, the piano is the foundation on which the album is built and it is all done with great creativity and with Seth's passion and joy evident throughout. The opener "Glowing Hearts" evokes memories of U2's 'The Joshua Tree' era and will have your foot tapping straightaway. "Closer To Thee" also grabs the attention with a great piano riff and a catchy chorus and later there's a soaring version of Billy James Foote's "Amazing Love". Then the penultimate "Rise Up" suddenly announces itself as the best track on the album with powerful emotive lyrics supported by a moving combination of piano and violin. Not every track hits the mark but as long as you don't come at this album expecting it to be the Seven Places you know and love, you might find yourself really enjoying it.

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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