Reviewed by Phil Thomson

Great lyrics and cute guys - what more do you want? Actually, I lied about the first bit. Yes, 'The Saving One' is polished; yes, there's energy - it is extremely well produced and highly seductive - but let's not call it worship. There's too much going on for that. It's Starfield who deserve the praise for trying. What has been manufactured is successfully formulaic soft melodic rock of the noisy, guitar-led feel-good variety, charting the inexorable rise of the Neufeld bros plus messrs Lalonde and Johnstone, an award-winning line-up whose rather doleful vocals perfectly capture their young audience's mood. One of Canada's award-winning finest, they have tried to harden up in the past, but time and again stop short, at confessional angst rather than well-informed anger. And here we have it again. You just know there wouldn't even be the hint of a clever angle, or a swear word in sight, nor the slightest indignation at the state we are truly in. And there-in lies the danger - the composer plateau. While 'The Saving One', this fourth Starfield album, may be in the hard-act-to-follow category - that is, if you want your music to hide a multitude of sins - I'm not so sure they have much more to say musically or lyrically in any case. Cue feeding the machine - after all they have a well-oiled fanbase, particularly in the North Americas - needing another safe album to devour, so nothing new there. The best is in "Something To Say" and the points-building "Rediscover You". Otherwise, these are not strong songs, just strong on delivery and self belief. That's no substitute for creativity.

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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Starfield is quickly becoming a global band on a mission to reach the world, hitting the road with a relentless passion, with a message of hope and salvation, and in the process building a fan base hungry for the lyrical depth and modern worship they can engage with.

The Saving One is a unique mix of songs delivering tracks that will be heard across radio airwaves as well as being sung in Sunday morning services but most importantly all will bring the listener closer to Christ. With tracks like Rediscover You Starfield blends a catchy melody with honest and vulnerable lyrics while tracks like the title track The Saving One provides the spiritual depth of a modern hymn.

The Saving One is an album that will find its way onto a lot of best of lists for the year with its pure and honest relevance to our faith both in our personal lives and in our church communities.