Something besides coffee has been brewing at the Starbucks in Mesquite, TX. The Afters started as four guys working at a Starbucks who discovered they had the same vision - a Christian rock band that promoted the carefree splendor of living a life continually focused on God. For The Afters, "I Wish We All Could Win" is about living for God outside of the confines of the church in a way that is compelling and contemplative.
With musical tastes from bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, U2 and even at times The Beatles, The Afters present a unique musical flare that's familiar in influence yet unique in presentation.
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I wish we all could swim| Posted March 05, 2008
Although "I wish we all could win" is the title of this CD some of the rejected titles were pretty good. A really good one was "I wish we all could swim", that is right below "I wish I could have my money back". That is the tone of this debut "rock" album by the Afters.
The Afters are no stranger to the airwaves, on the contrary, the Afters have put out several singles plus a pair of hit singles ("you" and "beautiful love"). Anyone who bought this CD excepting this to be a rock album were the victim of the ever increasing broadening "rock" term, but that genre does show up on the title track (more or less) and single "Someday" which is one really cool rock tune. Another real rock song is "the way you are" which is rough but not terrible and it flows nicely into the song "you" a light, slightly annoying (if you listen to the radio too much) worship song.
Some of the album mediocre bright spots are "until the world" which has a decent flow, and "love lead me on", a light rock song. If someone was trying to best compare the Afters to another Christian artist, the music sounds somewhat like Sanctus real, primarily on "love lead me on". The second half of the album is really light, and in fact, boring and amateurish, this shows on songs like "wait", "love make you beautiful", and the worship single "all that I am". The best thing that could be said about the second half of the album is that "thank God I'm not the one" sounds nice. Another interesting thing to note about I wish we all could win, is that the lead vocal sounds different on tracks 6, 9, and 10.
Unfortunately the lyrics are worse than the music. One problem is the recurring theme in the album is how much the Afters love Jesus, on songs "all that I am", "beautiful love", and "until the world" (at least that's what we hope the latter two is about), but shouldn't we be singing about how much Jesus loves us than the other way around? "Someday" is biblically wrong when it says "someday we all win". The worship songs "you" and "the way you are" are barley okay, and "love will make you beautiful" really says nothing other than: "love will make you beautiful". At least the final song is worth listing too.
The lyrics are empty, the music leaves much to be desired, and perhaps the best saying in I wish we all could win is the tribute to a friend who passed away (which is not in any song it's in the booklet). The Afters need to write fewer feel good songs and more meaningful ones with better music.
Something's Missing| Posted August 08, 2007
I don't get it, "Beautiful Love", "Someday" are great songs, the rest are OK. I don't know why, but they're just OK. Nothing really caught my interest except for two songs. But I might have found more if they had MORE THAN 10 TRACKS! I mean really, they cut some stuff, they had some stuff in the wings. Make me feel like I spent my money well! For ten dollars I could have gotten this on I-Tunes. Any more than that, and just forget it, it's a waste of money. But The Afters has great potential. They have what it takes to be a great band. They just didn't bring that in this album, except in small quantities. So skip the album, buy the above mentioned songs. Hopefully The Afters take advantage of their potential in the next album.
Great CD!| Posted February 22, 2008
I Wish We All Could win is a great debut album for a band. That doesn't mean the album doesn't have shortcomings, but it is an all-around good album. The main problem is that the album has a similar sound throughout it. My personal favorite songs on the album are: "Beautiful Love", "The Way You Are", and "Love Will Make You Beautiful", but the whole album is enjoyable to listen to from start to finish which is rare for an album; let alone a debut album. So everyone pick-up this album and enjoy The Afters.
4/5| Posted August 12, 2010
I had heard of The Afters years ago but ended up forgetting about them until now. It seems like I was missing out because this is one great debut album. The best way to describe their sound would be that it sounds very similar to pre-We Need Each Other Sanctus Real. This is also a very well written album with lyrics that emphasize God's love for us. This is a very good debut from a band that I have heard have only gotten better with time.
ok| Posted August 28, 2009
This was not my favorite album, but it was ok. The song that stood out to me the most all that I am. The only other songs I liked were you, and beautiful love. I like their newest one better, and hope they put out some more music that's better.
Great Album| Posted July 15, 2009
This CD is definitely one of the best Christian Rock albums of all time! Best songs include "Beautiful Love," "All That I Am" and "You." Big time kudos to The Afters on this one!
Awesome DEBUT| Posted May 09, 2009
Straight out of Mesquite, TX, The Afters are a new pop/rock group on INO Records. The Afters blend many popular musical influences with honest and worshipful songwriting on their national debut, I Wish We All Could Win, for what makes a real winning combination.
In a time where modern worship suffers from a lot of the same, The Afters stand out from the crowd. I Wish We All Could Win opens with the driving alt pop/rock sound of "Beautiful Love," which sets the tone for the rest of the record. "Someday" is an example of the catchiest aspects of the band's sound and versatility, along with the melodic anthem "Love Lead Me On." "All That I Am" proves the guys can just as effectively write a worship ballad as a rock song. Although the lyrics are rather straightforward and simple ("I will love You with all of my heart / Jesus, I'll love You with all of my mind / Jesus, I'll love You with all of my soul / Jesus, I'll love You with all that I am"), the layered and string-enhanced arrangement raises the song well above the norm and is one of the strongest songs on the record.
The Afters' approach to worship is a classy and thoughtful one with more album highlights like "Love Will Make You Beautiful," "You," and "Wait." Fans of CCM artists like Paul Colman, and Smalltown Poets will want to look into this release. The Afters are the best new artist to come out of INO Records yet.
This is a gem of an album.| Posted February 21, 2009
The music on this album is fantastic! It opens with the beautiful piano driven pop sound of "Beautiful Love". A terrific song which points to true love. "Until the World", "Someday" and "You" are all excellent songs as well but I think my favorite on this album is the worshipful "All That I Am". A song that simply reminds me to love the Lord with all my heart, mind and soul.
love it !| Posted October 07, 2008
i love this cd ! it rocks ! i love the song " I wish we all could win" and "someday" .. the songs are awesome and upbeat !!!!!!!!!!
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