#5: Grave Shadows
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Adriana SERIES OVERVIEW
Created by critically-acclaimed and best-selling authors Jerry Jenkins and Chris Fabry, the Red Rock Mysteries Series combines hair-raising adventures and Biblical values in a storyline...
#6: Phantom Writer
by
Adriana SERIES OVERVIEW
Created by critically-acclaimed and best-selling authors Jerry Jenkins and Chris Fabry, the Red Rock Mysteries Series combines hair-raising adventures and Biblical values in a storyline...
Something To Say
by
Matthew Best known for his smash hit singles "Only Grace", "More", and "Next Thing You Know", Sparrow Records singer/songwriter Matthew West returns to the music scene again with more to say than ever before....
Avalon's incredible!!! | Posted May-14-2008
Stirring messages and spine-tingling vocals are once again the theme for Avalon's 2004 studio release, The Creed. The opening, upbeat number, "All", is definitely one of the best on the entire project, with an irresistible melody line and lyrics that will inspire the listener to give his everything to God. The title track isn't as catchy, but Avalon's trademark harmonies and unity will shoot it to another great one. Janna Long's vocals shine once again on "Abundantly", although this song may shake in the presence of one of her other ballads ("I Don't Want To Go", "Reason Enough", "Can't Live A Day"). "I Wanna Be With You" is upbeat, but again is just average when compared to other Avalon thrillers. However, the song's catchy chorus will be a favorite among many. The stirring Jody McBrayer rendition of "You Were There" is absolutely amazing, considered by many as top-notch Avalon with its unbelievably stunning lyrics and once again flawless vocals. It's so great, that the track's length of nearly seven minutes will fly by. "Far Away From Here" is another pop-influenced tune, with an encouraging message of a new life in heaven. "Overjoyed" is layered with an R&B sound that's so irresistible even your grandmother could find herself singing along, while "I Bring It To You" will get the listener worshipping the Lord in no time. "The Good Way" is flowing once again with R&B-ness, and (once again) succeeds effortlessly. Finally, "Renew Me" closes things out, a compelling worship ballad that is sure to be one of the repeat button's favorite with Avalon's vocals, sure to leave you open-mouthed. Overall, The Creed's solid production, vocals, and lyrics dominate, to create a must-have 10-song collection for any CCM fan.
Perfection | Posted May-02-2008
Just seven years after their incredible debut to Contemporary Christian music, Avalon put together in 2003 a brilliant collection of their most-loved material of smash hits. Any avid fan of CCM will find these infectious pop tunes and spine-tingling ballads familiar. From the opening upbeat, clap-your-hands feel of "New Day" to the holiday closing track "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day", embark on a journey with Avalon, enjoying radio gems like "Give It Up", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", and "Can't Live A Day", not to mention the heart-wrenching ballad "The Glory". Other must-listens include the irresistible thriller "Wonder Why" as well as the catchy pop tune "In Not Of", both with inspiring messages to go into the world and share the news of Christ. But the album isn't over yet--the Avalon supersongs "Adonai", "I Don't Want To Go", "Always Have, Always Will", "The Greatest Story", "Take You At Your Word", "Everything To Me", and the Latin-influenced "Pray" all fuse together to create an amazing collection of fabulous CCM favorites. A great mix of pop ballads and dance-tempo numbers, Testify To Love: The Very Best Of Avalon continues to hold itself as one of the best of the group's career, and for good reason--it's sixteen songs of pure excellence. Perfect for anybody of any age, this album deserves to be a part of any music fan's collection.
Solid remixes | Posted April-30-2008
Get ready to experience the chills and thrills of an out-of-this-world remix project from one of the most renowned artists in Christian music, Avalon. The soothing sounds of "My Oxygen", the European-influenced pop anthem "The Best Thing", the dance-tempo fan-favorite "Undeniably You", and the somewhat familiar version of "Testify To Love" only partly make up this dazzling collection of remixes, O2 / Avalon Remixed. But while the majority of these songs are enjoyable and catchy, some of them (like "Speed Of Light" and the Larring Mix of "Wonder Why") seem to continually drag, with repetitive melody lines and boring filler. The upbeat "Can't Live A Day" remix, for example, somehow manages to drag on for an astounding seven and a half minutes, but because it is nice to the ears and has a unique sound, it will definitely see playing time. "Make It Last Forever" (which features Out Of Eden) is another infectious tune, with unique twists and turns and a rap chorus sure to be a favorite among teens and tweens. A huge jump-up-and-down stand out on the project, the energetic Roswell Mix of "Wonder Why", is by far one of the best on the the entire album, with a chorus so irresistible and vocals so flawless that it's impossible not to dance and sing along. Both remixes of the title track to Avalon's sophomore release A Maze Of Grace are highly enjoyable, the Ghost Mix in particular, with The Katinas lending guest vocals to create a Latin-influenced dance pop tune that creates another standout. So while some of the remixes on this project may run a little on the long side lengthwise, that isn't an issue when faced with this unbelievably exciting collection of songs perfect for anyone who likes to dance and sing!!
AWESOME | Posted April-29-2008
From the high-speed, heart-pumping opening thriller of "Wonder Why" to the upbeat pop sounds of the bonus song "Beyond The Clouds", it's no surprise that Oxygen is hard to keep away from. The four dynamic voices of Christian music one again fused together to create one of the best collection of songs in their WOW-factor career, with stunning pop ballads and high-energy dance anthems. The aforementioned "Wonder Why" will keep you moving, with a chorus so catchy that it's almost impossible not to sing along. Unique sounds and flawless vocals, along with it's message to "live your life" so "the world will wonder why" will keep that song at the top of the album. "The Best Thing" features layers of glossy pop, and it's so sweet that almost everyone will find this treat enjoyable. The heart-felt ballad "By Heart, By Soul" with special guest Aaron Neville is next, another beautifully-done track, while the smash hit, sure-to-be-an-instant-favorite "Undeniably You" will get you back up on your feet singing again with a chorus that won't leave your brain!! Remaining Avalon founder Janna Long belts out the high notes in the spine-tingling "I Don't Want To Go", while the catchy pop-groove of "Never Givin' Up" will definitely see some repeat time. "Make It Last Forever" is sure to be a favorite among teens and tweens, with a sound that almost feels like Backstreet Boys minus the choreography! The song's heart-pumping chills and thrills will definitely propel it to yet another must-listen. Then, if the moving Easter Sunday, smash hit "The Glory" doesn't bring tears, nothing else will! A beautiful song with passionate lyrics of Jesus' crucifiction, this work is considered by many as Avalon's best to date. The title track slows things down a bit, getting the job done despite its simple lyrics ("You are my oxygen / I breathe You In / I breathe You out... You are my love / You are what life's about"). "Love Remains" and "Come And Fill My Heart" are two more ballads, and they are great, but because they are slow it seems to make the end of the album almost drag. The bonus song "Beyond The Clouds" is quick to dispell that opinion. A song of hope and encouragement, along with a sweet and enjoyable sound, "Beyond The Clouds" makes a perfect ending for a solid album. With A+ vocals, near flawless production, and fabulous songs, Oxygen is a must-buy for any CCM fan.
Christmas With Avalon | Posted April-24-2008
Come on a sleigh ride with Avalon to where the air is filled with dazzling harmonies, heart-warming lyrics, and holiday cheer on the group's fourth full-length studio release, Joy: A Christmas Collection. Get ready for infectious pop tunes, esepecially on the high-speed opening thriller "Joy (To The World)", with layers of pop goodness. Then (after enjoying the sounds of a multi-song medley which includes "The First Noel") slow down a little to recuperate from the first two tracks and enjoy Avalon's breath-taking vocals on "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" and "Jesus, Born On This Day", sure to send chillbumps coming. Don't get too settled, however; the action-packed, fast-paced toe-tapper "Winter Wonderland" is next--another pop treat where solid production and flawless vocals continue to dominate as the album's theme. The fan-favorite, inspirational "Light A Candle" is next, and is definitely one of my favorites on the entire project, with a catchy melody line that is sure to find the repeat button as its home. The spine-tingling re-telling of Jesus' birth on "Good News" only makes Joy more attractive than ever, while the holiday-hit "The Christmas Song" doesn't get left out. The arrangement on this song sticks close to home, which will make long-time music fans happy. Time to explore more of Avalon's unique style on the "Manger Medley", which features "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", "Away In A Manger", "O Little Town Of Bethlehem", and "Silent Night" all wrapped up in a huge package of delight. Hear each member of the group show off their own vocal talent on each song of this excellent medley on these beautifully-done tunes. Finally, Joy comes to close with the piano-driven, heart-wrenching power ballad, "We Are The Reason", a perfect ending for any holiday collection. Overall, this Avalon project is perfect for anyone of any age, a great thing to enjoy while decorating the tree or any of your Christmas activities!! Sure to uplift your spirit with positive messages and timeless songs of faith, Joy: A Christmas Collection deserves to find a place in any music-lover's collection.
Yep, they've done it again!! | Posted May-01-2008
This is another FANTASTIC release from Avalon!! After two extremely successful projects, the group came back stronger than ever on their 1999 studio release, In A Different Light. This album is considered by many as the group's best ever, which features the chart-topping shash hits "Can't Live A Day", "Always Have, Always Will", "Take You At Your Word", and "In Not Of". With production help from CCM masterminds Brown Bannister and Grant Cunningham, Avalon matured more than ever on this project with cool pop tunes and of course more heartfelt ballads. Although this material doesn't stray away from the Avalon that everyone has come to know (it doesn't take many risks musically), that doesn't take away from IADL's beautiful lyrics and (of course) flawless vocals. Although the last few tracks almost seem to drag with ballads on the heavy side, the songs' inspring messages and irresistible melody lines make up for it!! "Let Your Love", one of the catchiest on the album, is a big toe-tapper and will really get you movin', while "I'm Speechless" will leave you just that--SPEECHLESS. Overall, another fabulous, RIAA-certified effort from Avalon... a must-buy for any avid fan of Contemporary Christian Music.
Love it, love it, love it!!! | Posted April-23-2008
After a highly-successful debut that scored this fan-favorite foursome a handful of #1 hits and even a Dove Award for "New Artist of the Year", Avalon returned to the scene again with their critically-acclaimed, best-selling sophomore release, A Maze Of Grace. The group once again put out a solid album, once again focusing on unbelievably catchy tunes and spine-tingling ballads, all of which make up what is sure to become one of the best albums in your music collection!! "The Move", "Forgive + Forget", "Speed Of Light", and the smash hit "Testify To Love" all shine brilliantly on this stellar project to propel A Maze Of Grace to one of the best in Avalon's career. The soft side of Avalon is also here, most obvious on "Adonai" and "Reason Enough", both of which will touch your soul with compelling lyrics. The title track tells of how Christ is always with us, and its unique sound drives it to a huge highlight on this release. The album as a whole is FANTASTIC... inspiring lyrics, AMAZING vocals (once again) and brilliant pop CCM tunes perfect for anybody all wrapped up in ten songs of pure excellence!! BUY IT--you won't regret it!!
Solid debut | Posted April-23-2008
At first listen to this my first response was "WOW!!!" Avalon's ubeat, infectious tunes(along with their OUTSTANDING vocals) are only a part of what makes this release so great. And although Avalon may not be the best that this dynamic foursome has to offer (some of the songs may sound a bit outdated in comparison to today's music), it DOES feature layers of pop-production and the soothing ballads that Avalon is known for in the smash hits "Give It Up", "This Love", "The Greatest Story", and "Picture Perfect World", all of which will inspire you in your walk with Christ!! Also look for the beautifully-done version of "My Jesus, I Love Thee", which is done mostly acapella and really shows off the group's vocal capabilities. "Saviour Love" isn't the biggest highlight on the project--it alsmost seems to drag a little in the middle--but is nice overall. On "Jesus Is Lord" (probably the biggest departure for the group) just close your eyes and think hard enough and you'll feel like you're at an outside BBQ cookout. It conveys a really great message, even still after over a decade of exposure, which can be said for all of the ten songs on this successful debut. And once you buy this (which I really hope you will) don't stop there... Avalon only gets better and better!! I recommend this for everybody--breath-taking vocals, positive messages, and great catchy tunes... what could be better?? GO AVALON!!!
bjburly's Music and Book Reviews 
