Over the course of several hit albums, Christian girl group
BarlowGirl
established themselves as a successful crossover trio by mastering a variety of secular pop and rock styles and matching them to inspirational (but not always explicitly religious) lyrics. Often sounding like a radio-ready mix of
Avril Lavigne
,
Evanescence
, and
Vanessa Carlton
, the group appealed to an unusually wide variety of music fans.
Love & War
finds the Illinois-based act expanding its sound even further, incorporating influences from heavy rock and dance music. The opening track,
"Come Alive,"
is driven by a straight-up disco beat, a driving bassline, and
Killers-esque
edgy guitars, while
"Time for You to Go"
finds the singers' smooth vocal harmonies and biting anti-mass media social commentary backed by a nu-metal-ish funky beat and thrashy drumming.
"Hello Sunshine"
is a horse of a different (bright) color, its jaunty piano, joyful melody, fuzzy lead guitar, and
Bach
trumpet blasts clearly influenced by
Paul McCartney
-authored songs from
the Beatles
' post-
Revolver
era. A diverse, engaging exercise in several different subgenres of Christian music,
appeals equally to the CCM heart, rock muscles, and pop sweet tooth. ~ Pemberton Roach