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Over the years, Geoff Moore has treated listeners to a wide range of music ranging from roots-rock (Foundations) to sugary pop-rock (A Friend Like You, Evolution, Home Run) to harder pop-rock (Threads) to folksy storytelling (Geoff Moore). With the release of his second solo album after the disbanding of his band, The Distance, Moore diverges yet again into another genre. This time he's singing inspirational/praise and worship and he's assembled an extraordinary supporting group to help him along.

Co-writing songs with Moore are Joel Hanson (PFR), Pete Stewart (Grammatrain, Tait), Tyler Burkum (Audio Adrenaline), and Marc Byrd (Common Children, City on a Hill). The accomplished Brent Milligan produced the album, mixing in just enough elements of the Geoff Moore sound of old to keep this from being mistaken as Michael Card's most recent release. Two other notable contributions come to be part of two of the best songs on the album. Moore covers the popular "God Believes in You," a song written by the amazing singer/songwriter Pierce Pettis, and records his own version of "The Keeper," a song he co-wrote with his long-time friend Steven Curtis Chapman.

The overall collection of songs on this album is different from what we've heard from Geoff Moore in the past, but the low-key style fits his maturing voice. While this recording might be what Moore is envisioning as the direction of his music, it is hard to imagine the album reaching the popularity of Evolution or Home Run.

Despite the new sound, A Beautiful Sound is a solid album. While it doesn't push the creative envelop musically or lyrically, it is a good contribution to the growing catalog of inspirational music, that's become so popular, by a veteran of the Christian Music Industry. As the lyrics from the title track remind us, simple things can be the most beautiful and sometimes life-changing things:

The heart of a proud man breaking 
The cry of a sinner seeking truth 
The beat that your heart is making 
The moment that love crashes through 
It's a beautiful sound

Darryl A. Armstrong (04/14/2002)

Geoff Moore has been in the music business a long time, and after a while, it can be easy to get into a rut, and keep making the same album over and over again.  For Moore, that hasn't been much of a problem.  After parting ways amicably with The Distance, his former backing band, his career has continued strongly and in new directions.

This newest album continues that trend.  Boasting songs written or cowritten by such notables as Joel Hanson (PFR), Pierce Pettis, Pete Stewart, and Marc Byrd, along with long-time writing partner Steven Curtis Chapman, there is a freshness to the lyrics.  Take for example the opening lines of "The Artist":

Will you watch the Potter's hand
Moving in and through the clay
A vessel not yet born
Through his gift transforms
Into a thing of beauty

Moore's voice continues to be the husky instrument for which he has become known, and is used to great effect in songs like "God Believes In You" and "The Artist," among others.

Geoff Moore is known for delivering quality pop-rock, and this album is no exception.  The tunes are good, and the overall sound of the album is rich and full, thanks to Brent Milligan's production work. It's hard to find a knock against this album, other than that it is missing some of the raw edge of Moore's early albums, and as a result does wear a little upon repeated listening.  But that's the case with many good albums.

Alex Klages 5/12/2002