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After a great deal of independent success in Canada, Starfield (comprised of brothers Tim and Jon Neufeld, as well as John Andrews and Shawn Huberts) was signed by Sparrow Records. As an independent group, they were nominated for a Juno Award (Canada's equivalent of the Grammy Awards) and won five Vibe Awards (Canada's equivalent of the Dove Awards). One would think that any group with credentials like this, signed to Sparrow Records (home of Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, Avalon, and many other popular groups), would release an album that is a must-have. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be the case. Starfield may have had more than two years' experience as an independent group, but they need more work than many groups who are signed with a whole lot less indie success.

The problem is that many of the songs on the CD sound alike, and even some of the more interesting songs tend to grow boring after a while, as they go on longer than they should. The CD starts off with a 37-second prelude that sounds fair but should have been included in the second song instead of being its own separate track. The second track, which is the CD's first radio single, begins with some rockin' guitars but mellows to be more of a mid-tempo rock ballad. The third track sounds as if it could be one from any number of CCM groups or artists. This song is another ballad that is a bit faster but has more of a pop feel.

The first really good track on the CD comes in fourth as "Revolution" starts quietly, but after four seconds some great guitars start rocking. This one is rather catchy and could become a youth group favorite. Unfortunately, it is followed up by another pop sounding ballad. "Alive in this Moment" sounds like it is trying to be a radio favorite and could do well on radio. If it is, though, look for it to be shortened since the last minute of the song is repetitive and grows boring.

With the sixth track, "Tumbling After," the band sounds very similar to fellow Sparrow artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, specifically with the "yeah, yeah, yeah" that comes at the 1:12 mark in the song. This mid-tempo song is another that sounds more pop than rock. "Outstretched Hands" has an almost haunting sound to it, which some listeners will enjoy. Once again, this slow song is another with a pop feel to it but changes to a rock feel at about the three-minute mark. This one also has a catchy chorus and feels like something some radio stations will enjoy playing. Unfortunately the chorus is repeated too often, and the last minute and a half becomes boring as a result. Any radio cut of the song will most likely be trimmed in length.

"Ordinary Life" has more of a rock feel to it with strong guitars, but once again the song is mid-tempo and sounds like many of the other inclusions on this project. It is helped by a catchy chorus, but unfortunately, it also becomes boring and repetitive and should have been shortened. "Over My Head" sounds like many other groups in CCM as a slow pop ballad. It does sound like another song that could get sparse radio play. The group does an uncanny impression of Caedmon's Call with "Can I Stay Here Forever?" which could be confused for many of Caedmon's songs.

The last two songs are two of the best on the CD. "All For You" is one of the few highlights of this album as a simple song about giving God everything. This ballad could be one that makes its way onto many radio stations and worship services around the country. This worshipful mood continues with "Cry in my Heart" which asks for more of God.

Another problem with this project is the enhanced CD content--or lack of content to be precise. The only enhanced content is a file that takes the audience to the official Starfield website. It does not take the viewer to a special area of the website, but to the index page which can be accessed via the link noted at the top of this review. This enhanced CD is one of the poorest ever.

There are several major problems with this CD. The first is that many of the songs sound alike. To see how alike many of the songs sound, try a simple experiment. Put the CD on shuffle and close your eyes. Listen to ten seconds of each song and try to guess which song it is and after you guess, look to see if you are right. Repeat with each song. Most people would be lucky to get half of the songs right and many may only name a third of the songs correctly. The second major problem with the CD is the lyrics, as none are really outstanding. Many Christians debate whether an artist who writes their own music is better than one who does not. This CD brings up a related question: which is better, a CD where the artist has someone else write the songs and the songs are great or a CD where the artist writes their own songs but the songs are fair at best? The final problem is the lack of content on the "enhanced" CD.

Due to lyrics that are fair at best and many songs that sound alike, most will quickly grow bored with this CD.

Burton Wray    August 8, 2004