From the album title and cover art, you might expect something a little different, maybe a little retro, hopefully a little "groovy" ... but the alternative rock/power pop inside is more like a xerox copy of other bands. Not an identical imitation, but a black and white replication that only captures part of the quality of the originals.  The production seems flat and one-dimensional, robbing the band of the ability to make a strong impression.  The songs are all more than decent, but at various points during the album you're thinking, "Didn't I just hear this on the radio an hour ago?"  That could be good or bad, depending on what you think of radio rock. 

There's a resemblance to Plankeye with some of the guitar work and attempts at Collective Soul melodrama throughout (bringing in strings, piano, and  beautiful female background vocals).  My favorite tracks were the oddballs--the brief, jazzy lounge instrumental "Cafe," and "The Ballad of Uncle Bobby," with its cheesy, awkward robot-rap chorus and more aggressive distortion alongside mis-tuned acoustic guitars.  "The Ballad...." is a horrible-sounding song really, but at least they're trying to do something original in it. 

A few other songs have welcome creative touches--random guitar licks, vocals, or added noises--but they seem more like afterthoughts than actual elements of the songs.  Oh, well. 

The lyrics are pretty faith-filled and sung with clean, normal nice-guy vocals. The occasional tone of melancholy is ambitiously assumed.  All in all, Groove is one of a thousand modern rock bands who have potential but need to quit playing around with the xerox machine and get to work if they want to amount to anything. 

By Josh Spencer 

Is 'kitsch' cool at the moment? I ask because that's what I thought when I saw the cover and listened to the first track of this album. As the synthesised voice, sampled from a child's toy (they call the track "Generic Teddy Bear"), invited "Come on everybody, let's rock. Rock n roll." I wondered what exactly this album contained.... 

From there on, most of those associations disappear as the band presents a selection of alternative-tinged rock songs that wouldn't sound out of place on most pop radio stations. The musicians are obviously up to the demands of the genre but don't excel. The vocalist has a very familiar voice which I can't quite place, and my overall feeling is that maybe this would fit a little too well on those pop radio stations, with little originality to make it stand out. There is the odd guitar fill or sound effect thrown in that renews my attention, but these quickly fade away, and my interest with them. 

By James Stewart 

Is pop alternative a proper label?  If so, Groove fits this category neatly.  I'm not sure I like the combination myself, but some may.  Maybe this is supposed to be alternative that just had too much of a CCM production.  Maybe it's the sound they want.  Either way, that is what you get, which is not necessarily bad. Variety definitely has some moments that caused me to perk up my ears and listen, but it just didn't quite take me to that next level where I'm interested in the whole project.  It kind of reminded me of the latest Seven Day Jesus and Sunday's Child releases.  Not in style, but in how the content just didn't quite click with me.  The music itself is well played, the vocals are "nice," and the lyrics are solidly Christ-centered. I can't name a definite band Groove sounds like, but they have "that sound."  You know, the one that makes you hum along with it even if you don't know the words.  I guess that's what does interest me about Groove--they have a friendly, easy-to-listen-to sound.  Maybe all they really need is time to develop, a little spice, and better production to help make them stand out.

By Mark Aylor