Rising

Personnel: Charlie Hall (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Kendall Combes (electric guitar, background vocals); Jarod Evans (electric guitar); Brian Bergman (piano, keyboards); Dustin Ragland (drums, tambourine); Ben Freeman, Sherree Chamberlin (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Shane Wilson.
Recording information: BlackWatch Studios, Norman, OK; Mission Bell Studios, Oklahoma City, OK; Sunday Recording, Oklahoma City, OK.
Photographer: Carl Zoch.
Like the David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall aims his songs at a younger Christian audience, one that's been raised on the sounds of `90s grunge and contemporary rock. The Rising, with its radio-ready guitars and slick pop melodies, is no exception. This is an album that's meant to appeal to an entire church-going generation, which means Hall bypasses any sort of musical experimentation in favor of keeping everything tuneful, pleasant, and fairly straightforward. Most of the songs are rousing, epic anthems -- even ballads like "Deeper in Love" eventually build themselves up -- which befits a record whose chief message is to spread and share the singer's faith. Secular fans might not find anything new here, but those who listen to Christian music will probably pick out the intricacies that make Charlie Hall one of the scene's leading artists. ~ Andrew Leahey