The Corners- Born At Last Review

I am usually very cautious when reviewing independent artists since, for many of them, there is a reason why they are independent. Usually there is a sound quality issue, vocalist problem or lyrical awkwardness that makes it clear why the the artist has not been signed. However, in The Corners' case, the quality is all there- it appears they are either too good for a major label or they just haven't been discovered yet- let's hope this problem is rectified upon the release of Born at Last.

After one listen to their forthcoming debut full-length set, Born at Last, it is clear that these Hannibal, MO natives are more concerned with artistic integrity than commercialism. The first five tracks are an excellent showcase of the band's diverse lyrical, vocal and instrumental talents, the most elaborate of which being the dramatic five-minute epic "Ballad of a Young Man". Lyrically, every song is grounded in scripture but does not spoon feed the listener. Many of these songs will require some thought in order to understand what the band is talking about.

Album opener "Waking Up" begins with a guitar pattern, melody line and drum beat that would make NEEDTOBREATHE proud before seguing into a falsetto laden chorus that would make Justin Timberlake jealous before jump into next track "New Day" which could have easily be mistook for a track left off of Switchfoot's classic Vice Verses album. Lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Andy Rhea, is a fearless singer with vocal chops reminiscent of The Classic Crime, The Almost, Kings of Leon and at times Switchfoot. (see "Eden" for a full showcase of Rhea's vocal talents)

The collaborative and mixed stylings of many of the tracks should sound like disjointed piecework but The Corners have created a sound that is fresh and exciting yet very much grounded in the soulful indie-rock genre that has served The Black Keys and Kings of Leon so well.

This is not to say that the album is devoid of potential hit singles. While lead single "All Things Are New" is an accessible and well chosen first taste of the album as a whole, late album tracks "All of Me", "Home" and "Wolves" are more radio-friendly and could find a home on the Christian Rock Radio charts. ("All of Me" has CHR radio potential as well) It was a bold move to hide so many of their commercial tracks at the end of their record but by doing so, the band puts their priority "to magnify the glory of God in the most creative ways we can” in perspective. There is a great emphasis on the creative throughout Born At Last and in a world so full of artists willing to surrender artistic integrity for pop appeal, it is refreshing to hear a Christ-focused band with the desire to make good music first and then worry about promoting it.

Over all, this is a well thought out and produced collection of songs that is both catchy and creative all while remaining focused on pointing the listener to Jesus Christ.

Radio Ready: All of Me, Home, Wolves, All Things Are New

iPod Picks: All Things Are New, Ballad of a Young Man, Eden, Waking Up, All of Me, Born at Last, Home