SPUR58 Sleepwalkers Indelible Creative Group Rock 10-10-2006

SCORE 83%

The call to be "in" the world but not "of" it as described by the passage in Romans 12 has consistently been a challenge to define and a struggle to put into practice. Whether it's been the call to the monastic life, or resolving to be mere observers of the culture around us rather than participating in it, Christians have all managed to come up with different ways to address this issue. If you study the life that Jesus lead, however, it doesn't take too long to realize that we weren't called to being mere observers, but active participants in the life that has been given to us.

Newcomers to the scene Spur58 have found this condition to be far too common and very detrimental to our callings as Christians. Their debut release, Sleepwalkers, is a call to wake up and take hold of the life that we've been granted. The title track notes, "The day is waiting for you to wake up," encouraging listeners to remember what it means to have live and love. Other songs on the album complement this message such as "Save the Day," which is a cry out to God to enact the change needed to point us in the right direction, "Sustaining Me," which credits Jesus for keeping us alive, and "Start Over," which reminds us that it's not too late to begin again. Elsewhere the album deals with our relationship to both God and the world from various perspectives.

Musically, Sleepwalkers manages to sound pretty original and clean, drenched in the modern rock sound that seems to be a call sign of the newly founded label Indelible Creative Group. The music does seem to be ring with something of a familiarity with the tracks as one listens, though it's difficult to pinpoint whether it's borrowed riff and melodies or just a sound that reflects the popular trends of the day. Some standout tracks include "Kyle's Lament," which has something of an epic feel to it, "Start Over," which proves to be a rather moving ballad that showcases the vocals of Aaron Ivey, and "Starting to See," which features a catchy hook.

Spur58 offer listeners a rather fresh take on worship music with a vertical and horizontal reach. With a message for listeners as well as meaningful worship for God, Sleepwalkers invites us to become true followers of Christ. The album is very well put together and leaves one waiting for the next chapter. Solid debut.