Back to Music Christian Music Today Radio
 

 
Main  |  E-mail Us  |  About Us
Music Search

Features
Artists
Reviews
Interviews
Commentaries
Music Store
Glimpses of God
News
Radio - Listen Now

We Recommend
Editors' Choice
Best Albums of 2007
Our "Best-Of" Archives

Community
Your Feedback
Free Music Newsletter

Current Reviews
Current Features

Artist Pages

Take the poll

HOLIDAYS & EVENTS
Memorial Day (U.S.A.)
Graduation
Related Channels
Teens
Men
Women
Singles
Today's Christian
Media Guide
Books & Culture
Movies
Holidays & Hot Topics
Fun & Games





Home > Music > Reviews






Starfield
I Will Go(Sparrow)
Released April 2008
By Andree Farias


Sounds like … a lighter, less muscular version of Hillsong United with nods to Vertical Horizon, Leeland, By the Tree, and Lincoln Brewster.

At a glance … little has changed about the way Starfield attacks its brand of melodic, anthemic, rocking-but-not-really style of modern worship.

Track Listing

At a time when career longevity is often short for Christian bands—particularly modern worship bands—it's interesting that Sparrow Records is still holding fast to Starfield. Already on their third album for the label, the Canadian band has released a new disc like clockwork every two years since their 2004 stateside debut. That self-titled effort released with little fanfare, failing to distinguish the foursome from the glut of modern worship hopefuls at the time. Starfield's follow-up Beauty in the Broken fared a little better, outpacing the first album 2-to-1 commercially. Musically, it found the rockers stretching their wings with a few Switchfoot-styled rockers, only to rely on middling modern worship songs for most of the rest.

But then it's fans that decide a band's success, not critics, and Starfield remains one of the hottest tickets in Christian music, at least in their Canadian homeland. They're also one of the most decorated, with an assortment of Juno, Covenant, and Shai awards to their credit. Starfield also keeps a busier tour schedule than most, logging in hundreds of concert dates a year for enthusiastic audiences.

All of the above more than justifies the release of I Will Go, though once again the group fails to push the creative envelope. Opting for more of their blandly melodic pop/rock style, they sound like Hillsong United in approach, only much tamer and disciplined in execution. Case in point, their cover of United's "Hosanna" is robbed of its apocalyptic fervor, reduced to a four-minute by-the-numbers radio single (points off for the truncated bridge, too).

"All We Need" stops short of sounding like U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing," while "Holy Is Our God" is the requisite Brit-pop epic, though the lyrics are so light and hackneyed, they cancel out the grand atmosphere. Still, as a worship band, Starfield can certainly write corporate songs when they want to. Their penmanship doesn't jump out of the page, but "Remain" and "Reign in Us" are otherwise effective congregational tunes.

It's a thoroughly hit and miss effort, but I Will Go otherwise finds the Canadian band performing as expected, providing just enough to satisfy their loyal fan base thus far. If Starfield wants to develop a broader following, however, they will eventually need to develop a more identifiable rock-worship sound with more creative songwriting.







Starfield
I Will Go(Sparrow)
Released April 2008
By Andree Farias



© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.


Comments or questions? Send us feedback.

Click here to view our music review archives.

Visit the artist pages for related interviews and reviews.



Try an Issue of Today's Christian
Free!
Subscribe to Today's Christian
Name
Street Address
City/State/Zip
E-mail Address

No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.

If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.

Give Today's Christian as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter
Sign up now for the Christian Music Today weekly newsletter:
   RSS Feed   RSS Help






XML  Music Features
XML  Music Reviews


Positive, Practical, & Uplifting

Subscribe to Today's Christian





for teen girls

Download Now
Devotions based on
stories from Christian
music's top female artists


Sale price: $4.95
download now!
ChristianCollegeGuide.net
















Free Newsletter
Sign up for the Music Connection Newsletter:







Concerts & Events
Search:




Powered by iTickets.com
Technology & Information
©2001 iTickets.com
ChristianityToday.com
Home CT Mag Church/Ministry Bible/Life Communities Entertainment Schools/Jobs Shopping Free! Help
Books & Culture
Christian History & Biography
Christianity Today
Church Law & Tax Report
Church Finance Today
Ignite Your Faith
Leadership Journal
Marriage Partnership
Men of Integrity
Today's Christian
Today's Christian Woman
Your Church
ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
BuildingChurchLeaders.com
ChristianBibleStudies.com
Christian College Guide
Christian History Back Issues
Christian Music Today
Christianity Today Movies
Church Products & Services
Church Safety
ChurchSiteCreator.com
PreachingToday.com
PreachingTodaySermons.com
Seminary/Grad School Guide
Christianity Today International
www.ChristianityToday.com
Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today International
Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Advertise with Us | Job Openings