The Choir - The Loudest Sound Ever Heard

I'll admit that even though I'm a huge Christian rock nerd, I've never listened to the Choir. I've known about them and I love Derri Daughtery's work in Lost Dogs but I've never gotten around to listening to the band. So my first spin of The Loudest Sound Ever Heard, I had no clue what to expect.

But the instant Strange Girl started playing, I knew I would be a fan of the Choir and The Loudest Sound Ever. Strange Girl has a great low key vibe, almost dreamy. The saxophone adds a great. soothing layer to the song. I wouldn't classify the song as shoegaze but it has elements that remind me of some of the less spacey bands in the genre. Cross That River's opening riff is almost exactly the same as Cush's The Clouds Are All The Same. That's not a compliant, just an observation. I love Cush's debut record and a track that reminds me of it is a good thing in my book.

Laughter of Heaven opens with Dan Michael's saxophone and the track moves like a great dance. Takin' The Universe In is like a fun movie score. It's very classic at times but has a nice rock sensibility. After All is a beautiful closing song that features Leigh Nash. The song is atmospheric and moves beautifully.

As an introduction to The Choir, I couldn't have asked for better. The album is both classic and modern alt-rock all at the same time. A fantastic record but the veteran band.