Finding Their Footing
Posted June 22, 2015
By SarahFine_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Having gained a massive following with their wildly successful song "Say Amen" (which earned southern gospel group Brian Free & Assurance several 2015 Dove Awards for their cover rendition), Gotee Records act Finding Favour is finally unveiling their much anticipated full length debut, Reborn.
What Works:
Bright musical moments pop onto the scene like splatters of color across a white canvas. The techno pop opening of "Refuge" leads into a silky worship tune, reminiscent of current Phil Wickham stylings.
"Cast My Cares" is the most original offering, setting this band apart both sonically and lyrically. Mildly bluegrassy with a contemporary pop polish, the song takes all of this group's best aspects and morphs them into the highlight of the album: "I will cast my cares on You, You're the anchor of my hope, the only One Who's in control."
"Feels Like The First Time" rolls with the Americana vibe through a sweet love song that expounds on a relationship set on fire under the banner of God's grace. "Tiny Town" follows suit and offers more descriptive storytelling at its finest.
What Doesn't:
The biggest issue at hand with Reborn is that every song feels as if it needs to provide an answer to the day-to-day struggles of life. Take a song like "I'll Find You." While it starts off raw and vulnerable, tackling the subject of doubt in God's timing, it quickly reaches a resolution that feels somewhat trite. Encouraging, yes, but somewhat forced nonetheless.
The project begins to splinter near the end, musically speaking. "Till Your Kingdom Comes" expounds on the idea of folktronica introduced to us by musicians such as Crowder, but also falls victim to feeling a little too forced. In some ways, mostly musical, this is a band that is definitely still trying to find their footing.
Closing Thoughts:
Finding Favour is a prime example of a band that is capable of absolutely brilliant songwriting, but finds themselves trapped in the awkward teenage stage of their career-- still trying to discover their unique signature sound and create a legacy that is all their own. While diversity is applauded (and in our industry, much needed), when diversity feels more like experimentation with very little cohesiveness, it can make it hard to enjoy an album as a whole.
That said, I think deep down, the men of Finding Favor do have a unique niche to fill. With time, that will become apparent. Despite some flaws, there are glimpses of excellence on this record worthy of your attention.
Song To Download Now:
"Cast My Cares" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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