Rough Starts Call For Happy Landings

You might have heard Parachute if you've gotten a single of the week on iTunes recently, or you may have heard their underground hit "She Is Love." Parachute could be described as adult contemporary, but they also have some alternative rock elements to them, while still keeping some pop sensibilities. Make no mistake about it, they're not original by any means, nor do they try to be, but they do what they do pretty well.

Highlights Include:
The Mess I Made
She Is Love
Ghost
Blame It On me
The New Year

For the first three songs, I didn't like where the album was going. It was adult contemporary by the numbers, and it just felt forced. However, when they go into pop/rock mode for the rest of the album, the band is really enjoyable to listen to in their element. The music is accessible, but very well-done making for lots of potential radio hits.

Overall, as an adult contemporary band, they're not that great, but as the pop/rock band they really are, the band's talents really shine. It may not be original, but it's enjoyable for those light & airy summer days. I could see these songs on the radio, in the background of a teen-oriented show, or even in a romantic comedy. But just so you know, your plane doesn't have to be flames to grab a parachute. Sometimes you should just jump in, which is what you should do with this album.

Side Note: While there wasn't any explicit references to God, the album does have pretty positive lyrics, but chooses to focus more on love & girls, but in a positive manner. Change the she to he in 'She is Love,' and you have a good worship chorus. And, musically, the band reminded me of several artists that are on CCM today, so they'll sound very familiar, although I couldn't directly place them with another band.