Artist Info:Discography Album length:11 tracks: 45 minutes, 42 seconds Street Date: March 26, 2002
Geoff Moore is a man who's certainly made his mark on CCM over the years.
Starting out solo, then taking on a backup band as Geoff Moore and the Distance for several
albums during the early to mid 90s, Moore's popularity was nothing but on the rise. The Distance
added something to Moore that when he was solo just wasn't there. But by 1998, The Distance
was in the past and Geoff ventured down the solo path again in 1999 with a self-titled record.
A Beautiful Sound is his newest musical venture, following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix
it" rule. With his tame pop melodies tinged with a little rock flavoring, Moore utilizes the help
of numerous established musicians on each track to create a slightly more interesting album than the last.
The impressive list of accompaniment includes Joel Hanson (of PFR), Marc Byrd (Adore and Common Children),
Tyler Burkum (of Audio Adrenaline), longtime friend Steven Curtis Chapman, Pete Stewart (formerly
of Grammatrain and more recently, Tait), and several others. The end result?
The album opens with the title track, a signature Geoff Moore pop/rock ballad that could easily
find companionship on the last two Moore efforts (including his final record with the Distance, Threads).
"God Believes in You" is a simple, encouraging tune flavored with a more southern feel, unfortunately
not as strong as the album's opener. "Surrounded" is firmer musically, as Byrd, often a musical genius,
aids in the composition. Moore's vocals don't change much per album or song. While a little more passion would
benefit some songs, Geoff's certainly not an amateur. But he's proven over the years his voice can only do
so much. This isn't problematic for his fans, but for someone looking for something a little newer, a little fresher,
they will probably not find it here.
"Impossible" adds a little more edge while Moore's vocals might seem a little too apathetic,
"Swept Away" serves as a classic ballad, and Byrd helps Geoff add some nice acoustic guitar chords to
the delicate "The Artist." "All I Want" is a more upbeat worship song, featuring a more heart-felt vocal delivery, while
Stewart livens up the more rock-based "Every Word You Say." "Come As You Are" is a soft and thoughtful ballad
as a live version of the 1990 Chapman co-penned "The Keeper" closes the record.
A Beautiful Sound is a good record, but nothing especially groundbreaking or extraordinary. Geoff Moore
fans will be pleased with this collection of songs, but you might want to look elsewhere if you want something
a little different than Geoff's previous efforts.
- Review date: 4/5/02, written by John DiBiase
Record Label:Forefront Records Album length: 11 tracks, 45 minutes and 42 seconds
Street Date: March 26, 2002
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