Artist Info:Discography Album length: 10 tracks: 38 minutes, 40 seconds Street Date: October 22, 2002
In 2000, South African act Tree debuted in the United States as Tree63, a pop/rock
band with an uncanny similarity to Delirious? in sound. This Fall, Tree is back with
The Life and Times of Absolute Truth, their sophomore release that begins to further develop the
band as their own identity with their own sound. The album opens with anthemic "The Glorious Ones," an edgier
approach for the trio. But the feel changes with the peppy pop number "All Hands," a cheery and quickly monotonous
song that just doesn't seem to fit on the record. "No Words" picks up where "Glorious" left off, a catchy
worship tune that proclaims, "There are no words I can say / There is no music I could play / There is
no song I could sing / to tell of all the love You bring..."
"All Because of You" is a rock ballad where John Ellis uses a vocal style painfully reminiscent of
Cold Play for the chorus which quickly becomes exhausted. "Anxious Seat" is a fun and rousing song of encouragement
of relief only found in Christ. "Here of All Places" sees Ellis stretching his vocals in another direction
which works very well for this melodic rock track. "Be All End All" returns back to the upbeat monotony
as "Anxious Seat," even in sounding relatively similar. "All About The Change" shares a similar guitar
intro as "The Glorious Ones" but follows through as a stronger rock track while "Surprise Surprise" is a
decent pop tune, remotely reminiscent of Eager. The album closes appropriately with "How Did I Sleep?"
a pop ballad that asks the question of how could we rest without Christ's mercy. The highlight of
the album, "How Did I Sleep?" is the strongest cut musically and lyrically. Once again, Tree63's sound
works much better in ballad form than the upbeat party tunes.
Tree63's sophomore release The Life And Times of Absolute Truth is a step forward in the growth
and evolution of the trio, but still leaves plenty of room for growth into the group they're clearly striving
so hard to be.
- Review date: 10/20/02, written by John DiBiase
Artist Info:Discography Record Label:Inpop Records Album length: 10 tracks, 38 minutes and 40 seconds
Street Date: October 22, 2002
Artist Info: 
