Emerging from the Sunshine State in the wake of talented acts such as Copeland, Anberlin, and Underoath, Between the Trees is making itself known as band with a message of love and hope. Formed in early 2005 in the local Orlando music scene, they grabbed the attention of many with their catchy and relatable lyrics concerning common life experiences, such as friendship and love.

They released their debut album, The Story and The Song, locally in Orlando in September 2006 on Bonded Records. Their sold-out release show at the Hard Rock Live proved how much impact they had on a relatively small community. Now, almost a year later, the record is getting national distribution through Universal and EMI CMG.

The Story and The Song begins with "The Forward" which is aimed at the fans, and urges the listener to let the music take a hold of them- to sing, clap, and dance along. It's quite perfect for live performances and obviously the mindset behind the song. The single, "The Way She Feels," as well as "A Time for Yohe," are both stories of a friend of the band who dealt with depression and self-mutilation. The first song depicts a common scene of the girl at absolute rock bottom, turning to razor blades to ease the pain. However, the song ends with a positive, and spiritual, note saying, "then she opened her eyes/ and found relief in His life/ and put down her knives," which tells of the girl's discovery of God's love for her. The latter song is written from a friend's point of view in such a situation, questioning and wondering how to help the person in need by saying, "does it help to say I'm sorry/ if so than I'm sorry that you're so unhappy…saying 'it's my fault' doesn't help repeated/time, love, and Jesus seems to beat it."

Other great and memorable tracks include the love-driven melodies of "Darlin'" and "White Lines and Red Lights," which both beautifully depict young love at its finest moments. While "Words" is a great anthem for all of us who have at one point in our lives been hurt by another's words.

While Between the Trees is definitely rooted in their rock melodies, The Story and The Song is filled with a variety of sounds and styles, which paint an array of moods. Their versatility is very evident in the last track, "You Cry a Tear to Start a River," which has more of a folk sound to it and is a beautiful close to an outstanding and impressive debut album.

They certainly do a great job at making their songs very relatable by writing creative, yet clear and familiar lyrics, which continues to make this band a growing favorite among teenagers and young adults. While there is a hint of spirituality found in the majority of the songs, it isn't always obvious. However, the songs are positive and could easily be a soundtrack to anyone's life. Between the Trees has only begun their venture into the music world, but with this stunning debut, it is evident they have a lot more to offer.