On April 6th of this year, newcomers Building 429 released a debut EP entitled Glory Defined which garnered them a huge Christian radio hit in the form of the title track. Nearly four months later, and with momentum unlike most debut acts, they released the much-anticipated, full-length Space In Between Us.

Playing a brand of worshipful southern rock acoustic not so different from Third Day, Space… begins with the much-lauded "Glory Defined." Lyrically, it's stuff we can all relate to. Man's imperfections as compared to the glory of the Savior. "It's always the simple things. It's always the obvious that crashes over me… Until I wake up to find Your glory defined… When I cross over Jordan, I know I'll be running home to You."

The lyrics are Building's strongest point; it's the music of this band that brings them down to the mundane state of "been there, done that" that crowds the Christian market. Honestly, I had heard "Glory Defined" numerous times over the radio before I actually realized that they were a new band. As stated above, they apply elements of Third Day with hints of Big Daddy Weave and others to formulate a journey through explored territory.

However, you cannot fuse the sounds of different bands without creating something at least, to some degree, original. And upon repeated listens, Building 429 does have a bit of addictive power. The songs all run together initially, but eventually you may find yourself singing along.

But nothing really makes Building 429 stand out among the rest. For fans of the southern rock genre, Space In Between Us is definitely worth a listen. Building 429 may not think outside of the box, but what they do, they do pretty well. Perhaps if they build from here, we'll hear better things from them in the future.

- Review date: 09/20/04, written by Josh Taylor