Humbly beginning as a worship band in their local church, Pocket Full Of Rocks get their name from a song they played many years ago. Now poised to make their major label debut after starting together eleven years prior, Song To The King is ultimately your typical worship album that draws comparison from most every other artist in the genre.

Song To The King gets off to a sonically good start with "The Welcome Song," a track that also features virtually every worship song cliche possible. If you feel like you've heard this song before, it's most likely because the rhythm is your common cheery guitar with a fast, mundane drum beat coupled with simple and unimaginative lyrics. It can definitely be said that the band's performance of their songs is confident, however. Hints of Caedmon's Call, MercyMe, Casting Crowns, and David Crowder Band are noticeable in songs like the opener's successor, "Closer To You," but the band plays their songs as if they are more than what they are. With lyrics in the song's chorus like, "I just want to be closer to You / I just want to be where You are / I just want to be closer to You / I just want to be where You are," the song isn't saying anything a worship music fan hasn't heard many times before. And songs like the title track mimic artists like Casting Crowns so closely, it will likely confuse the casual listener as to who sings what.

While many may listen to PFOR's Song To The King and find plenty to like about it and relate to (especially those unfamiliar with their sound-alike's), what's most difficult to swallow about Pocket Full Of Rocks is there doesn't seem to be a defining quality in their music to help them stand apart on their own. This in itself is distracting from the intended worship experience. Worship music can be a beautiful thing, a strong tool to connect the heart of a believer with their Creator. While the heart for worship is clearly reflected in their music, Pocket Full Of Rocks' Song To The King just doesn't bring anything different or exceptional to the altar. Buried deep within the familiar sounds of the band's songs, there still exist glimmers of potential for something better. But until those surface, we have Song To The King, a bold worship record with a style and approach a bit too commonplace, but will still hit home with those already fond of the current staple worship artists.

- Review date: 3/12/06, written by John DiBiase