JesusfreakHideout.com: Highlighting 2014 Part One -- Looking Ahead To New Music In The First Half of 2014

For our 8th annual Highlighting feature, we split the year into TWO pieces -- January to June and July to December. Each list contains 15 artists/releases for a total of 30 in total for 2014. So, without further ado, we give you Highlighting First-Half 2014!

3 of 15

#3. Peter Furler Band
Sun and Shield

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Peter Furler is back! ...again! I did enjoy 2011's On Fire, which was thoroughly a Furler project in every sense. But with Dave Ghazarian and Jeff Irizarry on board, it's become more than a one-man show, and Sun and Shield has the potential to become huge in 2014.
- Roger Gelwicks

I have to admit, nothing made me miss the Furler-era Newsboys more than seeing the Peter Furler Band live two summers ago. And now that Furler has made his union with uber talented Ghazarian and Irizarry official, their first studio release together, Sun and Shield, ought to be a memorable one.
- John DiBiase

As (mostly) fine as they are, the trio of Newsboys albums released in the wake of Furler's departure nevertheless served, perhaps more than anything else, to illustrate just how pervasive his influence on his former band was. Indeed, far more than merely being the voice behind the microphone or the occasional mouthpiece for Steve Taylor's lyrics, Furler came to all but embody the very spirit of his previous Aussie-based outfit, particularly after the departure of singer John James prior to 1998's Step Up to the Microphone. Furler's self-titled solo debut, On Fire, only leant fuel to that argument, sounding more like a true Newsboys album than any of the three Tait-led efforts that actually bore that band's imprint. It will be interesting, this time out, to see whether he continues in a straight line from his previous band-based and solo efforts, or heaves caution to the wind and steps out into something entirely new and different.
- Bert Gangl

When Peter Furler left the Newsboys in 2009, he took with him what many considered to be the band's classic sound. But what most listeners don't know is that Furler was originally the band's drummer, only becoming lead singer when John James departed the group in 1996 (and only sang lead on occasion). Fortunately, Furler has long had a hand in songwriting, and he forever changed the face of Christian music with the band's later releases. Now, with his reemergence, the debut release of the Peter Furler Band has the opportunity to be one of the best albums of 2014 and the start of something great.
- John "Flip" Choquette

I had no idea this was on the horizon, but hey… new music from my favorite Newsboys alum is never a bad thing.
- Jen Rose

The Christian Music world is experiencing what the secular music world has been going through for a long time now; and that is when a lead singer of a beloved band goes his own way, but keeps singing his classic songs with a new lineup. Sting sings Police songs, Don Henley sings Eagle songs and last summer I saw Peter Furler (on stage with Phil Joel playing bass) play "Breakfast" and "He Reigns." And then a few hours later, the Newsboys sang a few of the same songs. It was surreal. But that quirk aside, Furler's last studio album, On Fire, was a classic Newsboys album through and through. Furler is a great songwriter, and a new album is a welcome visit from an old friend.
- Alex "Tincan" Caldwell

Springing up almost out of nowhere to announce a new album coming out in a matter of weeks, the trio of Furler, Dave Ghazarian, and Jeff Irizarry, while not quite a resurrection of the old Newsboys (interestingly enough, including a former "new Audio Adrenaline" member), will doubtlessly bring up countless comparisons to Tait's incarnation (for better or worse). In any event, any fan of the pre-Tait Boys are probably in ecstasy right now.
- Mark Rice

Ever since his departure from the Newboys in 2009, Peter Furler has dabbled ever so slightly in the music scene, but only dabbled. On Fire, his most recent project, was well-received three years ago, but failed to live up to its full potential. Now that Furler is fully back in the game with a solid band of musicians, expectations can do nothing but run high for Sun and Shield.
- David Craft

Visit our Peter Furler Band page for more information about them...