To be perfectly honest, it's hard to imagine anyone under the age of 50, regardless of the strength of their Christian witness, getting caught up in the spirit of a
Dove Brothers Quartet album. Even at their most insistently and vigorously rocking -- and they most definitely do rock out occasionally, as on the swinging "Blow Your Trumpet Gabriel" and the rollicking "Moving to the Rhythm" ("Of the Gospel," that is) -- their musical references and their vocal gestures all seem to come from some parallel
Lawrence Welk universe, where everyone wears matching suits and smiles while singing. That would be fine, if it weren't for the ecstatic hokiness that comes with that kind of old-fashioned approach, as on the overripe, Billy Sherrill-style arrangement of "I Found a New Friend," the maudlin "If to Gain the World," and the uninspired "My New Address." There's no criticizing
the Dove Brothers' vocal talent, and when they hit it they hit it hard. But too much of the material on this album brings to mind the old Christian lament about the devil having all the good tunes. One other question (and quibble): how Christlike is it to take $15 from a fellow believer and give him only 28 minutes of music in return? ~ Rick Anderson