After the departure of lead singer and songwriter
Peter Furler, fans of the hugely popular
Newsboys might have been worried about a change in direction or a drop-off in quality. Luckily for those fans,
Newsboys went out and got the best free agent on the market,
dc Talk's
Michael Tait, and their 2010 album, the aptly titled Born Again, shows no signs of decline. In fact, thanks to the inspired songwriting, the interesting production of
the Write Bros., and
Tait’s impassioned vocals, the album stands with their best work. There are some changes and alterations to their sound, which is no great surprise since the band has never been content to make the same record again and again. They have also always stayed up on musical trends, and as such there is some Auto-Tune on the album, and also some thick, techno synths; an emo-poppy rocker ("Miracles"); and -- in a nice nod to
Tait’s past -- a hard-rocking cover of
dc Talk's classic “Jesus Freak.” At its core, however, the record is about faith, inspiration, and belief, and the band delivers the message with complete conviction and power. And more importantly, they deliver it wrapped in music that isn’t a bargain-bin version of modern rock; it’s diverse, interesting, and huge-sounding music that packs a punch. You have to hand it to the band and its management. When faced with a potentially career-altering crisis, they regrouped and came back as strong as ever. ~ Tim Sendra