Not only is Shake The Nation the worship band at Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas, they're also the latest group to join the Dream Records ranks. The powerpop/pop rock group still puts Bay Area Fellowship first, but they've also taken more of a focus on being official recording artists as well. They've collected fourteen brand new songs for their Dream debut Follow.

If I didn't know better than to judge a book by its cover, the first song of Follow would be enough to turn me off to the album completely. The music, a pop rock/pop punk blend, is pretty typical of the genre; a progression and drum beat used in the same manner for thousands of other bands. Not to mention, Mark Marquez's vocals almost seem to clash with the sound more than work with it. As "Undone" starts, the album seems as if it may take a turn for the better within the first few seconds. But then it quickly turns into a Stellar Kart-ish, bubble gum powerpop track, as Marquez starts to take on a John Cooper-esque vocal style in the chorus. The musical outro of the song is actually pretty cool, with some nice guitar work, but doesn't make up for the rest of the track. "You" is half a step up in the music, but sounds like Shake The Nation's non-live rendition of a Hillsong United b-side. They add some gang vocals in for a few seconds, and they work well for the portion of the song, but they don't last very long. The ballad "Satisfy" is the first time where the band really shows any sort of potential. There's still no greatness present, but it's the best track thus far; it would also be a good candidate for a radio single. I like the subtle guitar work in "No Greater Love." It's not overbearing or overly poppy, but complements the feel and pace of the song. The song is a celebration of the love God has for us, and the things He does to get to us.

"Hero" is another ballad that, at times, reminds me of the Skillet song of the same name (though Shake The Nation's isn't anywhere near as rocky). The overall message is the same, with some similar lyrics in the chorus. Keeping it tame, they follow it up with "Be Still," and then "Open." As Shake The Nation continues with the slower material, it becomes clearer that this is where they shine. Though "Open" vaguely reminds me of Hinder, it's still a decent track that I prefer much more than their faster songs. The same can be said for "You Hold Everything" and "How Beautiful," although they are a bit weaker than the other slower material here. In contrast to my statement about Shake The Nation's slower stuff being their better stuff, the song "Follow," which is the lead single from Follow, is a pretty solid upbeat track. It's got some pop punk flair, and a miniscule 50s vibe in the drums. It's a highlight of the album, for sure. The pace picks up a little bit more for "Right Now." Musically, I hear a little bit of possible Hangnail influence, with a quasi-anthemic chorus. The chorus' lyrics could've been much, much better, but it's still not the worst song of the bunch. "All I Need" is another ballad proclaiming exactly what the title of the song implies, and it leads into the finale, "Face To Face." I like this track, not because of the greatness of the song (the lyrics are good, but could be better, and the music is pretty simple), but because Marquez just spends the near-seven minutes singing about what it will be like to finally see Jesus face to face. There's some acoustic guitar and a little bit of piano to add to the relative quietness of the song. Despite some rockiness throughout the course of the album, Shake The Nation found a good way to end the record.

Follow isn't a perfect debut album, nor is it really a great one. But Shake The Nation has given us a glimpse of who they are through it. There's some good stuff mixed with some stuff I hope we never hear from them again. The album would've been stronger had they forsaken the super poppy songs and just focused more on the ballads and maybe one or two upbeat pop rock songs. I feel like they could really make a bigger name for themselves if their second album heeds that advice.

- Review date: 10/18/11, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com