Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review



Out Of Ruin
What I Can't See



Album length: 12 tracks: 44 minutes, 6 seconds
Street Date: April 29, 2008


Newly signed to Vertical Shift Records, Out Of Ruin is a new rock band founded by brothers Gram and Ben Messer. Their Vertical debut, What I Can't See, is merely a rehashing of the band's indie album, Mosaic Soul, with only a slight change in track listing.

The album starts off on a high note with four excellent tracks. "This is We" and "Lifting Me" are midtempo pop-rockers with catchy tunes and nice lyrics. "Broken Pieces" is probably the hardest track of the album, musically speaking, with its crunching guitars, and upbeat feel. Especially impressive is its use of metaphors---God picking up your broken pieces and reforming them into a "mosaic soul." "What I Can't See" is a lighter rock track. While it doesn't quite fall into ballad territory, the song has a slower pace. The middle of the album mostly runs together. A few of the songs are catchy at best, but nothing particularly memorable or special. For the most part, Out Of Ruin's style sounds too similar to fellow pop-rockers Jars Of Clay to produce anything unique. Besides a few certain moments (like "Broken Pieces"), the lyrics seem to fall into typical Christian territory. The songs rarely venture into anything more than typical clichés.

The album picks up again on the last few tracks, but is disappointingly not enough to redeem the whole album. "Alimente El Corazon" is the album's only instrumental song. With a latin-influenced feel, this song gives listeners a break from their now-tired pop-rock style. The other standout, "Only Half," is a catchy ballad that closes the album and is Out of Ruin at its finest.

All in all, Out of Ruin has a good thing going for them, but this album fails to show it. As a whole, the album has been done before, and gets boring after the first few songs. What I Can't See is likable at best, but Out of Ruin does little to develop their own sound, much less, a place in the music industry.

- Review date: 6/6/08, written by Matthew Watson



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

. Record Label: Vertical Shift Records
. Album length: 12 tracks: 44 minutes, 6 seconds
. Street Date: April 29, 2008
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Broken Pieces
  2. Lifting Me
  3. What I Can't See
  4. This is We
  5. Spirit
  6. Step On Faith
  7. Man To Be
  8. Pictures
  9. Numb
  10. Alimente El Corazon
  11. Stand For Something
  12. Only Half
spacer Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, March 28, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor Hymns The Garden (Live) [Integrity]
Anike The Rap Pack - EP [Reach]
Mack Brock Beloved - EP [Centricity]
Eben Brusco Offering House - EP (independent)
Steve Camp Fire and Ice (Remastered Collector's Edition) [Girder]
Lawrence Hancock Undefeated [LVP]
The Heritage HOME [Bowyer & Bow]
Memphis May Fire Shapeshifter [Rise]
Red Rocks Worship The King Is Coming [Provident]
Edwrin Sutton The Savior 1.0 (Volume 1) [Blacksmoke]

SINGLES
Big Daddy Weave I've Just Seen Too Much - Single [Curb]
Bongo Chico 1995 - Single (independent)
Kristin Chenoweth Live Like That (from "The King of Kings" Soundtrack) - Single [Angel Studios/Sony]
Disciple Resurrecting Reasons (feat. Decyfer Down) - Single [Tooth & Nail]
ELEVATION RHYTHM Sing Of Your Love (feat. Joe L Barnes) - Single [Elevation]
Good Weather Forecast Now I See It - Single [DREAM]
Lucy Grimble First Love - Single [Integrity]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise Lifted Up (ft. Tamela Hairston) - Single [Motown Gospel]
Jericko MANNA - Single [Syntax]
Kashh Kade RUNNING MAN - Single [Syntax]
Knaladeus Treasure (ft. C4 Crotona & Aciya Iona) - Single [Syntax]
Ronnie Martin Ever Sing For Joy - Single [Velvet Blue]
Miel San Marcos Digno De Adorar (Worthy Of It All) [feat. Waleska Morales] - Single [Integrity]
New Day Rhymes In Harmony - Single (independent)
Sam Purpose Turnaround - Single (independent)
Q-Flo & C4 Crotona The Plug Gotta Know God - Single [Syntax]
Smokey Robinson Three Little Birds / What A Wonderful World - Single [Gaither]
Sixpence None the Richer Julia (Live at Gruene Hall) - Single [Flatiron]
Sound Street I'm So Blessed - Single [Sonlite]
Switch Love Like This - Single (independent)
TKE3 LAHO 3MIX - Single (independent)
Madison Watkins You Won't - Single [Provident]
Wolves at the Gate Synthetic Sun - Single [Solid State]
The Young Escape Every Little Thing - Single [BEC]

Next Tuesday, April 1, 2025
SINGLES
Sleeping At Last Build - Single (independent)

Next Friday, April 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Faith Worship Arts Fill This House [DREAM Worship]
Silent Music Owl (independent)
TAYA The Reminder [Capitol CMG]

SINGLES
Free Worship Haz Tu Voluntad - Single [BEC]
Hunter Plake & River Valley AGES Presence is Peace - Single [BEC]
River Valley Worship Great and Lowly King - Single [BEC]
Jordan St. Cyr My Foundation (Acoustic) - Single [BEC]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Check out the newest JFH Metal compilation - FREE!
Get JFH's 13th free indie compilation now!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images