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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



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. 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
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This Friday, November 28, 2025
ALBUMS
Seth Davey Words in the Wounds (independent)
Emery White Line Fever (Remastered) - Disc Two (independent)
Illustrate, Procyse In The Name (Remixes) [Polished Arrow]
John P. Kee Throwback: An Evening with John P. Kee, Part 1 [Tyscot]
Kelo The Healing Process 2: Grief [Syntax]
No Vain Glory UNLEADED [Syntax]
Jeannie Ortega Concrete Dreams [Syntax]
Phil Wickham Psalm 8 - EP [Fair Trade]
Calum Wood Christmas Songs from the Kitchen Table, Vol. 1 (independent)

SINGLES
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Ian Austin Simpler Times (feat. Heather Suzanne) - Single [Ocean House]
Chris Caro & OnBeatMusic Flicker - Single [Syntax]
Cutright Slide Thru - Single [Syntax]
Mark Fonseca No Vacancy - Single (independent)
Hillside Recording Unto Us - Single [Ocean House]
Knaladeus & Braille Iron Sharpens Iron - Single [Syntax]
Brandon Lake x Skema Boy No Idols - Single [Provident]
Kemara Lynn Apply Pressure (feat. DKG KIE) - Single (independent)
Oscar Nash Peace on Earth (feat. Jemimah Paine) - Single (independent)
Saints in Exile & Cutright My Dead End (Orchestral Remix) ft. Jeannie Ortega, Jericko & Luc DiMarzio - Single [Syntax]
Silent Reflection Erase - Single [Syntax]
Tds Cam, De'Aris & Craig Watson, Wayne Klassik, & YAGIRLLAYC Prayers For My Enemies (Rapzilla Freshmen) - Single [Syntax]
TUVÍ, Yung Drew & 1KChvcho One Hundred (Rapzilla Freshmen) - Single [Syntax]
We Will Worship, Vine & Vibes (ft.Lisa Oduor-Noah) Ndiyabulela - Single (independent)

VINYL
John Schlitt The Christmas Project Vinyl [Girder]

Next Friday, December 5, 2025
SINGLES
29:11 Worship Glory Glory - Single [DREAM]
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Heather Suzanne, Ian Austin Sleeping Child of Bethlehem - Single [Ocean House]
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Run51 Good News (A Christmas Medley) - Single [DREAM]


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