Four years after starting, and three independent releases into their career, Something Like Silas brings us the debut album Divine Invitation, which brings their brand of modern worship to the table in an accessible format that can be easily praised, but not so easily set apart from other contemporary artists of today.

Sparrow Records lists their collective influences as follows… "U2, the Violet Burning, the Cardigans, Radiohead, and Icelandic Modern Rockers, Sigur Ros, among others." That's all nice and fine. I can hear a bit of all of these in Something Like Silas' music. But if you want to start talking about comparisons, Something Like Silas sounds, maybe a little too much, like David Crowder Band. Not that this is a bad thing at all, but it makes this entire disc seem redundant from the start. However, upon repeated listens, you start noticing all the little things that make this release stand out.

As with all modern worship releases, Divine Invitation's focus is God. Mostly upbeat, but sometimes slowed down, these are songs you're likely to hear at an Acquire the Fire conference or something of the sort.

Teens into the modern worship scene would do well to check out this Divine Invitation. Something Like Silas may not be the freshest sound on the block, but they will gain a following. Keep an eye out for these guys in the future.

- Review date: 06/05/04, written by Josh Taylor