As part of a new distribution deal, Whiplash Records band Manic Drive decided to put forth a sort of re-release of their latest album, Reset & Rewind. Titled Blue, the new project combines eight of Reset's tracks with four new ones.

The slew of new songs include "Music" and "Walls," which are both high-energy techno-fused rock anthems, something new for the band. "Closer" is a beautiful worship song that makes use of Autotune, which surprisingly works well. "Rain" is a nice ballad, but is clearly the weakest of the four new tracks.

Standout tracks from the remaining eight include the catchy "Better Man," the cheesy-yet-fun "New York City Gangsters," the somber "11 Regrets," and the melodic "December Mourning."

The band's lyrics are also a highlight. Although songs like "Rain" and "Hope" fall into more clichéd territory, the majority of the album has rather smart and clever lyricism, especially on the Christmas-influenced "December Mourning." One of my favorite lyrical moments of the album is in "Closer," which says, "We turn around and we curse His name/They convince us that our God is dead/And it's our fault that we lost Him/So show us that we need You/Even if it makes us cry."

Although Manic Drive has seemingly rehashed Reset & Rewind with Blue, they actually improved it by taking its strongest eight tracks and adding four spectacular new songs. If you haven't picked up a Manic Drive album yet, this is the one to purchase. And for those who already own Reset, I highly recommend downloading the four new tracks digitally if possible.

- Review date: 8/13/09, written by Matthew Watson of Jesusfreakhideout.com