Roadmaps and Revelations is the latest release from Auckland, New Zealand based worship band, Parachute Band, which is bound to tug at your heartstrings. The latest lineup of guys in Parachute have a limitless aura that portrays their hearts as organs that undoubtedly beat for God and God alone. Parachute is surely poised to push worship boundaries and take their lyrics to ears that will yearn for more.

Of the handful of praise and worship bands available for listening pleasure, very few are comparable all around to Parachute. However, two artists may pop into your head when you play this album for the first time: Jeremy Camp and MercyMe. With deep flavored vocals intertwined with the pop stylings of the drums and guitars, Parachute is very much comparable [in certain aspects] to the aforementioned artists. Some may think this a bad thing, but it also be considered as a new take on an unoriginal sound. Sometimes people want music they're familiar with mixed with just enough newness to keep them interested. This is exactly what Parachute Band does.

Roadmaps and Revelations is a worship album that is easy to ignore but hard to forget. Once you lend your ears for the first listening, you might not turn away so quickly. The opening track, "The Way," is a catchy pop number that will burrow its way into your head. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing it while running around the office or jotting down notes for your history exams. Sure those songs that get stuck in your head tend to get annoying after a while, but if any song must embed itself into your cranium, "The Way" isn't such a bad choice. "Surrender All" is an intimate ballad that will turn your heart towards worship no matter where you are. Next up, "Mercy," is the recent release receiving play on several mp3 players across the country. With lyrics such as, "Your mercy saved me/mercy made my whole," it's difficult to overlook the passion in this song. "Thine is the Kingdom" is a slower paced song that might find play in church worship services soon due to its simple lyrics with a pulsating beat that doesn't overpower the song in general. "Glorified" is one of the more slower songs on the album, but it's crafted into the album beautifully. It brings you down a notch from the not-so-perky "Praise to You" and leads you into "One Day," which is slower than "Glorified." The album ends with "Keep In You," which is on the slower side of the spectrum as well.

If you aren't partial to worship or prefer an album with tracks you can head-bop to, look elsewhere. If you like your worship calm or assuring and don't mind a little unoriginality, Roadmaps and Revelations will not disappoint.

- Review date: 11/24/07, written by Jessica Gregorius