After about a decade of spending time as an indie band, new EMG act Rhythm is ready to take their music to the masses. The long span of time spent developing their sound was not wasted, however. Instead, it served as a useful launching pad for Rhythm's impressive debut The Forward Concept.

The Forward Concept presents itself as one of the most creative debuts in recent memory with its catchy, original arrangements. Unfortunately, it gets off to a weak start with the far too radio friendly "Moment In Your Life." While that song is a disappointment, Rhythm picks things up for the rest of the record. This five-piece outfit utilizes different elements to craft their tunes, giving each it's own flare, which makes it somewhat difficult to pinpoint an exact sound or similarities to other artists. "Surrounded" and "Let Me Sing" put keys to work for a soft rock-driven vibe, while trombones are even used to add a new element to tracks such as "Take Me" and "Beautiful World." To push the boundaries further, "New" and "The Switch" head in the direction of edgy rock, which deal with newness in Christ and defeat of sin, respectively.

Though its apparent that Rhythm takes their work seriously, the guys do take time to have a bit of fun on "Words From The Heart." Singing "Don't blame us if you wake up singing this song/ Don't worry if it climbs the chart- it won't last long… We've given you our best shot at a pop routine/ The only thing missing now-choreography," this fun number is one of the album's leading standout tunes.

To call The Forward Concept your typical run-of-the-mill project would be a disservice to Rhythm. The band manages to carve out it's own niche by offering distinctive pop/rock that works past the ordinary. This is one Concept worth checking out.

- Review date: 9/23/05, written by Lauren Summerford