Anybody else feel like they're reliving their high school or college days? In a year that's seen the return of a variety of artists we haven't heard from in over a decade (like PFR or John Joseph James), Tree63 resurfaces as well with a new studio album, Voyage. Featuring the return of lead singer/songwriter John Ellis, the rest of the band is filled out by Deon Knipe on bass while Angus Warden pounds away at the drums. "Pounding away" is an apt description not just for Warden's work on the drums, but for the album's sound in general. If you expected watered-down pop/rock, you will be surprised to hear a rather robust British pop/rock sound reminiscent of acts like U2 or delirious?

The first half of the album sets the listener's expectations right off the bat with opener "Turn for Home." Filling the speakers with feedback from the guitar, followed by a meaty riff, the track goes on in a fun, bouncy manner, sweeping the listener into a fun experience. "Ambush" and the title track follow, adding a synth/'80s vibe to the mix. "Fire Goes On" and "Believe Anyway" round out Side A and feel the most radio-friendly, though they keep up the rock 'n' roll feel. Thematically, these songs all swirl around God's faithful and enduring love ("Turn for Home," the title track), which should produce enduring faith in us ("Believe Anyway").

The back half of the album, though, is where things get a little more interesting. The band as a whole gets some room to shine (especially on "New Jerusalem"). But the message shifts slightly, as seen with "How Much Longer?" A Newsboys-esque bop, it strains to see the fulfillment of God's kingdom coming to earth. This leads into "New Jerusalem," which gently criticizes the church for not doing more to bring about that kingdom. Those who like debating end times theology might find a good conversation starter here. The final line of the chorus, however, does come off trite as Ellis sings, "We could live in the city of life beyond all day and night/If we, if we only believe it." Questionable lyrics continue on the next song, "Seeker," where the chorus seems to proclaim, "God and you are the same." It's a strange line in a strange song where the point feels like it was taken from a self-help book (you're already who you want to be). Maybe Ellis is trying to talk about being one in Christ or how God makes us "truly human" in a C.S. Lewis sort of way, but the execution is a little clunky. "Still There" returns to the earlier themes of God's faithfulness, while "Beatitude" sends the listener off with a soft benediction.

I personally think it's great to see all these artists make a return and release music the way they want to without pressure from a label or the radio. Tree63's revival is a welcome one. Voyage is a fun album to listen to, while the lyrics have some meat on their bones and give the listener something to think about. Aside from a couple questionable lines, Tree63 has an album here that puts most of modern CCM to shame. It may not be a revolutionary record in and of itself, but Tree63's Voyage is a trip worth taking.

- Review date: 7/9/26, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com