The band Tinman Jones gets their name from The Wizard of Oz, where tinman was in search for a heart; these men are on a quest for the very heart of God. They describe their style as modern rock as a mixture of passionate vocals and rap. They have played with notable acts Bleach, Skillet, GRITS, and many, many more and have a partnership with World Vision. Their 2001 release, Gravity Youth is produced by Reid Waltz and Jef Curtiss (Audio Adrenaline, Jennifer Knapp) as well as Barry Blair (former guitarist of Audio A, producer for Bleach).

When Tinman Jones has it, they truly have it. Let me explain... Tracks like "Valet" and "I Will" show amazingly catchy choruses, while the great bass line and synthesizer of "To See You" are hard to forget. "Etch-A-Sketch" is filled with delightful verses and hip-hop that is, surprisingly, appealing while "Superhero" is an impressive cheerful tune. The rest of the album, though, doesn't seem to hold a candle to the tracks mentioned.

Think Reality Check or maybe even dc Talk and the Goo Goo Dolls or Vertical Horizon. The rap, for much of the album, could easily be discarded, but regardless, sounds like Pillar. Half of Gravity Youth seems like emotionless filler while the other half is pure radio friendly impressive Christian rock.

With more killer and no filler, Tinman Jones will without a doubt find the heart of music.

- Review date: 4/7/02, written by Blake Garris