Exile & Eden is a band led by songwriter/vocalist/guitarist, Ben Beaghan, who started the project after the loss of a close friend. Their debut album, Love and Loss, was born from his grief. Now Beaghan and company are back for their next album, New Horizon. In some ways a sequel to their first album, this new offering deals with dark times while expanding its focus on broader themes of encouragement. Using a classic early-2000s pop rock sound, Exile & Eden explores how we keep getting back up after life knocks us down -- and Who can help us do that.

The opening title track, and "What You Were Made For," greet the listener with broad levels of encouragement that contain passing hints at a deeper, biblical depth. With "Heart of Stone," Beaghan turns fully and openly toward the spiritual. The album contains a good mix of songs directed toward the listener (like the title track or "The Northern Light"). These bring plenty of encouragement to press on in hard times, mostly with a biblical basis. Other tracks flow more from Beaghan's first-hand perspective. The one-two punch of "Into the Mo(u)rning" and "Joy" close out the album, acting as a microcosm of Beaghan's story through grief. The former track looks to God in hope of eventual relief. The latter track moves to a more conclusive ending where God brings joy in every moment of every day.

The music does a good job of backing up the message. It has a rawness to it that fits with the darker, more personal elements, but feels bright enough to avoid being dreary. Some melodies do feel too similar to each other, causing songs to blur together in the listener's memory. The album also suffers from the age-old struggle of independent albums: inconsistent mixing. Most of the time, Beaghan's vocals mix nicely with the band; other times, he gets lost in the mix. These hiccups hold back the album slightly, but aren't egregious enough to turn prospective listeners away.

If you feel like you're in Exile and long for Eden, Beaghan and company have just the album for you. New Horizon isn't a fully polished work, but that works in its favor at times. It's a record about hard times in life and faith in God to pull us through those days. Exile & Eden lives up to their name, acknowledging the reality of our fallen world, but never losing hope in a future kingdom where Jesus reigns and His people finally have peace.

- Review date: 12/18/25, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com

---

(JFH Sponsor Spot)

---