Artist:  Building 429
Title:  Building 429
Label:  INO

Anthemic trio discovers fresh vision with new label, new recording …

Since winning 2005’s Dove Award for “New Artist of the Year” Building 429 has committed its career to the road, tearing up stages across the country with the likes of tobymac, Casting Crowns, Family Force 5 and hard rock staple Pillar. But in a “season of finding what God has in store” and no longer conforming to “what everybody wants us to be or what we think we should be,” front-man Jason Roy explains the band has something of its own to say.

Though the trio’s third disc, Iris to Iris, released just last year on Word Records, Building 429 has used the last 18 months to re-center, landing a deal at a new label home (INO), a renewed vision and a self-titled record that bends the band’s previous musical genres while still affording them an even more comfortable fit into the world of Christian rock music.

The first single, “End of Me,” echoes the band’s revived mission, issuing an abandon to God in every line: “Once upon a time the story goes/I laid it all down and let it go ... And all I longed for I found finally at the end of me.”

“Not Gonna Let You Down” and “Coming Home” issue more of the driving anthemic rock the band is known for, while tracks like “Shoulder” and “Bring Me Back” are more pop than rock, exercising restraint to loudly communicate very clear messages.

And in the record’s most moving moment, “Always” utilizes the softer (though no less intense) arrangement to reassure faith despite life’s deepest doubts:  “I believe always, always/Our savior never fails.”

Building 429 certainly breaks no new ground, but the three rockers benefit from worrying less about industry expectations and taking a fresh approach to recording. And if you are one of the few who have yet to familiarize yourself with Building 429, this CD is the perfect place to start.

 
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**This review first published on November 20, 2008.