- I Can't Stand to Fall
- The Difference
- Another Name
- My Hippocratic Oath
- Photosynthetic
Is there more to Forefront Records than dc Talk, Audio Adrenaline, tobyMac, and Rebecca St. James? Apparently so, as the imprint label appears intent on making a comeback by beefing up their roster, adding a handful of hip new signees including Dizmas, This Beautiful Republic, Abandon, and now Philmont.
Barely into their third year as a group, Philmont was snapped up by Forefront after several performances at the iconic Cornerstone Festival impressed higher-ups at the label. Intentional about their music and their message, the group did all it could to stand out at the mega fest, handing out bracelets and walking around with a CD player as they motivated would-be fans to give them a shot, both in-ear and at their live show.
This eagerness is all over the
That said, there's nothing here that hasn't already been attempted by numerous other emo/power pop hopefuls, from Mae and Anberlin to Nevertheless and This Beautiful Republic. But occasional fake horns, glockenspiels, synths, and a vaguely Underoath-like techno undercurrent spice up a couple of tracks. These sporadic tricks help to break up the fast-paced monotony a bit.
Philmont also shows some signs of personality in the way they put their thoughts on paper. They're still too young to take over the songwriting reins completely, but they show promise in the uncharacteristically titled "My Hippocratic Oath" and "Photosynthetic," each a track pertaining to one's identity, both in Christ and in public. And of course, Christian rock these days requires at least one worship song ("Another Name"), but then Philmont is just beginning to find its voice, so a move like that is expected.