Ian's advertising hype describes him as "the funnest guy in Christian music," and his debut album tries hard to live up to his press. Ian (last name Eskelin) comes fresh from work with Code of Ethics and his own band, Zero, to release this self-produced technopop effort.
I found this album a little less than satisfying. It's techno, but toned down several notches, perhaps in hopes of getting CCM radio play. There's nothing exactly bad about this album, but it just doesn't seem like anything that hasn't been done more interestingly by Code of Ethics or techno-rock outfits like Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline. Half the fun of techno is hearing strange new samples and sounds, and this album doesn't offer much in that department either.
Where CoE took their cues from mid-80s Depeche Mode and Erasure, Ian seems to draw more upon disco and New Jack Swing for his rhythms. The lyrics are fairly standard CCM fare; the title track is an interesting spin on the "no one knows the hour or day of the rapture" theme. It stands out musically above the rest of the album, as well.
Except for one slower song, this is mostly dancy pop. If you're looking to push the envelope, look elsewhere. But if you're biding your time until the next Scott Blackwell effort, you may want to give Ian a whirl.
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