Out of Eden are no longer the three beaming young girls who looked up from their first album sleeve. No Turning Back, their third album, shows the girls have grown up and moved towards a more mature contemporary-urban sound.
Given the genre they occupy, Out of Eden are bound to draw comparisons with Lauryn Hill. In places comparisons are worth drawing, as a few tracks such as "Spirit Moves" have the loose, gritty flavour of some of Hill's tracks. But Out Of Eden also have the strong harmonies of a group like Eternal--the introduction to "Sarah Jane" is very similar to a hit single by that group--and enough of their own ability and ideas to avoid too much similarity.
Out of Eden's approach to lyrics becomes apparent very quickly. The group writes their own material and are very clear about their faith, but couch this emphasis within songs about life, and especially romantic love. The lyrics aren't particularly startling, but generally manage to avoid the awkward turns of phrase that are all too common in this genre.
Much of the music is provided by dc Talk's back-up players. It has an authentic feel to it, and is accompanied by impressive programming. The production standard is particularly high--Gotee's production standards for urban music continue to be impressive. Nevertheless, it is the vocals which are the dominant feature of this album and they are constantly well executed. The harmonies could at times be more strongly emphasised, but the sisters' voices constantly weave together well.
Out Of Eden deserve mainstream attention. Their music is contemporary without seeming forced and the production standards are high. Not every song is quite as tightly focussed as it could be, but for those who enjoy the music of artists somewhere between Lauryn Hill and Eternal, this will be a positive experience.
4 tocks
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