All Star United - The Good Album

Producer: Ian Eskelin
Record Label: E1 Music
Website:  http://www.allstarunited.com

Sometimes, I really wish Ian Eskelin would just decide what he wants to do. Does he want to the front man of a band? Does he want to go solo? What about the whole talented songwriter and worthwhile producer thing? One never really knows exactly what Eskelin’s intentions are.  He’s always had a successful run with each release from All Star United - but then there was that weird solo thing he did.  Now, Eskelin is back again with the release of another All Star United album - The Good Album.  The title does seem a bit of a conceited thing to say - especially considering All Star United has never been a huge disappointment critically.  With this release - it’s easy to call it The Good Album - because Eskelin really has turned into a formidable songwriter and producer.  His production work as of late (Krystal Meyers, Avalon) has proven to be noteworthy, and he continues to be one of the most solid pop songwriters in Christian music today.  The Good Album kicks off with the extremely catchy and fun pop/rock of “Surface of the Sun.”  “Good Times” is a great piano-infused pop number that will have you singing along in no time, while “Dude…That’s Freaking Awesome!” features Eskelin’s known witticism and an extremely catchy chorus melody.  “Light’s Out” is another fun, poppy rock tune - though it’s short time frame leaves the listener begging for more.  (Perhaps that is the goal in the first place?) “One More Time, with Feeling” is another fun tune that features Eskelin’s sarcastic humor. As fun and exciting as it is to hear All Star United back and in full force - long time fans of the band may find themselves yearning for more musical growth or lyrical substance.  There’s not a lot of spiritual talk on this record - and that is nothing new for ASU - but eventually it would be nice to see the band get a little more spiritually mature on a release.  “I’m a Killer” is the closest the band gets to mentioning anything prominently spiritual - and even then it’s shallow to a degree.  Overall, The Good Album is a fun, energetic release from the band.  There are still many areas that the band needs to “grow up” in - but if you’re looking for an album to escape with for a little while - there’s no reason why All Star United’s The Good Album shouldn’t be worth your time.

Track listing:

1.  Surface of the Sun
2.  Is This the Moment
3.  The Blame
4.  Lights Out
5.  Once Again, with Feeling
6.  Crashing Cars
7.  Dude…That’s Freaking Awesome!
8.  Pretty Famous
9.  Good Luck With the Girls
10.  I’m a Killer
11.  Good Times
12.  Beautiful Way*
*Digital only