Stellar Kart - Expect the Impossible

Producer:  Ian Eskelin
Record Label:  Word/Curb/WB
Website:  http://www.stellarkart.com

Stellar Kart burst onto the Christian music scene with 2005’s All Gas. No Brakes. The band found a following and released their break-out recording, 2006’s We Can’t Stand Sitting Down.  The album earned them legions of fans due to the success of the song “Me & Jesus” - though critics weren’t quite as on board as their fans were.  The band went on to get nominated for Artist of the Year in the 2007 GMA Dove Awards and won Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year for the radio hit.  The pop-punk band is back once again - this time with Expect the Impossible - their third national release.  There’s not much here to differentiate the band from their past efforts - especially when hearing the first single - the catchy “Jesus Loves You” - which sounds almost identical to the band’s breakout hit “Me & Jesus.” Expect the Impossible sounds like it was made for radio - much due to the production and songwriting help from All Star United’s Ian Eskelin - a man known for his radio-friendly production skills and catchy songwriting.  Musically - the band recalls a much weaker version of popular bands like Hawk Nelson, FM Static, or early Relient K.  This is power-pop with moments of punk that work well on the radio and at youth conferences, yet don’t offer much else.  On the bright side, the addition of synthesizers and keyboard sounds give the band some much needed creative boosts (as notably seen on “Shine Like the Stars") - but it’s not enough to salvage an otherwise boring and been-there-done-that disc.  Lyrically - the band continues to live in cliches and overused topics and phrases - most notably found on tracks like “Pray”, “Shine Like the Stars”, “Sunshine”, and “Eyes.” Overall, fans of catchy radio friendly music will find much to love here (even I have to admit to just how catchy “Jesus Loves You” is - and “Shine Like the Stars” is a worthy inclusion into a summer-time playlist) - but fans of more meaty music and lyrics should definitely look elsewhere.

Purchase Expect The Impossible.

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