Canopy Red EP

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 - 12:36 PM CST

Totaling about 20 minutes, Canopy Red introduces its first album (titled by its own name) in extended play (longer format than singles but shorter than full length albums) with only five tracks. The "EP" in the album's name Yes, it's short, but extremely sweet. The four members from Tallahassee, Florida have a heartfelt passion for the gospel, which is evident from the first to the last lyric in their songs.

Lead singer Forrest Krazit has an astounding voice with stable pitch and meshed consonants that blend perfectly with the guitars, especially in their last track, "Why Would You." My only disappointment is that he didn't make fuller use of his vocal range, especially on the faster, poppy, "Falling Apart."

The band's most prominent song, "All Around Me," matches its theme with Canopy Red's passion, being sheltered in Jesus' love. Forrest needs no background singers-he has the talent to take control without overshadowing the instrumentals. Still, the chorus gets a little monotonous after the eighth time. If the band would have come up with one more verse, the song could have tremendous replay value.

The band has a lot of growth and developing to do, especially if they want to stand out from similar sounds like Relient K. But Canopy Red's shortcomings are all fixable, and the young group has plenty of talent and energy to make that happen. I look forward to future albums with greater variety, and maybe a few more songs.

Pros: Mesmerizing, strong vocals from lead singer

Cons: limited range and variety in musical sound

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars