Be

Personnel: Ben Smith (vocals, keyboards).
Audio Mixer: Shane D. Wilson.
Recording information: Southern Track Recording, Atlanta, GA; The Rockporium, Canton, GA; The Smoakstack, Nashville, TN.
Photographer: David Molnar.
Unhindered were the first act signed to Teen Mania's EE-TAOW label, giving the ministry an anchor on its roster of straight-down-the-line corporate worship artists. The Atlanta-based quintet comprised of Ben Smith (keys and vocals), Pat Barrett (guitar and vocals), J.R. Collins (bass), Christian Paschall (drums), and Ashley Dasher (guitar) delivers high-impact, highly approachable praise music on its national debut. Having honed their outreach on the Acquire the Fire circuit, Smith and company prove their knack for crafting a worship experience that doesn't pull any punches with its focus on the message. A quick listen to the album's opening track and first single, "You Are My Creator," reveals one of Unhindered's greatest strengths -- their authenticity -- as they push vertically with their lyrics and a catchy guitar lick. Another strength -- their ability to target youth without dumbing down their message -- drives the cathartic passion of "Beautiful" and "No Other Name," while they also appear quite at ease on an upbeat rock anthem like "We Will." The one break from their straightforward formula is "Who Is Like the Lord," which begins with a spoken rant that puts the band's transformational ambitions in perspective. At times they sacrifice artistry for simplicity or err too far on the side of generic, which is the only real downside since Unhindered show promise of a more original approach than Be sometimes manifests. Despite this shortcoming, Be remains a solid collection with an honest delivery and meaningful insights for the younger generation. ~ Jared Johnson