Night Beat Rewind: April 2011

Things are a little backed up here at The Night Beat. It's almost the end of May and here I am just getting to the April releases, but such is the pitfalls with a one-person operation.

As always these are quick hit opinions. If the Title is a link, it will direct you to a full review that I did of the CD. In review I'll quickly say that I won't stand behind any CD with a rating under 4 Emeralds (3-4 Emeralds are a personal decision. Under 3, we wont go there:

• Abandon - Control (Rock, Alt) 4.25 Emeralds
• Ashley Aucker - The Life You Promised EP (D) (Pop) 3.5 Emeralds
• Brandon Bee - Inside these Walls (Pop, Rock) 4 Emeralds
• Marc Danyell - Close to You (Gospel) 3.75 Emeralds 
• Jonny Diaz - (Self Titled) (Pop) 4.5 Emeralds
• Ricky Dillard - Keep Living (Gospel) 4.5 Emeralds
• FM Static - My Brain Says Stop But My Heart Says Go (Pop) 4.75 Emeralds
• Jason Gray - Song Cycles: From Work Tapes to Remixes 3 Emeralds (*See Note)
• Gail Holmes - I Receive Your Love (Gospel) 3.5 Emeralds
• Hope for the Dying - Dissimulation (Hard Rock) 4.25 Emeralds
• Tim Hughes - Love Shine Thru (MW) 4.25 Emeralds
• K5 - K5 Kids Sings the Songs of TobyMac (Children's Music) 5 Emeralds
• Mandisa - What if We Were Real (Gospel) 5 Emeralds
• Rob Mathes - Psalms Alive 3.5 Emeralds
• Martha Munizzi - Make it Loud (Gospel/MW) 4 Emeralds
• New Life Worship - You Hold it All (MW) 3.75 Emeralds
• Newsboys - Born Again: Miracles Edition (Pop, Rock) 4.5 Emeralds
• Playdough - Hotdoggin (Rap, Hip Hop) 4 Emeralds
• Rebecca St. James - I Will Praise You (MW, Pop, Rock) 4 Emeralds
• Laura Story - Blessings (Pop/MW) 4.25 Emeralds
• Tidewater - The Seas We Sail 3.5 Emeralds (**See Note 2)
• Various Artists - X:2011 4.5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Maranatha Kids Top 25 Kids Praise Songs (Children's Music) 4 Emeralds
• Derek Webb - Feedback (Instrumental, Dance/Electronica/Techno) 4.5 Emeralds
• Beth Williams - You Can Be Loved: The EP 3.75 Emeralds

* Note 1- Jason Gray Song Cycles has 16 Tracks, but in reality there are only 4. Each song is tracked in four versions (Worktape, Demo, Final and Remix (all Remixes are by Derek Webb). This might not be a problem if they grouped them by the version (all 4 worktapes, then all for demos, for example). Instead they are grouped by song, so you have to listen to each song FOUR TIMES IN A ROW. It was a bit too much for me.
** Note 2- Two problems with Tidewater. This isn't a new album. This is a re-release of an album that originally was released on August 17, 2010. The re-release only had one new song, so so much for a Deluxe Edition. Plus while the music is nice, his voice is just a tad annoying.