The Balancing Act chronicles
Cool Hand Luke's evolution from their early days up through two lineup changes and a slightly new direction. Included are snippets from an indie EP and two LPs released prior to the band's 2003 Floodgate debut. The material spans a creative seven-year period where singer/drummer Mark Nicks took up shop as CCM's resident dream rock artist. Assembled in this retrospective collection,
CHL stand unchallenged as the Christian sound-alike to
Radiohead. Atmospheric dream rock propelled by metal and punk-pop influences swells to impressive proportions at times. At others, your pulse never rises above 40. Half of the tracks are pulled from 2003's
Wake Up, O Sleeper and the critically acclaimed follow-up,
The Fires of Life. The remainder, such as new track "Wonder Tour," shows slight variations in the band's sound. ~ Jared Johnson