With many wondering what direction the quartet would take after its record-breaking debut,
Jericho Road's sophomore effort yielded more Christ-centered messages set to R&B- and soul-based melodies. Half of "True North" has the fingerprint of producer Tyler Castleton and his familiar Sabbath-style ballads; the other half continues on an experimental path lined with semi-danceable grooves, tastes of hip-hop, and boy band harmonies. It is obvious that each song required much deliberation to keep parents happy; thankfully, the beat never gets too loud or steady and the lyrics are poignantly spiritual. The groups' self-titled debut album left plenty of ground to be broken, yet
Jericho Road seems content to devote a majority of its second record to slower-paced ballads. After the danceable first track, "Finding My Way Back to You," there are only a couple more pick-me-up songs scattered between risk-free melodies like "You Melt the Madness" and "All I Do." ~ Jared Johnson