Puzzles - All Mankind

download free ringtone from album [0.5mb] ::: download free mp3 - I’ve been looking for this [6 mb]

The Richard Beeston Band has been an important part of the local Christian scene for several years. They’ve played many hundreds of shows, achieving a reputation for excellent live performances along the way. They also released two well-received albums of their acoustic-rock music.

Late 2007 saw a significant change in direction. They renamed the group All Mankind and moved toward a more ‘classic’ pop-rock sound. Puzzles is their first release since the change. In some ways it could be considered their third album, but in other ways it is a debut.

The opening track immediately got my attention. It has a sparse, unusual introduction, suggestive of the Plain White T’s. Add an elevating chorus, a driving rhythm and an Edge-inspired guitar lick and you’ve got a terrific rock song. A great way to start!

And there is more to follow. Producer David Nicholas, who has worked with everyone from Midnight Oil to Elton John, knows how to craft a pop song and he ensures that there is simply not a boring moment on the album.

For the band, one of the biggest developments has been in the song craft. The previous album had good writing, but there were only a couple of stand-out tracks. By contrast, they score with pretty much every song on Puzzles. Favourites were ‘I’ve Been Looking For This’, ‘Nothing At All’ and ‘Be Still’.

In the current marketplace of the single-track download from iTunes, it’s good to listen to the narrative of a whole album. The title, Puzzles, comes from a line in the opening song:
Generations waited long and hopeful,
for the puzzles to be clear.
But hidden codes and secret clues are wasted,
now the answer is revealed.
And into the chorus:
I’ve been looking for this, all of my life.

Those familiar with the band will know that the answer to the “puzzle” is found in relationship with God. This idea is, implicitly, returned to again and again on the album – that God is the solution to the mystery that is life.

It’s pleasing to have watched these guys develop into such an accomplished band. Puzzles marks the start of an exciting new era. I have nothing but praise for the album and recommend it highly.

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