Fight the Tide

There is something tremendously appetizing about guitar-fused rock & roll. Sanctus Real's sophomore offering, titled Fight the Tide, is a disc that finds the band maturing lyrically and musically while vocalist Matt Hammitt delivers a sterling performance.The disc's opener' "Everything About You'" is a bass-driven tune that features effect-laden guitars swirling around the melody. Well-placed hallelujahs produce a spiritual pleaser. "Things Like You" and "Change Me" both find the band playing radio-friendly cuts that move along like the Gin Blossoms with acoustic guitars giving way to a moving chorus. Throughout the opus there are more great rock moments than a geologist convention. Check out the chorus on"The Show" or the emotional energy on "Say Goodbye." Fight the Tide is a disc that is testimony to a band with overflowing talents. Cut after cut proves it.