The Light Years: Allies

Chronique

The Allies are one of the slickest pop acts in the CCM genre, offering a passionate mix of R&B, adult contemporary, and hard rock. The Light Years collects many of their best-known songs together onto one album. Thus, the band is represented in all their pop/rock glory, with high-energy anthems like "Second Chance." Although the mode of songwriting is quite dated, the execution is first-rate, displaying a keen ear for memorable hooks and pop flourishes that rivals secular artists like Survivor and Journey. It's hard not to appreciate the fist-pumping atmosphere of the whole thing, especially when vocalist Bob Carlisle really lets loose and utilizes his passionate wail. Anyone not interested in the '80s-style of keyboard-based hard rock should turn in the other direction; otherwise, this is some quality stuff from an act that should have garnered more recognition during their existence.
© Bradley Torreano /TiVo