Almost Home

Full of both swagger and Spirit, Guardian’s Almost Home is a convincing return to form by one of Christian rock’s seminal bands. The bracing instrumental work and gleefully aggressive attitude heard in these tracks might make listeners forget that these guys have been making albums since 1989. Newly recruited guitarist Jamey Perrenot (who also handles production duties) helps give Guardian a contemporary edge without blunting their classic sound. Tracks like “Boom She Said” and “King of Fools” pack a mighty wallop, with lead guitarist Tony Palacios laying down torrid riffage behind David Bach’s joyfully raw-throated vocals. Such full-on rockers are complemented by melodic midtempo numbers (“Price We Pay,” ”Free”), Latinized semi-acoustic tunes (“California Sun”), and moodily thoughtful ballads (the title track). Whether celebratory (“The Real Me”) or snarling (“Paranoia Kills”) in tone, the album’s lyrics confront life in the material world from a God-centered perspective. Short snippets like “Show Us What You Got” and “The Calling” add extra pizazz to an album bristling with energy and radiating faith.