Into Motion (CD - 2002)

Salvador: Nic Gonzales (vocals, guitar); Pablo Gabaldon (trumpet); Billy Griego (trombone, background vocals); Chris Bevins (keyboards); Josh Gonzales (bass, background vocals); Art Gonzales (drums); Eliot Torres (percussion, background vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Chris Young (bass, programming).

Producers: Peter Kipley, Chris Rodriguez, Nic Gonzales.

Recorded at Arlyn, Music Lane, Austin, Texas; Caddy Shack, Indigo Room Studios, Franklin, Tennessee.

Personnel: Nic Gonzales (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Pete Kipley (guitar, loops); Chris Rodriguez (guitar, background vocals); Carlos Sosa (saxophone); Pablo Gabaldon, Paul Armstrong (trumpet); Billy Griego (trombone, background vocals); Raúl Vallejo (trombone); Carl Hergesell, Chris Bevins (keyboards); Arturo Gonzales, Dan Needham (drums); Craig Young (programming); Josh Gonzales, Gene Miller (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Csaba Petocz; F. Reid Shippen.

Recording information: Arlyn Studios, Austin, TX; The Indigo Room, Franklin, TN.

Illustrator: Ray Roper.

Inattentive listening could easily lead to Salvador being mistaken for another of those poppy soulful boy bands, yet nothing could be further from the truth. The band's heavily R&B-inflected brand of Christian pop is undeniably commercial, yet their religious worship message shines through in every line. Nic Gonzales's heartfelt vocals and the band's pop-funk edge bring a contemporary feel to their age-old message of praise, but they're not afraid to rework Biblical texts into their glossy arrangements. Witness the stately "Psalm 3," which gets the big ballad treatment, while the next minute they're jumping to an extended funk workout on "God's People," a joyous, crowd-pleasing romp. "Worthy'" is an infectious R&B song concealing a pleading lyric, while "Can't Keep It In," like many great religious songs, could easily double as a secular love song. With INTO MOTION, this young Austin band has finally come of age. minimize