Illuminate (CD - 2003)

Dave Crowder Band: David Crowder (vocals, acoustic guitar & electric guitar,

piano); Jack Packer (electric guitar, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog sythesizer); Mike D (electric guitar, bass, programming); Jason Solley (electric guitar, background vocals); Hogan (violin, sound effects); Jeremy Bush (synthesizer, drums, percussion, programming).

Additional personnel: Gary Burnette, Jerry McPherson, Mitch Watkins (electric guitar); Bob Mason (cello); Charlie Peacock (keyboards, programming); Zach Lind (drums); Chris Eaton, Nirva Scott (background vocals).

Producers include: David Crowder Band, Charlie Peacock, Mitch Watkins, Zach Lind.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: David Crowder (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, background vocals); Jack Parker (electric guitar, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ, Moog synthesizer); Mike D. (electric guitar, bass guitar, programming); Jason Solley (electric guitar, background vocals); Gary Burnette, Jerry McPherson, Mitch Watkins (electric guitar); Bob Mason (cello); Charlie Peacock (keyboards, programming); Jeremy Bush (drums, percussion, programming, sound effects); Zach Lind (drums); Chris Eaton, Nirva Dorsaint (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Shane D. Wilson.

Recording information: The Art House.

Photographer: Dan Winters.

Arranger: David Crowder.

Even though David Crowder is ostensibly a Christian rock artist, he's first and foremost a contemporary singer-songwriter. Accordingly, one doesn't even begin to disseminate the spiritual content of his lyrics until after fully experiencing his sonic blueprint. With help from his apparently close-knit band, he's fashioned a sound that's not far from that of David Gray. Folk-rock acoustic guitars and soulfully emotive vocals mix with burbling synthesizers and drum loops, adding a more expansive touch along the way via some wide-screen electric guitars a la the Wallflowers. Moving through ILLUMINATE, the influence of everyone from Dave Matthews to Dashboard Confessional can be felt, but only in fleeting moments before moving on to something else. Add in some substantive, faith-oriented lyrics, and you've got a band difficult to pigeonhole, but easy to like. minimize