Flyleaf's New Horizons Sound Sharp

Lacey Sturm's voice springs out with purpose throughout Flyleaf's "New Horizons" album. That heart on her sleeve teems with fire. Unlike Pink, who sprinkles mischief all over her performance style or Adele, who's a soulful belter, Lacey's ace in the hole is the clarity with which she uses her instrument. If you dare to dream and battle with the frustration of not feeling like you're getting any closer to achieving it as days pass then "Cage On The Ground" is sure to be one of your new 2012 jams. Lacey directs her energy all the way to the back of the room. Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartman prove themselves to be a formidable guitar tag team repeatedly. Where the fret boards grab center stage is "Broken Wings". Comparing the chord progressions to a painter's color wheel, this song radiates gentle yellows and oranges. Lacey, ever grateful for friendship and the memories that often ensue strokes listeners with an ever so gentle caress. She assumes a defiant, steeled pose for "Stand", prepared to face the world with open hand and ears. Accelerated pacing toward the close makes the track a worthy anthem. Most eerie in this bag of alt-rock tricks is "Bury Your Heart". The slight quiver in her delivery is just unsettling enough to promote shivers. The song's focus seems to be on the difficulties of maintaining a lush life (references to gold and platinum, valuable markers of units sold in the recording industry). "New Horizons" highlights the importance of living in the moment. On the title track James Culpepper is at his beat-keeping best. This leads me to believe he's taking its message to heart. Lacey has since left the band to focus on her blossoming family. "New Horizons" demonstrates that she injected plenty of affection and raw vocal strength into Flyleaf before she opted to embrace the new horizons in her private life.