This one’s easy: Ivoryline sound a whole lot like Anberlin (particularly the latter’s Cities album,) but with far more explicit Christian content in the lyrical department. Usually this sort of imitation would get me offside from the start but in my opinion, with Vessels, Ivoryline have made a better album than Anberlin did with their last effort, New Surrender. This is top notch, post-hardcore influenced, mainstream rock. It’s also impressive lyrically.

Too often, overtly Christian lyrics come at the expense of lyrical creativity. That’s not the case here though. Ivoryline manage to phrase things in a very poetic way, without sacrificing clarity of message: “This ache in our souls / Really could take us home” in “Instincts,” and “The final time I close my eyes / I will open them in paradise” in “Made From Dust.” If there is a critique that could be levelled at this album it’s that there is a distinct lack of variety over 13 tracks. But that’s hardly a complaint when those 13 tracks contain such high quality hard rock.

Four stars out of five