by Daniel Malich
Four years since the release of their last studio album, Scott and Christine Dente return with a renewed sense of vision on 6.1. While their solid songwriting remains, along with Christine's ethereal vocals and Scott's gifted guitar work, this duo charts a new, yet somehow familiar course under the direction of producer Monroe Jones. "Shine Like Crazy," the album's upbeat power pop opener, and "What's It Gonna Be," a piano-based ballad, provide powerful anthems to the choices we face in moving forward in life, and living without fear. "Brave" moves musically from mild to intense, singing about the commitment to live life fully without knowing what's around the corner, while "Out of the Ordinary," a breezy rock ballad, and arguably the best song on the album, uses Scott's vocals in verse opposite Christine's angelic pipes in chorus, presenting the view that within all of life's contradictions, there is a greater power that puts us on the path to the extraordinary. "I Want Everything" addresses the discontent found in life, and the restless unwillingness to settle for anything but the very best that is promised in faith, while containing probably the best line on the album (a bit of an inside joke for fans who know about the couple's affection for java): "I want holy/I want lovely/I want grace/I want passion/I want poetry, and coffee -- oh, everything!" Other songs on the album are equally fulfilling, and Jones leaves no stone unturned in appealing to old fans while easily attracting new ones. With Christine never sounding more free in her interpretations, and Scott opening up new depths in his instrumentations, Jones has taken their near perfect artistry to new heights. However, it's the duo's inimitable ability to pen thought provoking, emotional lyrics that take center stage. For, while many albums have the power to touch your heart, few leave imprints on your soul. This one does. And we are left only wanting more.