Ian Eskelin and his All Star United mates aspire to make top-notch pop, and their second release, International Anthems for the Human Race, should dispel any doubts about their abilities. Each song is a little pop primer, easy to listen to, with a variety of rhythms and hooks to grab you.
Some have simple messages, but that grain of truth is part of pop too. Thank You, Goodnight offers a lovely little prayer; I Need You Now is a touching confessional; and the first single, Superstar, puts a spiritual spin on celebrity worship.
Other songs wax more sarcastic. Popular Americans, using a Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon-like melody with terrific horns, joyfully punches a hole in U. S. jingoistic pride. A falsetto backing vocal sets the tone for Worldwide Socialites Unite, a tongue-in-cheek take on high society. ("Buh-bye")
Hold on to Theme From Summer until the weather warms up; then pop it into your car stereo and drive. Though it's only January, Theme, with its lapping waves and Beach Boy-esque backing vocals, could well be 1999's car-dancing anthem.
This is happy - not sappy - music that deserves a broad hearing. It would be a sin to confine it to Christian Radio.
JAMES LLOYD, Dayton Daily News, 1/15/99