Premier Magazine – “In Full Bloom”

by | 22 May 2002

This is actually the third album from Aylesbury based band As If… and this is the album to give the band the recognition they deserve.

Originally they were a techno rock band but their sound has evolved so that “In Full Bloom” is poppier, with real live instruments. The quote from legendary gardener Percy Thrower on the sleeve suggests that “In Full Bloom” is a metaphor for maturity and the fact that we need to persevere to reach our full potential.

Conceptually, the album is held together by the fact that every song was inspired by websites visted by the band where spiritual insights are learnt and contemporary life observed. From this very creative premise, you get the brilliant “All Fall Down” which features some fabulous horns courtest of Ben Castle and yet at the other extreeme, there’s the moody melancholy of “Winter”, the urgent groove of “Take Me As I Am” and the futuristic “babel.com”.

With catchy, well produced, intelligent,groovy Christian pop rock, As If… demonstrate why they are one of Britains finest Christian bands.