A youthful urgency and a timeless message combine to make Leeland’s Sound Of Melodies one of the most auspicious Christian music debuts of 2006. Fronted by 18 year-old singer/guitarist Leeland Mooring, the group’s sound invites comparisons with the moody British rock of Travis, Coldplay and the like. Beyond this, the Texas-based quintet has its own compelling character, matching atmospheric guitar with a sure grasp of melody and dynamics. The focal point is Mooring’s captivating vocals, pristine in tone with a passionate edge. Sound Of Melodies is fervently devotional in content, offering praise to God with humility and penitence. Songs like “Hey” and “Lift Your Eyes” celebrate Christ’s love to a beguiling pop beat. But it’s dramatic tunes like the intense “Carried To The Table” and the compassionate “Tears Of The Saints” that most fully express Leeland’s vision of God’s mercy. Though this album recalls the heart-melting sincerity of early ‘70s Jesus Music, Sound Of Melodies is bracingly modern rock offered in the service of the Word.