39 Stripes

Beyond Broken
Hollar Records

Guitar-heavy, highly processed straight alt rock with strong vocals by new member Mike Wilson, 39 Stripes’ new album, “Beyond Broken,” presents a message of faith wrapped up in a well-produced package that should please rock fans of any ilk.

It comes as no surprise that tasty guitar work is showcased on most tracks. Lead guitarist Steve Henderlong, who produced the album, has done an excellent job of ramping up the band’s sound and, in the process, his own guitar work. If the song “Wake Up” doesn’t have you playing along on air guitar (or air drums), then you should get someone to check your pulse. Other standout cuts include “My Desire,” “Mustard Seed” and the title cut.

The acoustic version of “Saving Me a Place” is surprisingly (and pleasantly) different from the rest of the album — simple, mostly unprocessed and clean; an oasis in the otherwise hot sands of hard rock served up by most tracks.