Tommy Wales Radio Scripture Album Reviewed by Frank DeBlaze

Review Rochester City Newspaper
Written by Frank De Blase

Though the playing on "Radio Scripture" has matured and the production has tightened up, Rochester act Wales Road still wallows in its ever-present, ever-cool dichotomy between holy-roller lyricism and hellacious rocker wail. The overall musical theme on this, the band's fifth studio offering, is control. With his voice divided between a sorrowful falsetto and a Leonard Cohen gravelly croon, Tommy Wales sings his heart out on 10 tracks of obvious Christian dedication and devotion. He's not shy about his faith, but doesn't beat the listener over the head with his testimony (that can't be said about a lot of Christian rockers). Even when the band takes on popular hymns like "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and "Amazing Grace" the message doesn't overpower the messenger. Even more room is left with the band's flirtations with pop subtlety, as opposed to its metal pedal-to-the-floor days of yore. Can I get an amen?