Here We Go Again

EDITORIAL REVIEWS PureNRG, Here We Go Again

No one expects a group with a name like PureNRG to settle into downtempo music unless they were just trying to confuse people. The trio of Caroline Williams, Carolyne Myers and Jordan Yates is all about high-energy performances, singing hard enough to shake walls and dancing like they binged on Red Bulls and Rockstars. But this isn't a bunch of hyper kids having a sugar rush on record: PureNRG loves life, youth, having wholesome fun, and above all, praising Jesus, and they shared all of those things on their self-titled debut album. One year later, they strike again and just as well with the follow-up album, Here We Go Again, and it's also a winner.

Much like Radio Disney predecessors Jump5, A*Teens and M2M, PureNRG is just plain likeable. "Any Which Way" is a great pop song about being open to the Lord's calling. "Get Up" is a foot-stomping good time, perfectly packed into just three minutes. The title track is downright pleasant; just as it describes waking in the morning and enjoying the beauty that is Creation, it's a song that just gets one's day off to a good start.

PureNRG embraces the position of being positive role models, which is why their message songs work so well. "Like" focuses on similarities between kids rather than differences and "BFF" cherishes the pure nature of friendships. "Girls Can Change The World" is probably the biggest surprise of the bunch, a song that criticizes girl-on-girl drama and animosity.

PureNRG found a lot of success with "Footloose," the group's cover of the Kenny Loggins song from the eponymously titled movie on their debut. Here We Go Again also has a few covers, most notably the Ashford and Simpson penned "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." "That's What Friends Are For" is another classic they give an entertaining treatment.

Here We Go Again is the kind of music kids can listen to and enjoy, while parents won't have to worry at all about the messages they take in. No mature content packaged for kids and no moral ambiguities, it's superb music for the younger crowd.

By Aaron Ellis