In the Hands of God is the album newsboys fans have been waiting for, and not just their fans, but everyone who loves rock 'n' roll pushed to its breaking point. The album, described as a return to the classic newsboys sound, is actually a forward-moving proclamation from a band doing what it does best.

"The Way We Roll" starts the album out strong. It has an edgier, old school newsboys sound that long time fans have been craving. (The beat is also reminiscent of a Rolling Stones song!) "It's about those times when you drive 800 miles to play your heart out in a tiny place for 12 people, two of whom are your parents. Sometimes we'd have to dumpster dive, and we couldn't quit because we didn't even have the finances to get back home. It's the idea that it's a long way to the top if you want to rock 'n' roll. At the same time, the song is about God's providence and encouraging others to step out and live life to the fullest because time goes by too fast" says Furler.

"No Grave" is another strong track both in vocals and guitar. Furler explains, "God gave man the choice, man chose to be his own god, and it opened the door to a power that was never meant to rule here. It's a power that's too strong for science or medicine or education or drugs or Buddha or Confucius or Mohammad. The only thing that can defeat that power is God's plan, which was to send something more powerful than our enemy. Christ is the only thing more powerful than death, and the song is about the great hope that someone's defeated the last enemy."  

"This Is Your Life" and "Glorious" are two slower songs on the album. "This Is Your Life" has more of an electric sound to it and is a song about treating yourself right, forgiving yourself and living life to the absolute fullest. Furler says that the song "Glorious" is "a song of heartfelt worship taken from the Psalms where David talks about how God knows him. God knows the crazy things we think in our minds, but if we keep pushing toward that light, we find that life lies within us. Though we stumble and fall, God always remains glorious. The song is about moving toward that truth with open arms."

"The title track is a worship song rooted in real life experiences. It's about all the wrong turns we made along the way, yet having someone there to watch our back. It's about looking at the past and being happy and counting our blessings. When things really could have gone bad, they didn't, by the grace of God. Whether it's our life, our daily routine or in light of our sin, we trust God with everything. We trust Him with the smallest things and we trust Him with the greatest things" explains Furler.

"The Upside" is a song with a unique, circus-like sound. Quirky horns mixed with Furlers vocals make this a fun song and one that would be perfect to hear live. (It's also a song that Davey Jones could smile and tap his foot along with!) Furler explains how this song "encourages people not to stay down in the depths of sorrow and darkness and unforgiveness. Let's not wallow in misery all the time, because things aren't always as bad as we think."

"My Friend Jesus" is another catchy, fun song that only the newsboys could pull off. With clever lyrics that ring all too true it reminds us of the simple truth that we are meant to practice what we preach - be the change we want to see. Something we're all been taught in church but too often forget.

"Lead Me To The Cross" is a beautiful Brooke Fraser song that Furler says perfectly complimented the worship feel of the album and made the record complete.

"Dance" is a fast, catchy song - a great one to finish out the album. The lyrics are familiar, sentiments we've heard before but the music and how it's pieced together makes up for it. "The song is about giving yourself up, stirring yourself up and stepping out. It's about being led by faith, believing the best and making the most of every situation."

"RSL 1984" is a song that Furler started writing 9 or 10 years ago. After some pressure from those around him, he finally decided it put it on an album. It's a song that he wrote about growing up in Australia and how he felt being a pastor's kid wondering where his life was headed. "There are references to surfing and the Bover Boys, who were a local skinhead gang who'd beat you up for wearing the wrong colored shoes" says Furler. "The song uses an aboriginal term, 'walkabout,' which is a rite of passage that sends a boy into the land to survive by himself. There's also 'songlines,' which are the ancestral songs that connect each new generation to the one before it. 'RSL 1984' is about leaving our homes and taking our songs out into the world." RSL 1984 is the perfect farewell song from Furler to his fans although I'm not sure it will make them feel any better about his departure.

In The Hands Of God is a strong album with edgy, rock songs at the start and finish but with a few worship songs thrown in the middle. They did a nice job putting it all together and making it work - it's something I think fans would love to hear live. With this being the last album where we will hear Furlers vocals it does have a bit of a sting to it - knowing that we won't hear these songs live with the same vocals. The newsboys have a fresh start ahead of them and with another album under their belts. Depending on how you look at it, In The Hands Of God is the perfect farewell or the perfect start...

In The Hands Of God releases May 5th. Check out www.newsboys.com for more info.

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