Love on the Radio
Alabaster Box

You might mistake Alabaster Box's fresh and funky music style for "Chick-Rock" at first. But keep listening.

Rebecca St James has paid tribute to Alabaster for their heart and "passion to point people to Jesus through innovative Christian music". I'd have to agree.

Alabaster's lyrics are overtly Christian, and they deal with everyday issues through worship that everyone can open their soul to.

With vocals somewhere in between Bachelor Girl (but not in a bad way) and Leonardo's Bride, singer Naarah Seagrott is backed up by Brett Seagrott (electric and acoustic guitars), Matt Smallbone (bass guitar), Joshua Brown (keyboards) and Sam Hatch (acoustic and electric guitar).

Alabaster Box have been a full-time band for only three years, but released their first of four albums six years ago. They have since gone on to support Delirious and feature at Hillsong and Parachute festivals.

Starting out as a church youth band, Alabaster Box have won numerous awards - among them three awards from the Queensland Rock Industry and Best Gospel Song Runners Up from the Oz Music Awards in 2003.

Love on the Radio, recorded throughout 2003-04, was released late last year.

"There's Hope" is a beautiful arrangement of strings and keys, that declares "I fall on my face, I'll learn from mistakes, but you love me all the same, it's called your grace, your love and your mercy."

Track six is true worship. Called "You are the One", the lyrics bring home what a relationship with Jesus means: "You are the one who saved me, You are the one who carried me home, You are the one who loved me, You are the one."

Describing life on the road, Naarah Seagrott is certain of where she wants to be: "All those long, long drives and the bus breaking down; all those sleepless nights are worth it. We wouldn't have it any other way."

Elizabeth Gorham