Rough Draft

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More About

• Fort Collins
• Chris Sligh
• Andrew Wittenauer
• Television
• Reality Shows

The messages in contemporary-Christian songs have grown more subtle over time as bands have sought to broaden listenership — hence lots of vague lyrics that work equally well as an ode to a girl or a paean to the Lord. But Rough Draft, out of Fort Collins, is more explicit than many current acts. God gets a specific shout-out in "Here I Am," and terms like "praise" and "faith" pop up in songs such as "Back to You" and "Wasting Time." As produced by Chris Sligh, who (barely) made it into the American Idol top ten in 2007, these ditties and others are hooky in an effectively benign way that's enhanced by Andrew Wittenauer's ultra-accessible, if fairly generic, vocals. Word-wise, though, the recording preaches to the choir.