But they quickly right the ship, closing the album with a trio of songs that take some delightfully unexpected turns...Moves like that go a long way toward pushing this inventive and entertaining group to the head of an overstuffed CCM pack.

For this reason it's fair to call The Royalty a "pop" album when referring to its accessibility, though there are more creative undercurrents present than the term suggests.

Jesus Freak Hideout's Roger Gelwicks said that "The next step, then, is to channel this positive energy brimming with possibilities and turn it into a strong sophomore release.

But, even with these missteps taken into account, The Royalty is a distinctly winning effort that offers something for pop, folk and dance music lovers ... and their parents.

Combining passionate spiritual songs of adoration with the fresh sounds of a generation, Royal is a strong beginning in what I'm sure will be a lengthy and highly accredited carrier for the Finochio brothers.

The rest of the album shifts between that approach and a simpler, more relaxed feel, with minimalistic drums and guitars underneath a web of vocal harmonies, hardly sounding like only two singers.