The first few tracks give this disc some definite promise. Break Me, Shattered Life and Caroline all manage to put forth the kind of music that can actually get you excited to be listening to it, with lyrics to fit the bill as well. Caroline, though one of the slower tracks on the disc, certainly offers some great lyrics that can make you think and feel. Break Me, though also having great lyrics, takes a pretty different track, opening the disc up with a bang.
The disc is pretty consistent in terms of quality. Tracks like Make Believe, Oceans From The Rain and Masquerade offer more tracks that are solid both musically and lyrically. Oceans From The Rain closes the disc out with a slower song that offers simple yet thought-provoking lyrics. Make Believe takes a track similar to that of Break Me, with, quite simply, bigger and louder music. Both tracks work, though in two very different.
The disc does have some setbacks, however. I Believe and Brand New Man are definitely Once Upon A Shattered Life's low points. Brand New Man simply is lacking something musically, while I Believe attempts, but fails, to offer some solid lyrics. What ends up coming out is some lyrics that are relatively cheesy. These two tracks definitely bring this disc down. What could have been a truly superb disc falters because of these two tracks, particularly I Believe.
But, overall, the tracks provided are of pretty good quality. Back In Time and Chris' Letter certainly give the disc a shot at redemption, and both deliver, especially Back In Time. As is the case most of the time, these two tracks offer lyrics worthy of actually being on the disc, with the music to fit them well. It really does give the disc a pretty solid vibe overall.
To sum it all up, Seventh Day Slumber brought forth a quality release with Once Upon A Shattered Life. It drops the ball twice, but the rest of the disc offers some great tracks worthy of time in your earbuds. It's not one of the year's must-have's, but it certainly is a disc worth the money.