AMG Review of Open All Nite

Marc Castellani
All Music Guide

This is an interesting progression from BTR's first album: they pare down their musical influences to focus on mid-'70s rock, releasing a more consistent but less interesting album. While the best songs are better than their debut (particularly "Mend Me," "Famine or Feast," and the beautiful "Letting Go"), the weak songs are much weaker. They reach a nadir with the closing "If Loving God Was a Crime," which was inexplicably a hit despite the most simplistic lyrics Wiggins has created yet. Wiggins still struggles to write meaningful, intelligent lyrics, but there are signs of improvement from the first album. Any questions about the band's musicianship is laid to rest with one listen to the bluesy "Personal Judgment Day," which sounds like the most fun any CCM band has had in a long time.