A mix of diverse background and experience, 3rd Stone mixes rock, afro-beat, reggae and funk rhythms on a potent first release. Wester Joseph's perfectly weathered vocals drive a band that has several different gears to navigate, and while many bands with a penchant for jamming do not translate well onto studio records, the ethnic rhythms infused with the granola-fed melodies make for a solid first release from this Gainesville, Florida based group. And while having Anthony Kavouklis, a clean faced young guitar virtuoso with a history of having played on stage with Buddy Guy? makes for a good story, this band has sound experience that belie their lead guitarist's assumed years.

This is a group sounds like one that is the sum of all it's members, and Give Me Hope is a standout track. The foundation of this disc is in the beats and driving motion of the band itself, tasteful, tuneful and with the ability to rock if need be.