track list Rainmaker Shine Holy Holy Holy Closer Part of Me Thank you For The Cross Rainmaker All Over The World Greatest If Calling Out Here Open Creator At the Cross Glory Head over Heels I love you Rain Praise Carry Me Joy Shelter buy now

yfriday - open - the 10 star review!
Cross Rhythms Magazine May/June 2001

Their debut album Rainmaker was originally recorded as an independent release after the band had established themselves as a powerful praise outfit in the North East of England. Subsequently signing to Survivor Records, touring with Noel Richards and hitting the festival circuit have only raised the temperature around the band. There is no doubt that in Ken Riley they have a leader who is capable of writing memorable songs and tapping onto an intimacy with God that marks his songs with a vulnerability that is capable of melting the hearts of those who hear them. It's also true that in band mates Gav, Dez and Danny, Riley has a vibrant musical unit who collectively bring power and energy to his songs. And now with 'Open' the band have an album that neatly propels them to the next level.

Packed with anthemic, punch the air, sing-a-long choruses’ and yet capable of stripping the whole thing down to the voice and guitar of 'I love You' or surrendering to the keyboard driven pop of 'Creator' which might surprise a few fans. Here's an album that has a few surprises up its musical sleeves. I love the full on rock of 'Head over Heels' and 'Joy', which are both going to have crowds leaping about, and then there's the chunky 'Praise' with its cool keyboard embellishments and yet another Riley catchy chorus.

It isn't all music to jump about to, there's a gorgeous depth to this album sonically, lyrically and spiritually. 'Rain' with its emotional feel grows on you with every listen and 'Glory' is one of those gems that begins with an understated vibe but builds into something much bigger. The verdict? Credit to the band and producer Neil Costello for creating an album with an original sound, imaginative ideas and as American fans are destined to say, "It rocks!" Musically and spiritually, yfriday have delivered an exciting, punchy, timely reminder, that the most exciting worship in the world is still eminating from the UK.

Mike Rimmer

yfriday - open
blisteringly brilliant - one of the most significant worship releases..
Premier Magazine May 2001

Newcastle's praise team yfriday certainly have made an impact over the last couple of years since their debut album, Rainmaker. Touring with Noel Richards, playing the major festivals in the UK and continuing to lead worship at the IXth hour event in their home city has only given yfriday the opportunity to hone their skills. The result is a blisteringly brilliant second album. From the almost anthemic eightees pop vibe of the opening cut Creator, through to the acoustic intimacy of I Love You, to tracks like Head Over Heels and Joy which let out all the stops, here's a band living out of the sheer joy of praise and worship. There are two highlights where the band creates epic vibey music that hits the heart. One is Shelter, a song of intimate longing for more of the God who understands everything we go through. The other is Rain, a song celebrating God's life changing grace being poured out. Open is packed with powerful stuff and yfriday have probably recorded one of the most significant worship releases in the UK this year.

yfriday - open
the best of contemporary music
Ann Trainor 3.5.01

A studio album which is nonetheless raw, rocky and rich in variety and vitality - this is the exciting sound of yfriday's new album 'Open'. Full of exuberant anthemic (did I just invent a new word?!) praise - with the occasional mellower sound thrown in for good measure - the songs are evidence of the band's development over the last couple of years, since the release of their first album, 'Rainmaker'.

In that time they have gained valuable experience through regularly playing and leading worship at youth events and festivals across Britain and Ireland like Spring Harvest, Cross Rhythms, Easter People, Harvest, IXth Hour, New Horizons, Worship Together, The Edinburgh Festival and southern Ireland's in:fusion - yes, they've been busy !! They also supported Noel Richards on part of his 'Calling all Nations' tour and Delirious at the recent NE:one event in Newcastle-on-Tyne (I was there for that gig - it was great!!)

All the songs are penned by Ken Riley, the lead vocalist, and again there is clear evidence not just of Ken's great voice, but of the maturing and mastery of his song-writing craft. Just when you think you've heard all the 'usual' lyrics that tend to appear in Christian songs, you come across something that grabs your attention, like this line: 'you ....autographed my spirit with your grace...' Meditate on that a moment and it'll bring a smile to your face!! 'Carry Me' turns the idiomatic accusatory-like 'Where were You when I needed You?' on its head, and gently provokes us to the more soul-searching ' 'Where was I when I needed You, watering wisdom down with gold....' Another song I think the words are beautiful in is 'Shelter', which contains such lyrics as ' When the bubble breaks that stems my tide of shame, and when the lights exposed the cracks within the pane, You bring me shelter’.... Good stuff that!!

Recorded on the Survivor record label, which describes itself as bringing 'worship for a new generation ...freedom and fresh creativity ... with passion and abandonment......’ this is one album that 'does exactly what it says on the tin' as it were. Full of melodic and lyrical hooks, this really is the best of contemporary Christian music.

Well done, lads!! Look forward to hearing you live again in the HQ.........

By Ann Trainor

Open - 'the best album of it's genre from the UK'

"Open"

North of England worship group YFriday began causing quite a stir in Britain with the release of their debut album "Rainmaker" in 1999. This anticipated follow-up has a more rounded feel than it's rawer-edged predecessor - and with stirring hook-lines that are wonderfully infectious, the band purvey an accessible pop-rock sound that truly rocks 'n' rolls!
Lead vocalist Ken Riley wrote all songs, unleashing them here with a gutsy passion. So follows the captivating punch of tunes like 'Creator', 'At the cross' and 'Head over heels', which reveals a sound similar to the delightful pop-frenzy of All Star United. Tracks like 'Praise', with its evocative syths, and the vibey 'Joy' continue in a quirky vein, the latter ably displaying Ken's vocal range. Then there's the exalting 'Glory', a stirring anthem of worship, as is also the flowing 'Shelter'; while the acoustic-based 'I love you' and 'Carry me' are deeply sensitive ballads, spiritually poignant both.
There's no question that YFriday are as talented as any of the rock-worship bands currently in vogue - perhaps most comparable to the melodic praise-tones of Mercy Me - and in my opinion this is the best album of it's genre to emerge within the UK. The band's popularity is growing week-by-week, as can be readily seen from their increasingly busy touring
schedule. Given the strength of "Open", it not hard to see why!

Review by Tom Lennie

Gold Records USA

Peter Dilley reviews Rainmaker in the Christian Herald, January 2000.

The support slot in Noel Richards' current calling all nations tour has boosted yfriday's profile away from their Newcastle base, but even if you haven't yet caught them live, it's still worth getting hold of their debut album, out now on Kingsway's 'youth' label - survivor records.

Just as delirious? grew from the cutting edge events, and Matt Redman's roots are at soul survivor, yfriday have sprung from the eponymous worship event held monthly at Newcastle's city hall, so there's a powerful ministry dimension complementing the music.

Not unusually the singer/front man and guitarist (ken riley) is also the songwriter (but I love the sleeve credit for Ben Culkin - 'bass and general weirdness'). Infectiously anthemic rock songs are yfriday's forte in the literal sense (we're in delirious?/u2/simple minds territory here), with Shine, All over the world and Holy, Holy, Holy as prime examples.

Just as important for their ministry are the quieter moments (in relative terms, of course) Closer, Thank you for the Cross and Calling Out. Like Redman's finest, these are songs coming right from the heart, evoking an equally heartfelt response from the listener.

I wouldn't ask for more than that.

Peter Dilley is a bass player and part-time studio technician. This review taken from the Christian herald , January 2000

 Juice magazine's Neil Alton reviews rainmaker , January 2000

yfriday: name breaker

Survivor records are beginning to get themselves a bit of a reputation. Not only are they responsible for capturing some of the best live worship (Soul Survivor live, Revive@Stoneleigh), and some of the hottest worship leaders (Matt Redman, Paul Oakley, Tim Hughes), but they insist on highlighting some of the most sought-after alternative worship bands (Phatfish, tree). The newest recruits invited to huddle under the Survivor wing are those northern lads yfriday with their debut album rainmaker. Hailing from Newcastle these four guys have been playing together for six years originally as in-house worship band for local event, surprisingly called ‘whyfriday?’ The band bring their own brand of guitar based worship, akin with INXS or live, which is leaps and bounds away from the u2 influenced delirious?.

But for singer and guitarist Ken Riley it's much more than just belting out popular music, he explains:

"To us the focus is simple, to se God move and people's lives changed as a result. It’s amazing to stand on a stage and see God touching people."

Already a crowd-puller in their home town, yfriday are reaching new audiences each week. Recently playing support as part of Noel Richards' 'calling all nations tour', the band look set to have a busy 2000. If you don't get a chance to see their passionate performance in up and coming gigs you can find eleven of their well crafted worship songs on 'rainmaker'.

Juice magazine, January 2000