The latest project from Dime Store Prophets, Fantastic Distraction, is much like a theatrical production. Set to a soundtrack of hearty, Midwestern rock 'n' roll okin to the like of the Wallflowers and Counting Crows, Fantastic Distraction is populated by an assorted cast of characters. In "Break the Blue," one of them tries to send flares to get God's attention; in the title track several of them resort to a variety of diversions to avoid eternal questions; in "boxing Shadows," one character realizes the inevitability of owning up to the choices we make, including the bad ones; "Yeah, Sure Ok, Monet" finds an artist struggling with the frustration of artfully representing the world around him; the "kind of the tragic ones" is the sort who is only happy when he is miserable.

After setting up the players, the Prophets then wrap up the musical journey with hope, found in Christ. In the final track,"Heavy as it goes," they point out that no weight of the world outweighs the love of Christ.

Fantastic Distraction brims over with love and heart: Musically, it is a roots rock feast that has more variety and emotion than the usually droll releases; thematically, the Prophets have found a way to communicate their faith through stories of pain and loss, which makes the Gospel more real and more urgent. It is a remarkable manifesto.