When your band is drawing comparisons to such heavyweight rockers as Dave Matthews to Creed to Third Day, you gotta be pleased, right? That goes double for Daily Planet, who are receiving such kudos for their debut, Hero. While the comparisons are a bit presumptuous for these four buddies from Azusa Pacific, there's no doubting that this band churn out an intelligent, powerful, and passionate brand of rock. In truth, Daily Planet's influences date further back and show clearly on such tracks as "Lost and Found," which features a 1974 Elton John-like power-chord chorus straight out of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Then there's the lyrical and clever musical references to Sir Elton, Billy Joel, and the Beatles in "Six String Rocketeer," a tale of how a youth uses music to escape a troubled home. But give these Planeteers some credit--the music is solely theirs, as stamped by frontman Jesse Butterworth's robust vocal presence. "Everything Revolves Around You" and "Questioning the Notion" are shining examples (featuring some nifty lead guitar work from Bobby Reinsch) of how Christian rock can be from the head and the heart. --Michael Lyttle