20 years into the Intermission of dc Talk and, a few treats here or there aside, it's starting to feel more and more like a permanent thing. Back in 2001, though, the Intermission brought with it the uncharted territory of just what the three talented artists of the popular band would do when they each struck out on their own. Now each of those projects is about to turn 20 years, and we're going to be taking a look at all of them in the coming months.
The first project to hit was that of the trio's soulful crooner, Michael Tait. His first solo endeavor was a humble rock release with a new band that appropriately took the name of Tait. Before he was lighting up stadiums as the singer of the Newsboys, he had his own little rock outfit that produced quite a few notable hits in their all-too-brief career.
The first of two albums, Empty, turns 20 this year, and we take a look back at the album that helped establish Michael Tait beyond the shadow of dc Talk.
Empty is Full
At 13 tracks plus a hidden one and running nearly 70 minutes, Empty is a lot longer than the average full-length album from an artist. For an album that the industry has kind of forgotten about when looking at historical Christian music albums, there were a fair number of hit cuts from this album. "Loss for Words" and "All You Got" were notable hits for Christian radio.
Opening track "Alibi" showed that Tait knew how to bring the rock and "Altars (Burn In Me)" felt like it was a classic from the time it came out. And the memorable songs just keep on coming in this overflowing debut. Yet, despite the number of songs, the album still feels varied and lean.
The Power of a Voice
Michael Tait always provided some of the strongest vocals of dc Talk hits. Able to tackle soulful ballads or driving rock, Tait's versatility carried over into his solo efforts and made his debut an industry standout. "Altars (Burn In Me)" carried an extra urgency due to Michael Tait's performance, while songs like "Alibi" hit home with a clean but forceful rocking passion.
One thing I notice looking back on this release is how well it holds up to time. Many of these cuts feel just as relevant today as they did back then. A lot of that comes down to Tait's delivery. He sells these songs with such passion that they are sure to get stuck in your head and make you pay attention to the lyrics.
Talking About Jesus
Maybe it's just my nostalgic glasses but I can't help but feel that popular Christian music was a lot bolder than the don't-rock-the-boat feel of many of today's positive alternatives. Whether it's the blunt rejection of sinful influence in "Alibi" or lamenting the cultural decline in "Altars," the world in Tait's album isn't quite as "easy fix Jesus" as it seems is common today. Not that the album isn't overflowing with hope or that Jesus is not present. More than the lyrics don't sugarcoat or downplay the conflicts facing Christians in our society.
Songs like "Unglued" speak frankly about grief and loss while "American Tragedy" tackles some of our nation's societal failings. "Talk About Jesus" explores a nuanced perspective of someone who doesn't see Christ reflected in Christians. These topics aren't exploitative or provocative for the sake of being provocative. On the contrary, they feel musical explorations of difficult topics and lamentations of failings expressed in an artful and mature way. It actually felt like Tait had something to say bigger than the often trite motifs so common in much of music.
20 years later, these songs still feel relevant and sound great. Michael Tait has proven to be one of Christian music's most consistent talents and has definitely earned his solo stripes apart from dc Talk. While this album doesn't have the landmark legacy of many of the industry's signature offerings (notably much of Tait's work with dc Talk, for example), that just makes it all the more worth revisiting. Because this is one you might have missed the first time around.
J.J. Francesco is a longtime contributor to the NRT Staff. He's published the novel 'Because of Austin' and regularly seeks new ways to engage faith, life, and community. He is currently working on releasing a brand new novel.
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