Pieces of a Real Heart
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Sanctus Real Since releasing Say It Loud on Sparrow records Sanctus Real has been a consistent voice is CCM. Hits like "Things Like You (Everyone's Everything)," "I'm Not Alright," and "We Need Each Other" have...
Breaking The Silence EP
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The Letter Black Known as Breaking The Silence, The Letter Black or a Flyleaf/Fireflight re-make, one Tooth and Nail’s newest artists have now provided fans with their first project, Breaking The Silence EP. The band is...
Forget And Not Slow Down
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Relient K Forget And Not Slow Down sis not a Relient K album. Yes, on the side of an album is says ‘Relient K’, but comparing this release to Relient K’s career is difficult. This Relient K uses five new weapons...
it's not beautiful yet, but it's really good | Posted March-05-2008
Taking a break from the worship music scene, the Newsboys returned to their roots with their pop music. The latest from the mostly Australian guys is Go, a fun bunch of upbeat songs wish solid lyrics.
It's likely you have heard a decent portion of Go on the radio, and if you are wondering if the album is as good and fun as the singles the answer is yes. The first song of their album was also their first single, "where ever we go" which is a fun pop song. The album moves along nicely with the title track "go" which is a great pop/rock song, after is the hit single "something beautiful". "The mission" is really fun, and it has a great chorus, "let it all come out" is probably their weakest song but it's not bad. The singe "in wonder" is a rock song that does not have a great flow to the song.
The lyrics, sad to say, are nothing that will knock your socks off. The messages are positive but what is "where ever we go" really saying? Not much. It's just a fun song. "Go" and "The mission" both stress the need for doing the work God has called Christians to do. Unfortunately "I am free" sounds very Americanized. The message in "your love is better than life" is practically told in the title. "In wonder" simply see Gods attributes, and "the letter (one of a kind)" reminds us of individual value.
The music is really a blast to listen to, the lights are green for the Newsboys doing more pop/rock, but it would be nice if they would add a little more depth their lyrics. overall Go is a must have for those Newsboys fans out there.
I wish we all could swim | Posted March-05-2008
Although "I wish we all could win" is the title of this CD some of the rejected titles were pretty good. A really good one was "I wish we all could swim", that is right below "I wish I could have my money back". That is the tone of this debut "rock" album by the Afters.
The Afters are no stranger to the airwaves, on the contrary, the Afters have put out several singles plus a pair of hit singles ("you" and "beautiful love"). Anyone who bought this CD excepting this to be a rock album were the victim of the ever increasing broadening "rock" term, but that genre does show up on the title track (more or less) and single "Someday" which is one really cool rock tune. Another real rock song is "the way you are" which is rough but not terrible and it flows nicely into the song "you" a light, slightly annoying (if you listen to the radio too much) worship song.
Some of the album mediocre bright spots are "until the world" which has a decent flow, and "love lead me on", a light rock song. If someone was trying to best compare the Afters to another Christian artist, the music sounds somewhat like Sanctus real, primarily on "love lead me on". The second half of the album is really light, and in fact, boring and amateurish, this shows on songs like "wait", "love make you beautiful", and the worship single "all that I am". The best thing that could be said about the second half of the album is that "thank God I'm not the one" sounds nice. Another interesting thing to note about I wish we all could win, is that the lead vocal sounds different on tracks 6, 9, and 10.
Unfortunately the lyrics are worse than the music. One problem is the recurring theme in the album is how much the Afters love Jesus, on songs "all that I am", "beautiful love", and "until the world" (at least that's what we hope the latter two is about), but shouldn't we be singing about how much Jesus loves us than the other way around? "Someday" is biblically wrong when it says "someday we all win". The worship songs "you" and "the way you are" are barley okay, and "love will make you beautiful" really says nothing other than: "love will make you beautiful". At least the final song is worth listing too.
The lyrics are empty, the music leaves much to be desired, and perhaps the best saying in I wish we all could win is the tribute to a friend who passed away (which is not in any song it's in the booklet). The Afters need to write fewer feel good songs and more meaningful ones with better music.
Pillar brings their best Game | Posted February-27-2008
After an unimpressive, experiment effort by Pillar (the Reckoning) which they left their usual band name style, they are back now going with the traditional text. Going back the traditional album art seemed to help things, because their latest album For the Love of the Game is definitely top notch, improved rock.
Pillar went back to old school rock on his CD, as shown on the title track "for the love of the game" which is a heavy rock song with just a hint of screaming, overall though it is great. After the first song Pillar gets on a roll; "turn it up" is a fun rock tune, and reckless youth is heavy, but they might have gotten a little carried away with the electric guitar. "State of emergency" is a solid rock song, but the album does slow down a bit with "smiling down" which nice light rock song.
After ten years in the Christian rock business the music just keeps getting better and more refined. The song "runaway" is a very fast paced rock song, and the heaviest song on the album is "Throwdown". The music is really heavy and it contains the most screaming on the ten track CD. "I fade away" is another good rock song, and Get back's music has a little techno mixed in with the rock and light screaming. The album ends with the lighter (as light as Pillar ever gets) "forever starts now" but it does not sound all right.
The title is fueled by 1 Corinthians: 9:24-25 about the athletes who would not quite until they achieved the prize. The title track is a great anthem ("fight through the hurt, fight through the pain/we live our lives for the love of the game"); "Throwdown" and "get back" are other similar anthems which consider spiritual warfare. The lyrics and messages are excellent all the way around from living your faith regardless of what the world thinks ("reckless youth" which does include a gun metaphor) remembering the less fortunate ("state of emergency"), and thoughts about eternity ("forever starts now"). I fade away is even a Pillar worship song.
Pillar brings their best game on this album, as it's full of cutting edge rock, strong lyrics, and excellent anthems including one every Christian music fan can enjoy ("turn it up"). For the Love of the Game is a treat to play.
Unbreakable is not perfectly built | Posted February-26-2008
After an excellent debut album, the Healing of Harms, the female fronted rock band Firflight is back with their highly anticipate sophomore release Unbreakable. The extremely talented Dawn Richards has an excellent voice which is really shown throughout the album especially on the title track "unbreakable".
There is good news and bad news about the first single and first track on the album, "unbreakable". The good news: the song rocks, in every area with a great beat and a terrific chorus. The bad news is it's the best song on the album. "You gave me a promise" is a rock song, but it does not have the smooth flow that the first song does. The light "brand new day" really expresses Richards's voice at her high, and "the hunger" is a heavier rock song but it sounds a little off in some places.
For fans of Dawn Richards's voice who don't like rock this is not the album for them. The album keeps on rocking with "stand up" which has an almost unsettling rock sound, however "forever" starts slow, but as usual it speeds up, it also has a good beat. A guy actually starts one of Fireflights songs in "where is the love" a rock song that gets a little repetitive. The album ends with "wrapped in your arms" which starts soft but before the end it really fires up.
Unlike most of the song on The Healing of Harms, the female fronted bands/singers usually focus on the prospective of one person and where God is the one being spoken too. But Fireflight lyrics fall into the same gap, as shown on so many songs: "go ahead", "brand new day", and "you gave me a promise". But they still have good things to say, clearly shown on "the hunger" which accurately portrays the atheist worldview.
There are a couple of songs that sound nice but really don't mean whole lot ("Wrapped in your arms" and "Brand new day"). The title track is about a person coming back more prepared for the problems of life. "So help me God" is a little weird because she is pleading with God to let her go of... what? It's never made clear, but the lyrics are solid for the most part.
Still very strong musically, but it seems like some of the spark is gone that was in most of Fireflights first album. The vocals are terrific, the messages, aside from being mostly okay, are fine and the music is cool. However Unbreakable is not perfectly built.
Hello After Edmund | Posted September-04-2008
Sophisticated, complex, lyrically direct and accessible; these are a couple of the words used to describe the debut album from After Edmund, Hello, and for the most part that is true. This alternative album has a unique sound and doesn’t play around with the lyrics, as their songs are straight to the point.
No one in the Christian music world is going to accuse After Edmund for using unoriginal music, because it’s clear from the very first song that this band has a differ sound. The first song “thank God” is a fast paced rock song, which is simply incredible, another thing about it is it almost sounds like it’s being done live, which only adds to the effect.
The song “Fighting for a hear (let go)” is a good rock song that does not have a traditional sound. The album finally slows down at “everyone”, which really borders on light rock, it also sounds similar to Disciple. The album continues the slow pace on “like a dream”, which sounds similar to the last song. The instrumental “darkest room” is not what it could have been because it’s so short. “Come and rain” is a smooth rock song that drags on a bit at the end” and as does “tears” which does have a awesome intro and chorus.
“Stealing away” starts soft but speeds up before the song ends, its not that impressive though, “go oboe” is another instrumental song and is a nice switch from the rock. A bizarre sounding song is “clouds” which is the title track of the album, it is pretty impressive. The album ends with “to see you leave” which is an upbeat rock song which is a little repetitive.
There is nothing complex about After Edmunds’s lyrics, as they are pretty straight forward, but they are also somewhat repetitive. Turning to God in troubled times is a common theme on Hello, especially on “thank God”, “clouds”, and “stealing away” not like that it’s a bad thing. “Everyone” has good lyrics:’ you know we can't make it on our own’. So the messages are fine, unless you want a broader range of lyrics.
Hello is really an impressive debut with its good music; the word ‘complex’ definitely applies to this bands music. It sounds a little disjoined in places but is really worth checking out. Sinful men who need God is a great topic, but let’s see if After Edmund can give us something after their first album.
Lets hope Cansting Crowns is not on a slow fade | Posted March-05-2008
Being one of the most popular artists in today's Christian music, for good reason, it can be tough to be consistently good. Honesty this writer thought Casting Crowns would fall at the album Lifesong, but Casting Crowns put out another incredible album. But is their third and latest album the Alter and the door as good? The answer is no. the music does not have the smoothness of previous albums and the lyrics not quite as good. Nonetheless this is still a brilliant album.
Setting the stage for this much anticipated album was the smash hit single "east to west" the simple soft song which is not a great Casting Crowns song but considering the competition how could it not be a hit? The album starts out with "What this world needs" a good rock song, "everyman" is next but the chorus of the song is not impressive. The "word is alive" is a good light rock song, and the title track "the alter and the door" is good also but the high notes on the words 'cry', 'eyes', and 'try' prevent the song from being great. On every Casting Crowns CD the first half is great but the second half is lacking, the same is true again.
The ironic thing is the problem with the second half is with songs they didn't write. The radio single by Fee "all because of Jesus" and Jeff Chandler's "I know you are there" both have spots on the ten track album. My conclusion of those two lone worship songs is that Casting Crowns should write their own songs. "Prayer for a friend" is very soft anda little weak, but conveys a decent message. The other rock song on the album is "slow fade" which is excellent musically and the lyrics are nothing short of fantastic. The only drawback from this incredible song is the singing debut of Reagan Hall at the end of the song, which takes away from the urgency of the song.
Mark Hall write some of the best lyrics in the business; he sings about not being content with where we are but getting to be where we should be ("somewhere in the middle" the would be title track) to not just being good on Sunday, but taking God with you the rest of the week ("the alter and the door"). Some of the messages are simple but they are still a cut above the average lot for some reason ("east to west" and "every man"). "the world is alive" is a good song, but what makes it great is the case it makes for the authenticity of the Bible.
The Alter and the Door is not as good as previous Casting Crowns albums, now that it's out in the open this is still one of the best CD's out there today. Avoiding singing about God in his glory all the time like Chris Tomlin or Aaron Shust, Casting Crowns goes for the deeper messages in life and the Bible. And it has worked out well so far as they accomplished a monster hit single, an album that was the number two besting selling even among secular CDs. A good inspirational album, but let's hope Casting Crowns doesn't slip.
What does THIS CD mean? | Posted February-15-2008
Jeremy Camp has one good voice. It's gotten him a pair of male vocalist awards by the GMA. Throw in tons of hit singles and you have on impressive and popular artist. Jermey Camps' newest album Beyond Measure is, at first glance, another powerful mix of rock, and worship music with great lyrics.
In a deeper glance everyone learns they have been scammed, well that is if you only listened to the radio. His number one rock hit "tonight" and his medium to light rock smash single "let it fade" are only two of three actual rock songs on the album, the other being "no matter what". There is no doubt that "tonight" is a top notch rock song, and so is "no matter what", even if the latter is a little gritty. The rest of the album is worship music, with the majority being rather soft.
For those radio stations that didn't play Camp's rock music they got the hits "what it means" and "give you glory" which are pretty good worship songs in terms of music. The title track "beyond measure" has a slow start but is a pretty good light rock song. Jeremy's voice is really high on "feels like", which isn't all that good, and neither is the disjointed soft music. "When you are near" is slow but is appealing for some reason, the rest of the tunes on his album are really soft.
One thing is for sure with Jeremy Camp's lyrics: he's really big into sacrifice. From the title track to "no matter what", "to what it means" are all about being more of oneself and more like God. It's also interesting to note how his rock songs messages are always clear. However his messages get really repetitive, if you hear four songs of his album you have heard them all. "give me Jesus" is heavily repetitive, and while it may sound emotional what is it really saying: In the morning when I rise/Give me Jesus/When I am alone/ When I come to die; now you have hear the song.
The radio can be deceptive when it comes to music, and Beyond Measure is a perfect example, so doesn't buy the album simply because you have heard a few rock songs on the radio. The lyrics are good, however how many times do we need to hear a similar message before it gets old? Thirteen times? If so Jeremy Camp succeeds on this album.
We need something else (the death of a Sanctus Real fan) | Posted February-08-2008
Sanctus Real's sophomore album Fight the Tide really was an impressive rock album, numerous hits off of it and it set up for many more. The Face of Love came after that with a handful of number 1 hits ("I'm not alright", "face of love", and "don't give up") but the rest of the album was okay. We need each other, Sanctus Real's newest album, had many good impressions starting with the smash hit single "we need each other". But is this how rock music dies?
The beginning of the album certainly sounded like prime time Sanctus Real, as "turn out the lights was a gritty, but still a good rock song. The title track "we need each other" is excellent, it has a great intro, and it flows nicely. "black coal" is rough, and "whatever you are doing" is a soft song boarding on light rock, after that lose all the impressions of a once rock band. The song "Sing" is upbeat but is a worship song, not something the Band has really done.
The album moves closer too really soft and father away from rock. "Leap of faith is pretty okay, and songs don't get much slower than "lay down my guns". "Eternally yours" is, guess what, a slow song, and so is "Legacy" which has an odd sound to it. One of the great things about Sanctus Real is the way they threw original rock tune, but sadly that is not the case here. By the time the upbeat medium rock song "legacy comes around, it's too late to same "One of the top Christian rock bands, rock CD's".
The music slightly excusable, a band changing their music happens all the time, but what happened to Sanctus Real's cleverly written lyrics, and the original ways they conveyed in their messages? The album starts with "turn out the lights" which says absolutely nothing of meaning. "We need each other" is a wonderful song about relationships and people and their value, after that is "black coal" is a good song but the message is oddly told. "Whatever you are doing", "leap of faith", and "lay down my guns" all have good lyrics but nothing listeners have not heard and It isn't different way either. Same goes with the rest of the album.
Let's look back to older Sanctus Real: catchy tunes, original lyrics, and clever ways of conveying them. Now let's look at We Need each: not many infectious songs, slow tunes, basic messages, and bland lyrics. There is a major difference, while change is good this peculiar "rock" band may not have been than great. This Sanctus Real CD is not for long time fans or rock fans.
Rock | Posted March-05-2008
P.O.D. (payable upon death) has a fascinating story, a band who was at the bottom, got a Christian label offer rejected it to reach more people in mainstream music, and becomes a hit. Greatest Hits: the Atlantic years covers the ground that they sung with 17 of their rock hits.
P.O.D. has a very professional sound, from their hard rock, down to the rap and reggae. The song "Southtown" starts things off, and it's a heavy, gritty rock song, next is "boom" which has a heavy chorus but is not a lights out rock song, although the music for the verse and the bridge are awesome. The reggae music does have a huge theme in most of the music on the compilation but it shows up the most on "Roots in the stereo", ""execute the sounds", and "set your eyes on Zion" which has a very cool sound. The anthem "youth of the nation" has a little reggae, a little rock and a little rap all mixed together, that all equals to be a tremendous song that is excellent from the verses which flow perfectly to the background vocals.
However heavy rock is what P.O.D does best. "going in Blind" has a very professional rock sound, and "Alive just rocks, as the chorus really ignites the song. "sleeping awake" is heavy but the refrain is not catchy, and "rock the party (off the hook)" also lacks something. "here we go" and "will you" are both solid rock songs. The heavy "Lights out" is just that, and "satellite" is an elite rock song. The moody "goodbye for now" is absolutely brilliant and it flows expertly. The ending song, "if it wasn't for you" has a rock/rap sound to the verses and really is done well.
The guys from P.O.D. wanted to open up a larger listening audience that would touch more people, most bands however let their lyrics slide with the larger popularity, but P.O.D. does not shy away from faith filled lyrics. the first two tracks don't seem to say much, but "going in blind" talks about working for the almighty 'do all these roads lead back to you?'. "Roots in the stereo" has God and scripture all around, as does "set your eyes on Zion" has a ton of God's word thrown in there. Ironically "alive" came out on September eleventh 2001; the opening lines of the song are: 'everyday is a new day/ I'm thankful for every breath I take'.
"Youth of the nation" is depressing, yet it points out the family relationships matter, and how broken families are the cause of many of society's problems. God is all around in the music on songs like "sleeping awake", and execute the sounds". "Goodbye for now" is about a man who is determined to outlast pain. Except for one silly line about love 'she comes and she goes', "truly amazing" is good. Referring to God on "Satellite", we find that clarity and purpose appear when we follow God. "If it wasn't for you is about man questioning the bible and other truths and events, but the song ends with a strong message for Christ ('if it wasn't for you/it's all for nothing').
While discussing P.O.D,'s overall work Mark Joseph says: 'unlike the prophets of old, if these messages are not accompanied by compelling music the message will have little effect', Interesting. P.O.D., a band of Christians who wanted to reach more people have not compromised there lyrics, and they have a large listening audience in the mainstream music world, plus their messages are even more challenging than other Christian artists. Greatest Hits: the Atlantic Years covers a lot of great music and it has a lot of great things to say, but count this writer out of their fan club.
This could be their day | Posted February-02-2008
Whoever dubbed Addison Road for tobyMac fans I don't think have heard Addison Roads self titled debut, and none of the comparisons to either the Fray or Swicthfoot is very accurate. However their first album is a fun up-beat light rock/pop album which is a blast at times.
The Jenny Simmons fronts the band, and her voice is very nice. The first song "this could be our day" has a infectious tune, and makes for a great lift off song for the band. "all that matters" is a fun poppy song as is "sticking with you", both songs are upbeat but are nothing new to the music world. Track five "start over" starts slow, then picks up its pace to be a light rock song, then it picks up again; at the end of the song it is very solid.
Perhaps the reason that Addison Road is compared to tobyMac is the song "It just takes one", which at its core is punk/pop but with just a hint of hip-hop thrown in. "always love' is good, and "Casualties" has a very fast paced feel to it, and is one of the prizes of the album. The final songs "run" and "what do I know of holy" are mainly softer songs, but the whole album is pop/rock.
Addison road, sadly, does not progress past most of their peers. Most of their songs have positive messages but are not that deep, like "run" and "all that matters". The song "casualties", however, is a gem, Addison Road should get high marks for writing it, as it's a perfect song about the American dream and how it can end as a nightmare. "start over" and "always love" have pretty self stating titles which are just expanded upon in the song.
A bunch of catchy tunes and a few exceptional songs both lyrically and musically, but Addison Road does no trail blazing on their debut album, but it's a fun album regardless. Watch this band progress.
Thanks to Mr. McNeese for his advice and encouragement, and to him and the NRT staff for the resources to write this review.
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