Innocence & Instinct
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RED Even though Red found its initial footing in the Christian market and remains unashamed about its faith, the heavy rockers are now bonafide mainstream superstars. Following 2006’s GRAMMY-nominated End...
Comatose Comes Alive: Disc 1
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Skillet Packing over 10 years of rock into its first CD/DVD combo, Skillet releases Comatose Comes Alive. Expertly documenting a live concert from the band’s 2008 tour, the four-piece outfit fills a set list (or...
New Surrender
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Anberlin Though Anberlin always had a foot in the secular scene (frequently performing in clubs and becoming staples on the “Vans Warped Tour”), the modern rockers are now part of the major label leagues, making...
INDIE ENSEMBLE POURS LIFE INTO RECORD NO. 2 | Posted September-29-2008
What started out as a high school hobby band just outside of Chattanooga, Tenn., has turned into a full-fledge killer rock outfit. Sure, the median age of Nevertheless is 23, but during the last six years of graduations, marriages and road life, the arresting quintet has had more than its share of growth. In the Making… is the recorded proof.
Originally known as a spunky, independent band, the ensemble has progressed past the waning emo fads of a few years back to produce a record that still pays homage to its electric indie roots while purporting a riper sound.
“Sleeping In” commences the record with a pulsing melodic piano, alluding to 11 songs of added depth, as it addresses insecurity head on. And in a much-needed commentary, “It’s True” insists God is unchanging, despite Christians’ often-hypocritical behavior.
“Cross My Heart” and “Long Shot” will still stir concertgoers crazy with slick hooks, hyperactive rhythms and catchy lyrics. But with a goal to “write about both the light that shines in the darkness and about the darkness that does not understand it,” it is the contemplative Nevertheless that begs to be heard.
“It’s No Secret” marries its mainly acoustic instrumentation with an aching plea: “I wonder what you think of me/When I put your name in spotlights/Run into the dark night all alone/I love like I’m changing with the seasons/When you give me every reason to stay by your side/But still I hide/It’s no secret… I need you now.”
And though, lyrically, Nevertheless shows evidence of advancement, less than poetic lyrics and undiscriminating phrases still dilute verse and chorus here and there. For a sophomore effort, the band is still evolving—a good sign of life in any artist. Everyone needs time to mature. Consider Nevertheless way ahead of the curve. –Andrew Greer
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SLICK BUT SLIGHTLY LESS ADVENTUROUS | Posted September-29-2008
Part of what made Ayiesha Woods’ debut disc so alluring two years ago was her constant genre mash-ups and unpredictable vocal register. One second the supreme singer could be addressing her soulful side, then touching on jazz and oftentimes rocking out with R&B backbeats. Some of those elements permeate her second project, Love Like This, though perhaps not to as potent of degrees in favor of safer, radio-ready formulas. Though accessibility isn’t a negative trait, the singer/songwriter seems slightly watered down from the first round, though is still in fine form amidst these less adventurous explorations.
The front half of the project slickly switches between the building guitar pop of the title track, the keyboard saturated Mary J. Blige-like jam “Alive” and the neo-soul scoots of “One Day.” And as pleasant as all those tracks are, Woods seems to hold back a bit until the project’s second half, unwinding with the old-school soul slant of “Take Me There” and the joyous rock meets R&B jumper “New Beginnings.” “Fight” also evokes the acoustic soul of Woods’ mightiest influence, India.Arie, but falls slightly short of the mainstream entertainer’s charisma.
Lyrically, the collection follows dual paths of showing love in all circumstances and empowering listeners to fully realize the gifts God’s given them (making her an especially strong role model and ultimately hip presence at Women of Faith events across the country). While Love Like This falls a ladder rung short of Introducing Ayiesha Woods, there are still enough points of musical and topical connection to stick close to this fresh face, even if she left a little room for additional artistic expansion. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
WONDER PROVES SOLID, JUST NOT ORIGINAL | Posted September-29-2008
Coming out of the studio with all-new material and playing to its strengths, Rush of Fools’ sophomore release, Wonder of the World, is distinctly worshipful. After releasing a successful debut and garnering multiple Dove nominations, there has been great anticipation for what’s next from these Alabama natives. With a considerable amount of self-proclaimed growth over the past two years musically, creatively and lyrically, Rush of Fools confidently picks up the musical reigns with clear direction in mind to stick to who they are and to their calling for worship.
Opening track “There is Nothing” quickly leads right into a big chorus that begs listeners to sing along. Many tracks contain agreeable, familiar beats with catchy melodies that crescendo into massively powerful choruses, including the title track and first single, “Wonder of the World,” as well as “You Are Glory” and “Escape.”
Fools’ more up-tempo rocker and sure to be crowd-pleaser is “Lose It All.” With balance and good measure, there are also strong, yet more contemplative offerings such as synth, piano and acoustic driven songs like “Holy One,” “Tonight,” “Never Far Away” and “The Only Thing That’s Beautiful In Me.”
With ultra-ambient and progressive instrumentation, what appears to be most intentional in the band’s approach to this release is that these songs appeal and move the live audience. Collectively, the tracks are extremely corporate worship friendly and invite you to join in singing along with a big crowd, certain to incite a passionate live experience. The lyrical content contains straightforward elements of Biblical truth. Rush of Fools has succeeded in its transparency about the “Wonder of the World” and continually points listeners back to God, His word, His purposes, His timing and His ways. –Penelope Stone
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
FANTASTIC RETURN FOR POP/ROCK BAND | Posted September-29-2008
Lamont Hiebert has returned from his musical sabbatical. Normally, after selling 150,000 albums, the focus is on moving forward. Yet the front man and songwriter for Ten Shekel Shirt quietly exited to focus on another calling and passion: forming Love146—a non-profit organization dedicated to helping end child slavery and exploitation.
The theme of freedom pervades this return to form entitled Jubilee. “I’m walking up to your tomb to call your name/To give you a new start/Remove your shame,” sings Hiebert on “Surprised.” It’s an acoustic ebb and flow that yearns like Vertical Horizon’s slower tracks. “You Rescue” continues the lyrical thread with lines like “You will never stop restoring what’s been lost.” All the while, Hiebert makes certain the musicianship matches the lyrics, especially on “You Rescue” whose chorus is immediately memorable.
“Spark” ups the ante and tempo as a solid pop/rock radio tune that includes Hiebert’s falsetto and slight Brit-rock builds. “En Garde” is an album highlight complete with slight street-beat-sampling and a perfectly placed string section. It’s a darker number that grabs your attention immediately. Album closer “It’s Slavery” kick starts the end with a Switchfoot-esque twist.
All things considered, it’s great to have Ten Shekel Shirt back. The band’s early albums showed great promise, and Hiebert & Co. make sure to remind us of that. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
A SOLID SOPHOMORE SHAKE-UP | Posted September-29-2008
Heading the relatively recent revival of ForeFront Records, This Beautiful Republic continues on its blistering path of modern rock reflections, but also benefits from a noticeably more mature overall approach. Though the players were respectable the first time around, considerable time on tour appears to have sharpened their skills even further, while front man Ben Olin appears even more confident behind the microphone as he churns out a series of stadium ready choruses.
The Toledo-based troupe dives right in to its refined approach throughout the steadily building surges of “Pain,” merging a slight emo undercurrent with post-punk insistency. On “Surrender Saved My Life,” the group mirrors mainstream mega-sellers Taking Back Sunday’s latest material, exploding with mighty riffs and massive melodies, but tackling the much meatier topic of a believer turning over their life to the Lord.
The group’s primary Christian market comparisons remain Switchfoot and Sanctus Real, but tracks like the lushly stringed ballad “For the Life of Me” and the anti-loneliness battle cry “A Point Between Extremes” showcase the most epic side of This Beautiful Republic to date. “Say Goodnight” rounds out the record, starting with acoustic guitars and pleading lyrics before beefing up the aggression factor and tipping its hat toward the band’s multiple alt-rock orientations. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
GIRL ROCK DONE RIGHT | Posted September-29-2008
In an age of female rocker clones who’ve either idolized Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson, it’s refreshing to find a singer/songwriter/guitarist who really plugs in with power, while putting her own introspective pen to paper. Enter Brooke Barrettsmith, the Chicago-based string slinger whose grandmothers were Broadway and opera singers respectively, with a father who played the Windy City blues scene alongside the legendary likes of B.B. King and Buddy Guy.
That vast musical heritage shines throughout the razor sharp riffs of “Right Now” (which could be likened to Liz Phair fronting Daughtry), along with the feisty “More Real,” loaded with lyrical transparency that seeks to blast away insecurities through full reliance on the Lord. The rollicking alt-rock romp “OK” serves as an anti-anxiety elixir, which contains even more authenticity from the fact that the singer struggled with the issue throughout her teen years.
Though she doesn’t act like she has all the answers now in her 20s, Barrettsmith is especially assertive, serving as an empowering example for young women, concurrently connecting with any guy searching for some female fronted ferocity. “Breakthrough” is the best example of that faith-based liberation, bathed in pleading vocals and the balance between emotive instrumentation and fully wound guitar charges. All in all, it’s an exceptional debut from an intelligent song sculptor, capable of meeting listeners from various walks of life, amidst confirming that some girls can really rock. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
THE LIVE VIBE COMES TO LIFE | Posted September-29-2008
Very rarely does any band (faith-based or otherwise) connect in concert to the scalding degrees of southern-streaked rock & rollers DecembeRadio. Taking cues from The Black Crowes, plus anyone with a rebellious streak from the 1970s, the group unloads with a gargantuan wall of guitars and the ferocious howls of front man Josh Reedy. Not only does that sound translate to the studio on the group’s sophomore CD, Satisfied, but the band comes across with more self-assurance and blissfully controlled chaos than on its already exceptional GRAMMY-nominated/Dove Award winning self-titled debut.
Put on a seat belt before the blazing guitar grinds of “Better Man” blast out of the stereo, and expect the old-school intensity to continue throughout the half soulful/half swampy “Satisfy Me.” Even with the blistering amplifier assault, DecembeRadio still has plenty to say, and the stacked sounds are never at the expense of a meaningful gospel message. The mid-tempo southern blues howler “Believer” talks about growing up in a Christian household and making the commitment to maintain those beliefs into adulthood, while the string-enhanced ballad “Look For Me” is a call for non-believers who are tired of trying to fill the void with worldliness to, instead, embrace the Lord.
From a purely musical perspective, there are still plenty of other concert classics in the making, from the gospel-infused retro rocker “Powerful Thing” to the organ-drenched sing-a-long “For Your Glory” and the no holds barred blare of “Gasoline.” Amidst all the rumblings and fist pumping power, DecembeRadio effortlessly blends a simultaneous throwback to yesterday, an unconventional taste of tomorrow and a private concert experience during each and every personal playback. –Andy Argyrakis
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VISUAL VITALITY WITH A SUPERB SOUNDTRACK | Posted September-29-2008
Last year the David Crowder Band blazed a new crossover trail for Christian music as its Remedy club outing sold out 19 shows along the way. Already worshipful modern rock innovators, the alternative act earned another notch in its belt with this impressive feat, but most importantly, expanded its audience beyond the church’s walls. Now, those wanting to relive the experience (or anyone absent on the first round hoping to catch up) can do so in both audio and visual formats.
The CD portion is one of the spiritual scene’s most energetic live projects in recent memory, taking listeners on an artistically satisfying vertical journey and surging with several epic swells along the way. “Trying To Make You Sing” is an apt introduction as it slowly fades into aggression before the prayerful “The Glory of It All” and the electronica-spiked “Can You Feel It?” Though an old-time spiritual standard, “I Saw the Light” also possesses the Crowder Band’s unmistakable aura. Still, the group’s celebratory “No One Like You” and the mantra-filled praise of “O Praise Him (All This For a King”) earns the most rapturous response, which is even more evident throughout the DVD.
Aside from those latter two cuts, “Foreverandever Etc.” is a vibrant visual example of Crowder’s sheer joy in performing and ability to playfully interact with the audience. Yet, the finale, “Surely We Can Change,” gives off a much more humble vibe that carries the crowd in renewing their commitment to Christ. Additional points of excitement come from a generous helping of special features, such as an “On the Road” documentary and the especially inventive “Leaning the Songs” section, where members teach musical hopefuls the tricks behind their licks. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
A SOMEWHAT SHORT SIDED CONCERT COLLECTION | Posted September-29-2008
It’s become a tradition that with every studio CD Casting Crowns releases, a live CD and DVD follows suit. Though it may appear overkill to more casual listeners, die-hard followers are sure to appreciate this souvenir series, even if the brand-new The Altar and the Door Live doesn’t fully replicate the tour. Despite the original CD having 10 studio cuts (12 counting bonus tracks), this double disc only includes eight performances, which coupled with a few other catalogue cuts, means the entire album isn’t represented.
Though a bit misleading as a title, that problem can be somewhat overlooked thanks to the band and crowd’s passionate interaction throughout the inspirational opener “All Because of Jesus” and the more fleshed out pop/rock finale “What This World Needs” (along with the impressive acoustics of “Somewhere In the Middle,” accompanied by John Waller). While the audio installment allows for a portable soundtrack, the DVD provides a more meaningful grasp on the tour’s impressive light show, jumbo screen and overall production (which has grown considerably since 2004’s Live From Atlanta), alongside documentary snippets about the band’s backstage world, ministry and family life.
But either format still leaves listeners wanting more, whether that be the rest of The Altar and the Door or older hits like “If We Are the Body” or “Praise You In This Storm” (to name a handful). Sure those have popped up on Casting Crowns’ live collections before, but the band has yet to capture a complete concert on CD or film, with this project (though generally enjoyable in its own right) still leaving that void unfulfilled. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
What If We | Posted September-29-2008
What if We… just the title alone will pique the curiosity of any seeker, eager to run with Brandon after the elusive. Mr. Heath doesn’t disappoint, striking all the right chords on this, his sophomore effort. He paints the canvas of the radio-friendly opener with wide brush strokes of rising strings and a hip-hop backbeat. Track two is a jaunty, drum-driven song, with a hint at God’s continuing work in our lives. The show stealer is the melancholy “London,” where just the right mix of an evocative tone and a yearning piano make it Heath’s most illustrious moment. Similarly, he scores with “Listen Up,” a witty plea for men everywhere to lend a more sympathetic ear.
Lyrically, this Dove Award winner succeeds on every track, showcasing a maturity betraying his relatively young age. He also demonstrates versatility. “Fight Another Day” is especially infectious where Heath’s joyous vocal shapes the “crank-it-up” chorus. Still elsewhere, he teams up with Christy Nockels (Watermark) to pen the worship song “No Not One” which proclaims God’s supremacy.
There’s something here for everyone, including the deceptively simple “Love Never Fails,” a lush arrangement of gentle violins and finger-picked guitar that’s sure to make its way into wedding ceremonies everywhere. What If We is an endearing 11-song journey, replete with fanciful arrangements, lyrical imagination and an authentic vocal that makes every step a joy. –Grace S. Cartwright
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
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