Skillet Continues To Rise | Posted December-30-2013
I'm so impressed with this band on so many levels. For eight years over the past three albums, (Comatose, Awake and now Rise), they have been on a total rampage dominating every chart they touch. 2006's Comatose combined the best of their earlier rock/synth styles of Alien Youth and Hey You, I Love Your Soul with their raw hard rock sounds of Collide and kicked off what has been an incredible run of albums that continue to top each other. Most bands would kill to have just one or two hits (well, not Christian bands, but you know the saying). Skillet keeps packing entire albums with them!
Now that the successful transition of lead guitarist is behind them, I keep waiting for the next leg of Skillet's 18+ year journey to be marred like so many bands before them. Surly, musical greatness can't continue at this level for much longer, can it? Of course, I was saying the same thing when Awake overtook Comatose as my favorite Skillet album ever. And here I am three years later, knocking off Awake for Rise.
John's vocals sound like they are one scream away from combustion. Jen beats on those drums with the intensity of a super-human, driving every single song to the core of your being. Kory's programming at both guitar and keys is an undeniable force shaping their original and unique sound. And Seth produces jaw-dropping guitar solos in his sleep. The guys (and gals) are performing at an incredible level, and making it looking like it's just another casual Friday at work.
Rise is heavy hitting and filled with the strings Skillet fans have grown to love. "Not Gonna Die,""Circus For A Psycho," "Madness In Me,""What I Believe" and one of the best songs of the year, "Sick Of It," punch incredibly hard. Jenn and Kory trade vocals with John giving songs yet another layer to love and on "Fire And Fury" the melodies and trade-offs on lead are simply beautiful. Even when Skillet steps a bit off track of their norm, as on "My Religion," a southern drag of rockabilly, it works. "Good To Be Alive" and "American Noise" prove Skillet can still write a driving ballad like none other.
Closing Thoughts:
Skillet is at the top of their game and have released yet another career-defining album packed with some of the best songs of the year. Their dominance is for good reason. And they continue to point towards messages of hope, redemption and faith in the midst of some pretty dark times. This world needs Skillet and I'm encouraged they are being so welcomingly received.
A Beautiful Balance Of Emotion | Posted December-30-2013
I’ve been around Christian music long enough to know that in order to fully appreciate the landscape; it’s required that I have mad-respect for Aaron Sprinkle. Behind the soundboard and in the studio as producer and songwriter, the man is a beast, pretty much getting his hands dirty in almost every genre on the majority of Tooth & Nail’s/BEC Recordings’ releases throughout the past two decades. A quick look at his Wiki profile will show you this guy knows music and is incredibly adept and diverse. But as an artist? His bands Poor Old Lu, Rose Blossom Punch and Fair came and went for me. And his four previous solo releases were small blips on my radar. The man is a massive workhorse, but until now, his own musical endeavors were a bit too quirky and on the fringe for my taste.
So it really surprises me that I’m sitting here, writing about one of my favorite albums of the year from none other than Aaron Sprinkle.
Water & Guns, is a bright and happy pop record. It’s full of bouncy synth leads, syncopated, and programmed drums, light choruses that float by themselves and instantly singable melodies. And all of it performed by Sprinkle himself (think Owl City and The Rocket Summer). But when you start to dig into the lyrics, you find the yang to the musical ying. Lyrics like “All my hope lies here / Six feet down with fear” on “Whisper Something.” “I’m feeling borrowed, feeling blue / You didn’t notice, shame on you” on “Can’t Last Forever.” “When your life rips at the seams / When it seems like the worst is really happening / When you can’t see the light / It’ll be alright” on “It’ll Be Alright.” In fact, I could just post almost every line to every song. Aaron is struggling with quite a bit lyrically, yet we’re dancing through a field of flowers on a clear blue sky. This is musical bipolarity at its best, but what’s really going on?
“I want to relate to people,” says Sprinkle. “I wanted to be honest, both musically and lyrically. I’ve realized that every time I’ve been brutally honest in an intimate setting, I’ve never been greeted poorly. This is what I like, this is how I feel, this is who I am.”
Closing Thoughts:
This album is a beautiful accomplishment for an artist that has been around as long as Aaron has. Aaron’s lyrics deal with a full range of human emotion. They speak of grace and blessings surrounded by sin and death. They tell stories of perseverance through trail. They are filled with a desperation for relief from all-consuming struggles. In other-words, the address real life. But what I love is that, as believers, we are allowed to experience the full range of emotions that God has given us, under the context of a bright and sunny love that continually shines down upon us from above. Every day is new, and the sky is blue and the birds are singing. It’s that full picture that I believe Aaron set out to paint. He not only relies on the lyric to tell his story, but he allows the music to complete the full picture and balance the life so many of us truely stumble through.
One of the Best Albums of 2013 | Posted December-30-2013
One of the worst kept secrets of late 2012/early 2013 was Kevin Max taking the helm of an Audio Adrenaline relaunch. With the same behind-the-scenes team that oversaw the successful transition of Kevin’s former band mate, Michael Tait, taking over for Newsboys, there was a collective “been-there, done-that” sigh from the Christian music fan base. Let’s face it, relaunching a band as iconic as Audio Adrenaline was a big enough mountain to climb. Putting one of Christian music’s most iconic voices on lead mic appeared crazy ambitious.
Then the debut single, “Kings & Queens,” came out, alongside a beautifully shot video that won VIDEO OF THE YEAR in last year’s We Love Christian Music Awards, and shut everyone up. All ears were perked, waiting to see if this was simply a brilliant fluke or overall brilliance in the making.
Thankfully, it was very much the latter.
Kings & Queens is the album that I’ve been waiting for Kevin Max to make since his debut solo effort in 2001 gave hints of his pop dominance in songs like “Existence” and “Angel With No Wings.” Kevin never stopped making music and kudos for him for paving his own way and direction, but he simply lost me in his deep and thick theology and creativity. I can’t fault an artist for making music they love, and not becoming a slave to the popular audience, but with a musical brand like Audio Adrenaline to now steer, the reflective poet and artistic flare would have to take a backseat (at least for the time being) and make way for radio friendly hooks and a more mainstream message that everyone can consume without too much brain power involved.
Many may say Kings & Queens breaks little ground musically and lyrically. I’m not going to disagree with that, and I don’t believe you need massive invention to write a hit song, but there’s unique power in Kevin’s voice that really rises this material to heights that not many others could reach (both literally and figuratively). There’s a reason that after twenty years, this guy can still turn heads. And he proves it by singing the notes off track after track. His vocals have never sounded more energized and current, and I believe it’s because this is Kevin’s sweet spot. His voice is so powerful, so unique, so controlled that it takes the right production and song to make it shine the way it should. And when that happens, game over!
Closing Thoughts:
From the opening track of “He Moves You Move,” to the U2 channeling of the Martin Smith penned “Fire Never Sleeps,” to the incredibly unique sound of “20:17 (Raise The Banner)” to the closing track (and one of my favorites), “The Answer,” Kings & Queens proves that at the end of the day, the music speaks and stands above and beyond a band's roster of musicians and vocalists.
This Is What A Perfect Album Sounds Like! | Posted December-30-2013
I never caught the vision for Royal Tailor’s debut, Black & White, when it released a few years back. For whatever reason, I wrote them off as part of “Boy Band Wave: Round 28” and was initially indifferent to their debut. But I keep hearing about them working hard, putting on an impressive live show and making plenty of noise and I finally came around to appreciate their efforts. But I was still on the fence on if this was a band that could actually break through and really impress me.
After the first listen to their sophomore, self-titled album, my doubts were instantly crumped up and dropkicked over the fence, never to be revisited again.
This is one of the best examples I can think of, in recent memory, of a band truly realizing their full potential so quickly and releasing an album that I’ll be enjoying, start to finish, for many years to come. It’s one of the most original pop albums I’ve heard, full of heart, energy, truth and flat out fun. In fact, I found myself grinning in a few spots, so proud that our industry could actually push the bar to this level.
I remember listening to “Gravity (Pulling Heaven Down)” from their debut for the first time and checking iTunes to see if, in fact, I was still listening to their album. I swear it had leaped to an unknown Michael Jackson track, but sure enough, it was still Royal Tailor. That comparison is certainly not shied away from on the new album as there are plenty of MJ moments throughout, both vocally as well as musically as most notable through the bass lines on “Original,” one of the strongest tracks on the album.
Royal Tailor is a pop album with plenty of surprises once you get past the polished production. “Got That Fire,” “Jesus Love (f/ TobyMac)” and “Ready Set Go (f/ Capital Kings)” are the album's strongest beats that would fit in any club. “You Are My Rescue,” “Love Song,” “Give Me Faith” and “Remain” provide much of the album’s depth and even in these heavy ballads, the music is driving, pulsing and alive with lyrics that make clear the Christian values these men hold close to their hearts. The closing track, “Fight for Freedom (Let the Walls Fall)” is a “going to war” anthem that builds and releases and builds again in multiple parts, ending in a beautiful two-minute reprise that puts the band’s creative talents on full display as they explore sonically while we sit back and enjoy the end result.
Closing Thoughts:
There have been few albums that have captured my attention as strongly as Royal Tailor and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m referencing this album as one of my all-time favorites a decade from now. Well done, gentlemen!
#10 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 Surprisingly, I didn't gravitate to much rock this year, but the debut from Decatur, IL'sIcon For Hireis one that appeared instantly on my radar out of nowhere. From the opening electronic "Overture" I knewScriptedwas going to go beyond my expectations from the latest female fronted rock act. The electronic sounds over hard guitar lines instantly reminded me to Skillet, Fireflight and RED. But it was the lyrics, specifically the sheer amount of them, that peaked my interest the most. There are so many words crammed into each line, each delivered beautiful from lead singer Ariel that I wondered how on earth it would translate to a live show. Surely the studio is removing moments of breath, but I'm happy to say the live show is just as engaging as the record, and that impressed me just as much as the quality of musicianship.
There are few misses on this 12-track album that just doesn't slow down for what is a disappointingly short 32 minutes (I wanted more!) and "Get Well," "Off With Her Head" and their huge first single, "Make A Move" are some of the best on the album. Lyrically, the band is all about acting and moving forward in our spiritual walk, encouraging non-complacency in our faith.
Building a distinctive sound from the ground up on a debut album is getting tougher and tougher to do, but Icon For Hire has done it and I can't wait to hear more!
#8 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 The first lines sung by Michael Tait, with a simple synth chord behind him, ushers in one of the best artist driven worship project in years from a band enjoying new birth in their long storied career. "The King Is Coming" wonderfully kicks off the album and is one of only five original songs onGod's Not Dead. That fact alone should hold back an album from a year end list, but whenNewsboys are able to breathe life into one of the most covered songs of the past few years, ("Revelation Song") it's time to take notice to what they are doing here. This is more than a collection of their favorite praise chorus, slapped together to form a new album.
In multiple interviews, both Tait and drummer Duncan Phillips said they had no interest in covering a song unless they could make it better. It's a statement every band will say, but few actually pull it off. Newsboys has managed to take popular worship songs like "Your Love Never Fails," and "Like A Lion" and re-imagine them into pop perfection. You know the songs, but you've never heard them like this.
One song you won't know, but soon will, is "I Am Second," welcoming back a familiar voice to pop music, Kevin Max (Kevin also sings on the title track, though not as prominently as here). The song, I predict, will be the biggest hit off this album, and hearing Kevin pulled out from his heady, indie hole he's been hiding in for years is so welcomed. Let's hope this is a step that returns Kevin to the spotlight, because his voice is still simply unmatched and it so accessible in the right setting. This is it.
Michael's voice is so good as well and it just shines all over this album. With Duncan driving the beat on drums, Jody providing the passion on guitars and Jeff behind the majority of the programming, the Newsboys are in full stride and have delivered yet another must-own album.
#6 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 Beckah Shaecontinues to release music on par, and many times better, than anyone else coming out of the major labels. As an independent artist, with the backing of her producer/husband, Jack Shocklee,Destinycomes on strong as one of the best overall pop albums of the year.
Her sound is comparable to a mash-up of Beyonce, Rihanna, Mariah Carry and more of the heavyweights on the mainstream female urban/pop side. There are few artists in our own industry who are doing this type of music well, which has allowed Beckah to truly make a name for herself without the backing of a major label, and more are taking notice every day.
The new album kicks off with the harmonic and chord driven "Are You Ready?" a bold question to the church about getting prepared for the coming of Christ. But the album really kicks off with the powerful single, "Music," boldly declaring Beckah's desire to take music back for God.
The dance infused, electronic club-beats keep coming strong with "Supernova," "Holy," "We Are," the title track as well as early single hits "Gold" and "#putyourloveglasseson," which proved a huge summer single for Beckah earlier this summer. This is a dance album through and through, but Beckah still slows it down while maintaining the beats for "Just To Know" and "For Such A Time Is This."
Beckah is fully engrossed in her musical ministry, using her platform to deliver words of encouragement for a world that's consistently becoming darker around her. She pulls no punches and gets to the heart of the matter on many songs. There's no question for what she stands for, and what she wants you to stand for as well. Destiny is inspired by Top 40 radio as much as it is from scripture, and it's done as well as anything we've yet to hear.
#5 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 By now, you should know if the song you are listening to is byMat Kearney. You may still be getting introduced to his music, but his sound is unmistakable. It's acoustic pop layered over hip-hop and urban beats. It's a wispy and cool voice that's a combination of singsong and melodic rap. And it all blends together to create some pretty unmistakable songs.Young Love is filled with many musical moments that are hard to ignore.
Young Love, as the title suggests, revisits a time of falling in love. A time filled with butterflies, happiness, discovery, innocence and more, reflecting Mat's own life of recently getting married. Songs like the title track, "Ships In The Night," "Count On Me," "Young, Dumb and In Love," and "She's Got The Honey" focus on young relationships. They are fun, carefree and bring me back to that time in my own life as well before life starts complicating all of our relationships.
But along with that, there's also a few songs that dive into the darker places in Mat's own life, revealing some very personal struggles, none more prevalent than on "Rochester," a song about Mat's own father who faced loneliness, hardships and physical abuse. It's raw, rough, and tough to listen to, but it grounds the album in a reality that life isn't just about the up and joyful times. "Ships In The Night" is one of my favorite songs on the album, but despite the joyful beats and delivery, it pulls from a tough place in a relationship that continues to pull apart. But the lyric is just genius full of gems line after line. For anyone who's been in a relationship that gets past the initial butterflies, you'll be able to relate right away with this song.
Lyrically, the album is wonderful but like Owl City, there's not a ton of spiritual take away here. I'm ok with that because Mat's been very open about his own spirituality and I'm one that believes we need just as many positive songs about relationships and love as we do about our relationship with Christ. After all, there's more to love in this life than God and He designed it that way. We have our significant others, our family members, our friends and that's life. Mat sings about life and places his lyrics against a musical landscape that continues to be refreshing, relevant, intricate and inventive. If you enjoy great music, you don't want to miss this album.
#4 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 Part of me feels a need to justify my choice in including an album with so little overt spiritual content. The other part of me is annoyed that I feel the need to do that. And all of me understands that no matter what, someone will disagree with it either way. The fact remains, I'd be purposely leaving out this album from a self-professed Christian, that does work to reach out to the Christian music community (Adam Young headlined Creation East this year and "Galaxies" was a hit at CHR radio), because of a lack of buzzwords, and I just feel that's a bit shallow. Music to me envelopes not only the lyrics, but beat, and Christians go through a huge range of emotions and relationship woes, so why not sing about it? Truth is, I haven't been able to put this album down since it released, so here we are. And it's where we should be,
Adam Young, the one man show behind Owl City, fascinates me in that he does everything on his albums. Writes, composes, records, sings, plays all the instruments and apparently, challenges himself to use the name of every animal known to mankind in his lyrics including deer, tigers, bugs, mice, crows, bees, butterflies, eagles, barracudas, sharks, bears, bats, crickets and tree frogs. It's quite the display of creation if you think about it.
There are also shout-outs to tiny feathers, balmy breezes, sugar maple wings, wild fires, ruby redwood trees, velvet ivy, story brushes and satin air. And that's just in the first song, "The Real World!" Yes, the lyrics are a bit wispy, matching Adams vocal delivery, and take a few listens to get used to, but then you appreciate how different they are. Adam's lyrics are poetic in the truest sense, and he's a hopeless romantic who is searching for love, acceptance and the getting lost in wonder of creation all around us. He finds a plethora of adjectives to describe the world around him and he wraps it all around some fantastic synth/dance/electronic music that is instantly his own sound, and incredibly catchy.
Yes the lyrics are borderline odd, but there are so many hope filled gems to be discovered if you dig. "My captain on a snowy horse has come back to take me home," Adam sings on "Kamikaze," a creative reference to Revelation 19. On "Hospital Flowers," a song about reawakening after a tragic event, Adam sings, "My burns were third degree, but I'd been set free, because grace had finally found its' way to me." In "Plant Life," he's longing for companionship and sings,"If I were to pluck on your heart strings, would you strum on mine?"
This isn't a praise and worship album, but it sure is an amazing fun celebration in hope and positivity, soaked in lyrical whimsy that's tough not to appreciate.
#7 Album Of 2011 | Posted December-26-2011 I'm way late to this party.NEEDTOBREATHEis respected by many to be one of the best bands in our industry and I've been scratching my head, wondering what I've been missing as I've seen their past three albums make it to countless year end "Best Of" lists. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't been captivated.
Well, you're reading this now, because that has all changed with The Reckoning. This album had me with the first song, "Drive All Night," and didn't let go until 55 minutes later with the closing track, "Learn To Love."
I believe I know what the problem is. I tend to gravitate to more produced and polished fare. We all have our vices and mine is a song dripping with production. So artists that, at times, are more rough around the edges tend to escape my radar, for better or worse (many would argue worse, but it is what it is). But because of that, I'm appreciating my love for this album even more. It seems to be one of the few that has bridged my taste of a good hook with something of even more substance. I found myself absolutely engrossed by this album, and the more I unearthed, the more I discovered.
The passion in these songs is something very much akin to what has been driving me to Switchfoot as of late. This sounds like nothing guys could do sitting in the studio surrounded by empty space, wires, sound engineers and lava lamps. "Drive All Night, " "Oohs And Ahhs," "Slumber," "Devil's Been Talkin" and the title track should all be required listens for any upcoming artist on how to place emotion and heart into a vocal. I'm talking goose bumps, shivers and at moments, even tears. I'll be listening to this one for a long time to come.
KevinMcNeese_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
