Parachute Band Offers A Memorable Sonic Worship Experience | Posted April-03-2012
I wasn't familiar with Parachute Band prior to hearing this album and so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got with Matins: Vespers was surprisingly interesting.
The almost intro-like opener of "Hope is a River" was a solid sonic offering that sounded quite lively and built up well to the solid and catchy "Keep the Fire Burning.""Promises" and "The City of the Lord" keep up some memorable upbeat choruses during the first half, while songs like "Run to You" slow things down a bit. The enjoyable pop sound permeating all of the tracks holds the listeners attention well.
The lyrics put the band's faith on full display. While it's not anything particularly new, it's still an inspiring listen. Such an example is "Though the spark is burning dim though the night is closing in, the embers glowing still, through the dark horizon, I see the dawn arriving, I feel your presence still" from "Keep the Fire Burning."
"Till the end of time, he's our sword and shield" is proclaimed in "The City of the Lord." The band seems to know what they want to say and it comes across in their music.
The second half of the album is composed entirely of instrumental pieces. All of them have an enjoyable and relaxing beauty to them. None of them stand out in particular. However, they all still provide an uplifting and worshipful listening experience, despite the lack of words.
Closing Thoughts:
This album proved to be an enjoyable and uplifting listen. The songs are heartfelt and earnest and the instrumentals are well crafted and musically engaging. It will likely please fans of worship.
A Moving Musical Journey | Posted March-19-2012 Jeremy Horn has quietly traveled the back roads of the CCM industry since his 2007 debut release, Atmosphere. After his debut and a live album, Horn is back with a pop/rock album that is comfortably rooted in catchy hookiness.
Sound of the Brokenoffers up a soothing 10-track experience that will call to mind several other acts in the industry without sounding too borrowed. The title track kicks things off with an upbeat and uplifting pop tune pleading to God to “hear the sound of the broken rising to your throne.”
“Now is the Time” is up next, which previously appeared on Horn’s live album. The track proves to be another strong pop offering, proclaiming in its chorus: “Now is the time for your people to lift up their eyes, our eyes up to you.”
“Surrender,” the album’s lead-single, proves to be an album highlight with one of the stronger choruses on the album and offering some of the deeper lyrics from Horn: “Holding tightly to a failing system, No life... no hope. Still unanswered are a thousand questions. Just let go!” The song goes on to proclaim, “There is something beautiful about surrender. There is something beautiful about release.” The orchestration in the bridge helps to lift the song to a deeper level.
“Father of Lights” proves to be another album highlight with a soaring chorus and catchy verses. “This Reflection” closes out the album quietly with a moving melody and meaningful lyrics as Horn proclaims, “This reflection surrounds you bringing you down to your knees. It's the moment of truth when you finally embrace what you see. Jesus is all that you need.” As the album fades out, there’s a distinct feeling of genuineness in the music and in the lyrics that remains for quite a while.
The album keeps Christ front-and-center throughout and the music feels distinctly worshipful without sounding like it was just crafted just to be an easy-to-sing-along-to worship album. The honesty in Horn’s lyrics is admirable and help to keep attention focused on what he has to say.
Closing Thoughts:
Jeremy Horn plays within the popular CCM musical sound, making Sound of the Broken an enjoyable, yet accessible release that doesn’t feel like it’s simply walking the same paths as before. It’s comfortable with what it is and that comes through in the music. It may not define the genre but it doesn’t aspire to. Its simple messages resonate strongly enough and the music has the potential to uplift the listener, which is more than satisfying to find in music today.
They Mean What They Say | Posted March-16-2012 Sent By Ravens made an impressive debut two years ago with Our Graceful Words, proving themselves to be one of the more solid new faces on the Christian Hard Rock scene. Now they’re back for their sophomore album entitled Mean What You Say, and anybody worried that their strong debut was just a fluke can breathe easy.
Right away, it’s clear that Sent By Ravens stuck with what works for them. “Prudence” opens the album on a high note with a fierce, yet polished and accessible hard rock sound that carries through most of the album. Most of these songs would feel right at home on either Christian or Secular rock radio, especially a song like “However Long It Takes,” which I personally felt echoed a few vibes of bands like Daughtry.
Lead single “Learn from the Night” follows in the footsteps of “Beautiful List” as the rock ballad the band uses as their first single. With a music box-like opening, the song proves to be an album highlight. Other great moments include the powerful ballad “Never Be Enough,” the thumping title track (“Mean What You Say”), and the stirring closer “Best in Me.”
Musically, the band should please a lot of listeners with a good balance. There’s a little something for the scream lovers, the ballad lovers, and the straight-up rock lovers. Another plus is that it doesn’t ever get too boring or musically monotonous, which helps the album feel more complete.
Lyrically, the album pays significant attention to the theme of making the words we speak honest and Christlike (and the harm that can come from not doing so). This theme is most evident in the title track, which claims: “I don’t need to hurt with my hands. I could find some value, destroy it with my mouth.”
“We’re All Liars” also picks up on a similar theme. “Listen” seems to speak to the other end of communication, asking, “When will you listen?” Words of encouragement are found in “Best in Me,”“Just settle down, this storm won’t last forever.” All in all, the band seems to be open about their faith but does so in a way that would attract even secular audiences.
Closing Thoughts:
Sent By Ravens offers up another solid rock effort that should give many rock playlists material to be spun all year long. While I don’t think Sent By Ravens has had its true breakthrough moment with this release, I do think it has propelled them a step closer to that. At the very least, this fantastic project will keep their names on the shortlist of the better Christian hard rock bands out there.
TFK Continues to "Light Up" the Music Scene | Posted March-16-2012 Thousand Foot Krutch has cemented themselves as one of Christian Rock’s signature rock bands. After leaving their longtime home at Tooth & Nail records, the Canadian rockers are ready to offer up their next full-length studio album (funded by a wildly successful Kickstater Campaign), The End is Where We Begin, and what a ride of an album it is.
The album starts off with a haunting introduction track, which features a brief “speech” (done in a creepy computer voice) that includes the line, “If you don’t stand for something, you might fall for anything.” This leads into the rocking opener, “We Are.” This track demands to be played and played loud. It features some of the most intense vocals by lead singer Trevor McNevan yet.
“Light up the Sky” follows, sounding very reminiscent of “Fire It Up” from Welcome to the Masquerade. The title track follows next--a strong rocker that plays it relatively safe, staying within TFK’s well-established rock sound. Lyrically, it emphasizes the theme of resistance and fighting back that is prevalent throughout much of the album. (In this case, the resistance is about fighting back against the parts of oneself that are corrupt.)
“Let The Sparks Fly” is up next and is also the band’s lead single for mainstream rock radio. This one took a bit to grow on me but it’s worth replaying multiple times just for the insanely catchy pre-chorus alone. The hopeful tune proclaims, “Let me take you into the light... Heaven’s not far away and I’m not gonna leave you here.” TFK fans should be eating this one up.
“Be Somebody” slows things down a bit, effectively mixing verses that sound a bit like McNevan’s other band, F.M. Static, with a passionate and emotional chorus. The track sings out “We all wanna be somebody. We’re willing to go but not that far.” This can serve as a strong reminder of the need to work hard in order to “be somebody.”
An instrumental interlude follows, sounding very Skillet-esque, leading into album highlight “Courtesy Call.” The chanting vocals in parts are spookily addictive. Lyrically, this song is as strong as any of TFK’s work thus far: “I think it might wash away tonight. Awaken from this never-ending fight. It takes more than meets the eye. This war we're fighting is not just rotting.” It may not be anything new, but Trevor’s vocals and TFK’s pounding musicianship make it sound fresh and rousing.
The first song fans heard follows with “War of Change.” A powerful rock track, it stays within the album’s militant themes, warning about a change about to be ushered in. The theme of fighting a “war” resonates on a deeper level as a result of the honest delivery of the message.
“All I Need to Know” and “So Far Gone” offer a balance to the chaotic rock, bringing in a stripped-down soft sound, reminding me a bit stylistically of “Look Away” from their previous release.
“The Outroduction” closes things out with a parallel to the “The Introduction.”
One thing that struck me about this release is the diversity. The signature rap rock of the band’s earlier years returns on several tracks. The emotional rock sound of recent releases still retains a commanding presence. There are also plenty of ballads to keep things interesting. It may seem like playing it safe, but I see it as the band taking the best of all of its sounds and blending it into one dynamic release.
Closing Thoughts:
TFK has released quite a stunning rock record that should make many “Best Of” lists at the end of the year. Whether or not it’s their best yet will have to be left to the fans to decide. Ultimately, there’s a little something for everybody in this release and several of these songs should be livening up stages, radios, and playlists throughout the coming months. I’d be baffled if TFK fans weren’t eating this release up. To put it quite simply: TFK’s done it again and rock music is better off for it!
Pioneer Gives The New Year Its First Solid Alternative Debut | Posted February-14-2012 It’s still early in 2012, but already the year’s seen a solid debut from alternative rockers Pioneer. With a sound reminiscent of several other high-performing Christian rockers on the scene, Pioneer should have little trouble finding an audience with which to resonate.
“Lights” and “Treason” gave the album some early sonic rock goodness after the mellow-but-pleasant opener, “Clarity.” Both of these are enjoyable tracks that seem to be vying for some radio attention. “Reaching” and its instrumental lead-in “Mantua” provide moving and even slightly haunting balladry. All in all, the band seems to know how to balance between the softer and the more upbeat.
Lyrically, the band seems to have enough to say to make listeners take notice. “Catharsis” exclaims, “We are the blind leading the blind through the darkest of places.” In “Treason,” the band sings, “I can’t go back there again and commit myself to treason against my innocence.” Throughout, one notices a clear depth to the lyrics, which is a plus for setting the band apart. They may not speak to anything not already covered in pop/rock music, but they make their message relevant to the listener through a sincere delivery.
Closing Thoughts:
Pioneer offers a thoughtful and pleasant soft rock release that should keep them on the short-list of the better debuts of 2012. With sounds reminiscent of several other Christian rock acts currently populating the genre, Pioneer should fit right in. Hopefully, in future releases, they’ll be able to define their sound a little bit more, but for right now, this debut serves as an enjoyable introduction to what will hopefully be a long musical career.
I hadn’t heard of Tidewater before so I went into this release with completely fresh ears. Tidewater is another of those one-man bands, with Brett Alan at the helm of this relatively unnoticed musical vessel. Tidewater’s latest offering, The Beautiful Life, is a short, 3-track EP that has proven itself to be a surprisingly pleasant listen. The electronically tinged pop felt both fresh and familiar to me, recalling a few slight comparisons to acts such as Owl City and to a lesser extent, Abandon.
The EP opens with “Not Just Any Love.” The song is a hopeful one speaking of how the love of God can find a person no matter where they are, and that this love is “not just any love, but the love of a father for his daughter and son.” The song is musically upbeat, making for a memorable track.
The title track follows with another upbeat pop track, speaking of how the simple joys of our lives, such as the eyes of a newborn baby of a profession of love, make up “The Beautiful Life.”
“Desire” closes out the EP and opens with a fairly epic opening intro, which--along with some upbeat cheers--help propel the track to become the musically strongest of the three. Lyrically, the track speaks of how worldly desires hold us down: “Every time I turn around, something costs so much. I want it all.” But it then goes on in the chorus to say how “desire holds me to the ground.”
The track can serve as a reminder to tilt our wants heavenward and to not get bogged down in wanting the things on this earth, which will ultimately leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled, fueling even more desire. It’s a simple lesson and one taught many times before in music, but it is also one that our modern world seems in urgent need to be reminded of as often as possible.
Closing Thoughts:
I enjoyed this EP for what it was and it has earned Tidewater a spot on the list of artists I’ll be keeping an eye on. The EP may only come with 3 songs but these are 3 songs worth playing to uplift the spirit. I’ll be curious to see where Brett Alan will take Tidewater on the next outing.
An Unexpected Worship Experience | Posted January-16-2012
Worship music is, of course, a staple of the CCM scene. It seems like one out of every two songs on Christian radio is a worship song, and rightfully so. There’s no better method of music than worshipping our Savior. The problem with some mass-produced worship music is that it tends to get very bland and uninspired. With the same songs and topics covered enough times to fill several compilations of only different renditions of that same song, there’s sometimes a bit of a creative controversy.
Luckily, there exist some artists who dare to push the worship genre’s comfort boundaries. Robin Mark is an Irish worship singer/songwriter and I had not heard of him prior to his new live worship album, Fly: Live From Ireland. My first impressions are quite strong. With original worship numbers, strong instrumentation, and meaningful songwriting, Robin Mark offers an uplifting worship experience that doesn’t feel like one I’ve experienced before.
The album opens up with “I Will Walk.” Instantly noticeable about this song is its memorable melody. Speaking of our promise to walk with Christ and spread His word, the song treads familiar waters but does so in a way that sounds quite innovative. The lyrics are also honest and meaningful, as Mark sings out during the chorus: “And I will walk with You, and I will find a way to show Your word is true.” An album highlight for sure, the song truly is special in the worship landscape.
The title track, “Fly,” comes next and I feel this is the strongest one on the album. The song speaks of God being there for us no matter where we are or how dark a state we are in. “If I were on eagle’s wings to fly, fly to the ends of all the earth,” Mark sings, “I could never leave my Father’s side, who knew me long before my birth.” The reassuring message is backed by a strong and emotional melody that helps the truth of the words resonate on a deeper level.
“He Will Not Remember” changes things up from the emotional to a downright catchy, upbeat number. With an accordion-driven hook, the song about God forgetting our wrongs continues to propel the album forward into the reassuring “Heaven’s Gates.” In this, Mark proudly sings how Christ “endured the cross, despite the shame, opened heaven’s gates… so that we might enter in.” It’s arguably the most “radio-friendly” song on the album but it doesn’t feel overdone.
Next, “The Young Man” sings of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Compared with the songs preceding it, it is considerably more stripped down instrumentally. Overall, the song completes what is a strong first half of the album.
The second half of the album changes pace a bit with more slower-paced songs. “Great Love” bears theme to the title track, singing of how God will be our refuge in troubled times. Musically laid-back as well, the lyrical meaningfulness emerges boldly, as Mark sings: “When earthly wisdom dims the light of knowing You or if my search for understanding clouds Your way, to You I'll fly, my hiding place, where revelation is beholding face to face.” It’s one of the stronger moments on the album.
“Calvary” pleads with the Lord to lead us to Calvary and asks, “Who am I that I this love received?” The song slows down the pace even more, but keeps the instrumentation innovative enough to hold interest. “Clean Heart” talks about “how easily I stray” from the ways of the Lord, and pleads with God to heal us of our sinful ways. Melodically, it’s not quite as memorable as most of the other songs. But it’s a worthwhile inclusion nonetheless.
“Reign” is next, and contains the often-sung message, “Lord of my Life, you reign.” The song’s musicianship breathes freshness into the well-tread lyrics. “All behold the Lamb!” is exclaimed in the following song, “Behold the Lamb”—another song with more standard lyrical content.
“You Said” closes on a stronger and more upbeat note. The praise to God feels even more honest in this track. The song’s honesty and catchy instrumentation elevate it to an album highlight.
Musically, the album is very impressive. There’s a Celtic folk feel to some of the songs such as “Fly” and “Reign” that stand out. “You Said” has some orchestral backing and “He Will Not Remember” has the aforementioned accordion-driven hook. These songs, among others, help the album to feel fresh and diverse. If ever the lyrics tend to get a bit predictable, the music almost always steps in to energize the song with an uplifting beat or a reflecting folk feel. This is definitely not your typical “guitar and piano” worship album.
One thing that many can easily forget during the songs is that this is a live album. Aside from the applause that open and close each track, this could easily carry the feel of a studio album, albeit one that isn’t overproduced for radio. It helps the album to feel intimate while still feeling like a quality studio recording.
Closing Thoughts:
Robin Mark proves that he can rise above the complacency of many modern worship artists. With catchy hooks, emotional melodies, fresh instrumentation, and honest lyrics, Mark’s music is something worth checking out for fans of the genre, and even fans of contemporary Christian music who have grown weary of the sameness that permeates much of the modern worship scene. Robin Mark’s tunes transcend and exceed the expectations set by the genre in recent years, and prove that this is one artist worth hearing.
Only Slightly Above Average but Well Worth a Listen | Posted October-04-2011
Shane and Shane aren’t among the big names one thinks of when one thinks of a CCM artist. Indeed, they aren’t the most played on the radio. But for those who dig a little deeper into the industry, their name isn’t one that is unheard of. Having only heard a few songs from them prior to this, I was able to listen to this album fairly objectively and I was quite surprised with it. While it’s not particularly mind blowing, nor does it do anything to establish itself as a landmark release, it does show an effort to make itself enjoyable, and that’s an underrated thing in the music industry.
The album opens with a stripped back folk feel that can be a bit misleading for a few seconds before opening track “Liberty” kicks off into a memorable tune singing of the freedom we get in Christ, proving to be an album highlight. “Your Love” is another strong song. It’s a bit more cookie-cutter but it’s done well enough to make that forgivable. “Without You” follows in a similar fashion. “Future Version” is a bit funkier in sound and is definitely different enough to stand out. While a bit less memorable, it’s still enjoyable enough.
The album’s title track is among the better songs on the album, a stirring anthem for parents giving advice on bringing up their children to know what really matters as a Christian. “Miracle” and “Victory” keep up the pace of good songs. After that though, the songs tend to run together, albeit while still remaining pleasant enough.
The album doesn’t have any especially noticeable misfire, just songs that aren’t as memorable as others, and unfortunately the lesser songs end up keeping the album from really being a standout as the quality found in the album highlights could’ve made for a really strong album if maintained consistently.
Thematically, the album is an unashamed product of Christian merit. “Praise Him” is a straightforward but honest worship song. “Liberty” rejoices in Christ. Songs like “Your Love” and “Running To You” aren’t particularly innovative but it’s still easy to feel the message resonating. And songs like the title track, “Because He’s God” and “Grace is Sufficient” offer enough lyrical meant for Christians to chew on to keep the album from sounding at all uninspired. No song tries to hide the faith behind it, making the album feel all the more heartfelt and honest, without sinking too much into the trite clichés that plague modern Christian music.
Closing Thoughts:
Shane and Shane don’t try to wow listeners with a big sound. Their music is more subtle and intimate. While that often leaves the music sounding a bit forgettable, when the truly golden moments are struck, they are all the more meaningful as a result of this soothing and striped down sound. The One You Need may not be the album a listener looking for songs to get stuck in their head for weeks on end needs, but it might just be what those after a more relaxing and introspective listen, one that probes through some different areas in our Christian faith from celebrating our joy in Christ to humble praising of him, are looking for.
BEC Records New Rock Band is Eager to Sound Familiar | Posted September-27-2011
7eventh Time Down has emerged from BEC Records to join the myriad of rock artists clamoring for attention in the Christian music scene. Absurd use of the number in their name aside, the band seems to go out of their way to not set themselves too far apart from fellow rock acts, while being careful to not imitate any one enough to be accused of being a copycat.
The album starts, surprisingly, with a more mellow rock track in “I Need Someone.” The track is reasonably strong and seems created for radio play. It’s not at all a bad start, even if it isn’t terribly innovative or terribly attention grabbing. The album’s first single and title track is next. It’s among the best and most memorable of the bunch, and is a strong fit for radio. Next up is “What About Tonight,” another radio-ready rock track in the vein of the title track. The riffs, raspy vocals and Southern flair help make them enjoyable enough, even a little bit unique.
After this is where the album begins to hit a bit of a snag. It’s not that the next few tracks are at all bad; they just grow less and less memorable. The power ballad feel of “Get Me To You” fits well enough, but then “World Changer” follows with an even mellower sound and a cliché message to boot. It’s actually not that bad. If the album followed with higher quality tracks, this track would probably be a lot more forgivable. Alas, being a better cut on the slim 10-track listing, it’s evidentiary of the overall decline of the album, as it doesn’t get much better from here. “Do You Believe” is probably the last truly enjoyable rock track on the album. While not as strong as the opening tracks, it’s a return to the rock that provides some enjoyable riffs.
The next track is when things go from moderately decent to mediocre. While “Jesus Machine” isn’t all that bad musically, lyrically, it ends up being a cheesy mess of a track that really takes away from the listening experience. The story is similar with “Love Parade,” up next. “Worship Jesus” is as obvious and predictable as it’s name implies. (Even more so than the rest of the tracks, which already pretty much give away the entire song before you even hear the words) The album closes with its most mellow track yet in “Rusty Nails.” Enjoyable and fresh, the moving song about Our Lord’s crucifixion sends the album out on a higher note than was probably expected given the low-quality tracks of the tracks preceding it.
I probably come off a lot more critical than I feel, because the album is overall an enjoyable enough listen. I suppose the 10-track listing makes the mediocre tracks a lot more dominating and the drop-off in quality in the second half considerably more noticeable. There were also several places I sensed 7TD trying to sound like somebody else, such as moments where the singer sounded like Chris Daughtry, for example. Coupled with some predictable lyrics, this makes for a fairly underwhelming, albeit still enjoyable, debut.
Closing Thoughts:
All in all, the album was pretty much what I expected after hearing the first single over the summer – an average rock release with some cool tunes ready for radio, some passable tunes that are pleasant enough, and some forgettable tunes with enough clichés to seriously weigh the album, and therefore the band, down from true greatness. This is quite regrettable too, as the high moments on the album do indicate the potential for something much better. Hopefully on subsequent releases, the band will better be able to tap into their potential, instead of keeping it confined to just a few tracks.
A Truly Special Album | Posted September-19-2011
Downhere has flown under the radar of popular CCM music for a decade now. While not without their share of hits, they aren't the household name one would expect given the growing catalogue of critically acclaimed albums under their belt.
Downhere returns with their 5th regular studio release (excluding a number of in-between projects), 'On The Altar of Love,' again flying under the industry radar. And it's a shame too, as from start to finish, this is one of the best releases of Christian Pop/Rock to come out all year.
The album starts with less punch than previous releases, with the still inspiring "Only The Beginning." The album continues into the singles "Rest" and "Let Me Rediscover You." Both songs are soaring and uplifting and exactly the quality that we've come to expect from the band. Much of the album plays it safe within the band's established sound, but it sounds so good that there's nothing to criticize.
The band does shake it up with a few tracks. "Living The Dream" is a throwback to decades past, singing about seeing the value in our every day lives. "Seek" is a driving rock song with a haunting bridge. The title track is the band's most unique song yet, with a banjo and fiddle backing what amounts to a strong folky rock track.
Lyrically, the band is as insightful as ever, singing about thanking God for the good and bad in our lives, to Biblically inspired messages of love, forgiveness, and praise, to the aforementioned "thinking song" reminding people to not let their lives be darkened by lost worldly dreams.
The album closes with the beautiful "Reveal The Kingdom" that concludes with a brief Latin chant singing words from Isaiah.
All in all, not a second on this album fails to delight. After several listens, it's hard to find reasons why Downhere isn't the poster child for the CCM industry. They bring a sound that fits well within the established sound while still sounding fresh and innovative. They are the answer to everything plaguing the industry. Why they aren't more popular is anyone's guess.
JJFrancesco_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
