Red Returns With A Bang | Posted February-05-2011
We didn't have to wait three years for a new Red album this time, just the usual 2. It's a good thing too cause their last album left quite a demand for more new music from the rock act.
The band doesn't disappoint this time, crafting what could be their best album yet. The screaming opening track "Feed The Machine" is too rough for my tastes but it's sure to satisfy the fans of their earlier work. Lead single "Faceless" is a 'safe' Red song covering expected territory, but it works well and sounds great. "Lie To Me (Denial)" is currently doing very well on iTunes Rock charts and it isn't even a single. It's a testament to the song's catchy and accessible sound that is sure to make it a future hit.
The band slows things down a bit with "Let It Burn," which has a powerful intro. "Buried Beneath" follows next, which is perhaps the most polished rock track I've ever heard from the band. It's clearly not a "slow song/ballad" type but it's not the intense rock sound their other rock songs possess. However, it's still just as good and memorable. "Not Alone" is next and what initially might seem a slow track erupts into one of the most beautiful songs Red has done. Truly a hit in the making.
The screaming vocals return in the next three tracks, confined mostly to the bridge and background. "Watch You Crawl" kind of left me a bit underwhelmed, especially the chorus. It sounds a bit undone to me, but it works overall. "The Outside" brings back the hard rock for a slamming and unique track. "Who We Are" has success written all over it with what could be the most memorable rock chorus of the album.
The album closer with two slower songs. "Best is Yet To Come" is a bit cliche but the execution makes that easy to overlook. This could easily become a radio hit. The somber piano-driven closer "Hymn for the Missing" closes the album in a quiet and reflective fashion. It doesn't erupt like it's predecessor album closer did, but it's just as good.
The album's themes aren't too ground breaking ranging from the search for identity in "Faceless," pleas to God to save us (Buried Beneath), or a declaration to the world that we won't hide our love for Christ (Who We Are). It won't be mind blowing original but it's enjoyable and contemplative nonetheless.
The only real gripe about the album is that it's a bit too easy to cluster the tracks. Perhaps a slightly better arrangement could've made for a better flow, such as switching "Who We Are" and "Best is Yet To Come." But in the age of iPods, that is unlikely to be a serious problem anyway.
All in all, Red has crafted a catchy and memorable melodic rock album that will surely find it's way onto many 'Best of' lists come year's end, even though it's release comes in February. If Red can keep this up, they surely got a bright career ahead of them in the industry.
Anberlin's New Release Hits All The Right Notes | Posted September-03-2010
Anberlin is one of those bands that continually produces quality music with every recording they make. They got the Midas touch in terms of musical skill. After four critically acclaimed and amazing musical releases, Anberlin is back with their 5th Studio release, intriguingly titled "Dark is the Way, Light is a Place."
Anberlin's major label debut, "New Surrender," has been getting a lot of flack in the light of these new tracks. For some reason, it's suddenly looked down upon, despite many fairly glowing reviews I remember reading about it when it was released. Maybe the new record is so good that it's made people forget that Anberlin's last release was very good too, even if this is better.
"Dark..." opens in what has becomes Anberlin's fashion, a dark and intense rocking opener. I actually think it is weaker than it's predecessors("Godspeed", "The Resistance"), but it's still a strong track overall. The album continues in the Anberlin tradition of the second track being a Pop/Rock track that screams the need for constant radio airplay. "Impossible" does justice to it's predecessors and makes a worthy first single.
However, don't let the first two songs define the album for you, they are my least favorites. "Take Me (As You Found Me)" follows next and it's a real gem of a track, even if it sounds very familiar, but I can't place where. "Closer" brings back the rock for what is ultimately an album highlight in a hauntingly intense and memorable hit. "You Belong Here" has "hit" written all over it. It seems the most likely of any song to be played for movie soundtracks and trailers for Romantic Comedies. It's definitely going to have it's dissenters, but it's good.
"Pray Tell" was a track first glimpsed via a cryptic sound check video on Youtube. The fully recorded version doesn't disappoint and finds Anberlin experimenting with a new sound. With catchy verses and one of the most memorable and soaring choruses of Anberlin's career, this track is one of the ones this album will definitely be remembered for.
"Art of War" is next and finds Anberlin again experimenting and sounding good doing it. It's another album highlight. "To The Wolves" harkens back to the days of "Never Take Friendship Personal" with a fierce rocking breakup song that also packs some "Cities" influence. "Down" is an acoustic number that has drawn comparisons to "The Unwinding Cable Car" from "Cities." The comparisons are not without merit but the peaceful and beautiful quiet track is not without it's own merits.
The album closes with the traditional Anberlin 'epic' track. Although shorter than any of the past 3 tracks, "Depraved" still packs the slow-building, intensely finishing punch that is needed to close out the album in dramatic fashion.
Lyrically, Anberlin delivers what is to be expected, dark and often cryptic poetic phrases to give listeners plenty to ponder on. While the painful break-up songs "Art of War" and "To The Wolves" don't leave much confusion, there is some lyrical meat to be pondered in "Pray Tell" and "Depraved" among others. "Pray Tell" even has a message that could be considered very religious. The lyrics are another high point of the album.
"Cities" is the album widely considered to be Anberlin's best. It's tough to say if this surpasses it. I tend to say that it just falls short, but not by much. However, that could change over time as I get to know these musical masterpieces better. Best release yet or not, this album is by far the album of the year and a must-have for your collection.
There's little not to like about this, save for the length which, at 10 tracks, is a tad on the short side. The various B-sides to collect from various promotions will help to lessen that blow I'm sure.
The album is a bit gloomy, and those who long for Anberlin rocking their face off with every track might be a bit disappointed. But this album is undoubtedly a piece of musical genius. Those left jaded by "New Surrender" have plenty of reason to come back and get to know this awesome band again. It may or may not surpass "Cities" but it's clearly the worthy follow-up to it that some felt "New Surrender" failed at being. It's a stunningly amazing album from start to finish, with not a drop of filler to be found anywhere. So sit back, put your feet up, and take in the latest from one of the most talented acts in the modern rock scene.
An Enjoyable, If Overrated, Release | Posted August-04-2010
House of Heroes made quite a name for themselves in the Christian Rock industry with their WWII-themed "The End Is Not The End" release in 2008. Now they are back with "Suburbia," their much-hyped follow-up.
The album has been getting glowing reviews and "Album of the Year" already seems a label in it's future.
Now, for those of us who don't gush at every riff these guys do, is this album still good? Short answer, yes. It is by no means the musical landmark some make it out to be, but that doesn't mean it's bad either.
Quite the contrary actually, opening rockers "Relentless" and "Elevator" are enjoyable and catchy rock tracks guaranteed to get stuck in your head for awhile.
The album delivers a lot of other memorable tracks in the form of "Love is for the Middle Class," "Disappear," "Constant," and the mighty closer "Burn Me Down."
"She Mighty Mighty," is a song I like musically a lot more than lyrically. I guess the same could be said for heralded tracks "God Save The Foolish Kings," and "Independence Day For A Petty Thief." These aren't bad songs, but I don't get the hype around them at all.
The remaining tracks are good if not stellar songs. Amazon and iTunes each have an exclusive bonus track as well. From Amazon, we get "Galveston," another upbeat, if very average, rocker. "Patient," the iTunes exclusive, however, was a nice musical surprise. It's a very slow tune, the slowest song on the record I'd say. It's a short(albeit a little too short) piano-driven ballad that's musically enjoyable.
As a whole, I like Suburbia. It was definitely worth the $3.98($2.99 from Amazon plus $.99 for "Patient" from iTunes)it cost me. Most of those songs will likely find significant play in my MP3 Player for months to come. I don't think it's as good as it's predecessor, but it's still very good, and indeed among the better releases this year. However, I think it's a bit pre-mature to call this "Album of the Year" material at this stage in the game. It's a very good album, but unless you are in love with everything this band does, you might find that it is definitely a bit overpraised. Again, that's not to say it is a bad album at all, but I'm not handing out the awards for it yet.
The Best of the Newsboys | Posted July-09-2010
This album does a good job at capturing the highlights of the career of The Newsboys up until this point in time. Most of the greats are here, along with a few new friends.
Classic hits like "I'm Not Ashamed," "Shine," "Breakfast," and "Take Me To You're Leader" are present here.
More modern hits like "Million Pieces," "Something Beautiful," "He Reigns," and "It Is You" among many others also are included.
Two new tracks are included as well. "I Fought The La" is a classic hokey Newsboys tune. "Stay Strong" is a more serious and rousing song and definitely among the best ever offered by the Newsboys.
While some might be a bit upset at the songs that didn't make the cut, there is still plenty to love here. This is as good album to introduce people to the Newsboys if by some chance, they've lived under a rock since for the past 2 decades. Definitely a worthy compilation.
Even With B-Sides, Downhere Stands Way Ahead of the Pack | Posted June-20-2010
As a big down of pop/rock quartet Downhere, I've wanted an album like this for a long time. Over the past 5 or so years, the band has developed quite a bit of songs not available on regular album releases. This includes B-sides and compilation contributions. The latter have been purchasable as individual tracks, but many of the others have been limited to annoying "iTunes exclusive release" or something like that. Others have never been released in any form(although the ones from the Ending is Beginning sessions were streamed as part of the listening party to help choose songs for the new album, hence those great songs were teased to fans and since not released).
Well, after lots of eager waiting and promises form the band to find a way to release these songs, Downhere comes forth with Two At A Time: Sneak Peeks and B Sides. The album contains all 9 of the tracks from the aforementioned categories, plus two new songs recorded for their next album, the "sneak peaks" of the title.
I'm going to get an initial gripe out of the way right now, and it's one that won't apply to most since this is primarily a digital release, with physical copies only available from their merch tables at concerts. Now to the complaint: The new songs and B-sides are separated into 2 CDs, leaving the CDs at 2 and 9 tracks respectively. While this is a minor issue and I understand their reasoning with it to a point, it still makes for awkward listening having to change CDs after only 2 songs. But for most of buyers, they'll be getting a digital release, which, while it still has the same arrangement, can easily just have the tracks play straight through.
Now, onto the most important part; the music. The new stuff sounds good, really good. "You're Not Alone" is another Downhere gem in the tradition of Top 5 hit "Here I Am." "The Song You Sing" is an upbeat and catchy rock track that can easily get stuck in your head. Both of these songs are worthy additions to any CCM collection.
The B-sides are all awesome songs as well, easily matching the quality of the best in the CCM industry today. The B-sides kick off with the upbeat quasi-title track "One Small Step." Next up is the emotional "Everything To Lose" which speaks of how awesome it is that God gave himself up for us even if we rarely show him proper gratitude.
"Break My Heart" follows next and I noticed it is slightly different from the listening party version, with added strings.
The band continues with other great tracks including the standout "Everything Will," the Wes King cover "Excavate," and the classic Downhere brilliantly hokey-style track, "Household Name" that speaks to whether or not we'd still have time for God if we became famous.
A remake of one of the songs from their indie album, "Grown Man," and the slower "Stand With Me" follow next. These songs slow the album down a bit. They are great tracks still.
Closing out the album is the song that nobody except those closest to the band ever heard, "Back to the Chorus," a catchy rock number that closes out the album in strong fashion.
Ultimately, there is a lot to love about this album. It obviously isn't quite as strong as a regular full-length release, but at the same time, all of the songs sound so darn good that one wonders why they didn't just package the new songs and B-sides into a 5th full length release. Certainly this songs could match quality with the rest of the radio. But I guess the band is already moving on to more great tunes, which makes this treat even more special.
Don't let the title fool you, these "B-sides" pack as much punch as anything you'll find on the radio and are well worth listening to for fans of the genre. At 11 tracks total, it's not too hard to be convinced to make the purchase. You won't regret it. This release is definitely a strong addition to Downhere's discography and easily tides us over until their next release, slated for release at the tail end of the year. It may not be billed as a full-length release, but it might as well be; it's that good. But of course it is; it's Downhere.
Some Good Fun | Posted June-18-2010
Hawk Nelson Is My Friend is the third release from the Canadian punk-rockers. It doesn't change their sound much, or at all really. Everything here is to be expected from the band. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, cause it sounds good.
The band offers some good punk-rock in "Friend Like That" and "Let's Dance" as well as some nice slower tunes in "Arms Around Me" and "One Little Miracle."
Not every tune is golden and this is hardly among the more memorable releases of the decade, but it's good and enjoyable, a worthy entry into Hawk Nelson's discography.
Solid Music | Posted June-18-2010
Hawk Nelson doesn't reinvent the musical wheel, never did, and I doubt they tried to. But they do what they do well, and that is make catchy music. This album is notable for strong songs like the hard rocking "The One Thing I Have Left" and the emotional "Zero." Other standout tracks are the hits "Everything You Ever Wanted," "The Show," and "Bring 'Em Out." The album couples strong themes such as sticking with marriage, standing up for your faith, and even suicide. It isn't all fun and games; but there is a lot of that too. This is a good album to have some fun with. It won't blow your mind but it's a good musical ride.
Deeply Heartwarming and Relatable Story | Posted June-16-2010
I never was much of a fan of novels until I read this book in 24 hours from Christmas Day to the next morning. It is not a book that will shock you with mind-blowing twists and turns every page, and it isn't something that will likely be considered "unpredictable."
What it is, however, is a great character study, and that makes it worth it. As wicked as the main protagonist gets, and as unlikable as he can be, we can understand his pain and we want good things to happen to him. We can easily see the dark parts of ourselves in young Eddie.
The story also takes us back to the childlike memories of Christmases past. While the book often does go off in tangents, it's still enjoyable and the sometimes disjointed narrative almost helps to make it seem more genuine.
It won't reinvent the Christmas story wheel, but it is a good story to read at Christmastime, one you can feel safe reading with older children as the objectionable content is limited only to the angry outbursts of the main protagonist, and some dark themes that younger children might find too intense.
The story's ultimate themes of redemption make it very likable. It's definitely a story I've love to see made into a TV movie. Pick it up and sit back. It's not a long read and it's easy to get pulled into the world of the pages. Beck may be a political commentator, but he also obviously has a knack for getting inside the human mind as well, even the mind of a broken and lonely child.
So yeah, pick this one up. I can't recommend it enough.
Amazing Debut CD From An Amazing Band | Posted June-06-2010
Yes folks, this IS The Letter Black, before they were called The Letter Black. Their one and only CD as Breaking The Silence is something you won't see around too much, which is a shame, because it's actually quite good. And it really excites me for their future offerings.
Those who only know them from their debut EP as The Letter Black(titled Breaking The Silence, yes that will get confusing) will probably be surprised at how prominent Mark Anthony is on this album, prominent enough to accurately be considered co-lead singer with wife Sarah Anthony.
And it makes you wonder why they dropped that aspect, it's a nice combination. Mark's vocals are pretty rough, but this is rock music and lots of singers with such a voice have gone far in the industry. And it's ironic that Mark leads just about anything on the CD that can really be considered a ballad, which is interesting.
As for the songs, they are amazing, cathy, hard rock tunes. This band definitely surprised me with this album.
The album's title track is an intense rock tune and is probably the best known song from the CD. "Must Die" and "Overdose" are catchy hard rock tunes that will get stuck in your head and you'll find yourself singing them when you least expect it.
"You Are More" is a slower but very well done worship song and "Different Face" is a catchy track that begs for radio airplay.
"Break" is really the only track that I found didn't work. It's quite short(which may not be a bad thing if it is the weakest link here) and is easily forgettable with the other songs. Also, "Under God" is a good song but I am not sure it was the best choice to be the opener.
But aside from those small gripes, this album is incredible.
As for themes, this album is about as diverse and bold as they come. "Overdose" speaks of fillings life's voids with God instead of sex, drugs, and alcohol.(And The Letter Black doesn't try to make you guess what they're talking about either, they come right out and tell you.)
Until Death is a plea for sticking with marriage, whereas Under God speaks of how God is being thrown out of our country.
"Tonight" is without a doubt, the darkest song of the album, speaking from the point of view of a man about to commit suicide due to loneliness. The song is an intense emotional point that, while it may make some uncomfortable, fearlessly portrays how Jesus Christ is the only one that can help us.
IF you can track this CD down, get it. It's definitely worth buying. There's no doubt that The Letter Black is a band to keep your eye on. I hope their future albums can build on the awesomeness they've given us with "Stand."
Enjoyable Effort | Posted June-05-2010
Decyfer Down's debut CD is a solid and enjoyable effort. Newer fans of the band will be surprised to hear a different vocalist singing the songs, but as somebody who discovered the band during the TJ Harris era, I can't say that either is better, and they don't sound that different at times, so I didn't mind the different voice of their first album.
The album opens with the rocker "Break Free," which is okay, but the following tracks far surpass it. "Life Again," my favorite from the album "Fight Like This," and the slower "Burn Back The Sun."
The album has other great tracks in the form of "No Longer" and "Here To You" which are slower than some other tracks.
"Walking Dead" is another enjoyable rock track. But some of the remaining rock sounds, while not bad, are not nearly as memorable and tend to run together. "I'll Breathe For You," "Never Lost," and "Vanity" just don't carry the same punch as other tracks.
Ultimately, this is a good rock album with many enjoyable tracks but it ultimately fails to make itself truly great.
JJFrancesco_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
