Red [Innocence & Instinct] | Posted February-23-2009
I only really knew Red’s hit songs “Breathe Into Me”, “Already Over” and “Let Go” before I first heard “Fight Inside” in January, 2009. Since then I have listened to the rest of “Innocence & Instinct” and the rest of “End Of Silence” almost daily over the past couple of weeks and I’m truly a fan of this band now. Since getting hooked by the amazing music and excellent vocals by Mike Barnes, I’ve had some time to listen more closely to the themes of both albums. Just today, the lyrics of “Start Again” really struck me, particularly the idea of how God gives us another chance when we mess up “what if I want to make it right, what if I give it up, what if you take a chance, what if I learn to love, what if we start again”. There are some other songs with seeker-filled lyrics like the closer “Take It All Away” which includes the bridge “I'm breaking, I can't do this on my own, Can You hear me screaming out? Am I all alone?”
The cover of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” is one of my favorite songs on the album along with “Never Be The Same”, which is a wonderful ballad and reminded me of the softer songs on “End Of Silence” like “Pieces” and the softer parts of “Lost”. I especially love the chorus of “Never Be The Same”: “I'll never be the same, I'm caught inside the memories, the promises, our yesterdays when I belonged to You, I just can't walk away, ‘Cause after loving You, I can never be the same.” I am so impressed by the music and production mingling the harder rock guitars, soft strings and the emotive vocals of Mike Barnes, I am even starting to enjoy the ‘screaming’ in some of the harder songs like “Fight Inside”, “Death Of Me”, “Confession” and “Out From Under”.
The message of many of the songs is very positive and although Red has had mainstream success, I don’t question the spiritual seeking nature of the lyrics, which are naturally much more Christ-centered than mainstream metal bands like Linkin Park that many have accurately compared to Red. If you like Pillar, Linkin Park and 80’s hard rock bands Motley Crue and Judas Priest, then you’ll enjoy Red.
Rush of Fools [Wonder Of The World] | Posted February-09-2009
Rush of Fools has made quite an impression with 2 albums in less than 2 years, including an impressive self-titled debut album that made several top 10 lists in 2007 with the stand-out songs “Undo”, “We All” and “When Our Hearts Sing”. The band was nominated for best new artist of 2007 and “Undo” was nominated for song of the year. That is a pretty hard act to follow and if you liked “Rush of Fools” as much as I liked it, you probably had pretty high expectations for their newest album “Wonder of The World”, released September 16, 2008.
For awhile, I only had the title track and had to remind myself I was listening to Rush of Fools when the song came on in a playlist as the sound and style of the song is different from the first album. Now, the second single “Lose It All” is doing very well and although also has a different sound, reminds me why I like this band so much. I downloaded the entire album “Wonder of The World” about 1 month ago and I highly recommend it. The opening song “There Is Nothing” sets the tone nicely for the album with the biblical and uplifting lyrics “There is no wilderness, no desert place, no sickness, There is no sinking ship, no history, no weakness, That You can’t save me from”. The entire album is full of very worshipful and uplifting lyrics such as the opening line of “Wonder of The World”: “Father, How can it be that You are Father to me, Savior, How can it be that You are, Savior for me, Everything I need”.
Every song has a similar sentiment of praise and worship to our Savior set to catchy melodies and sung with emotion by Wes Willis who co-wrote every song with fellow band member Kevin Huguley and producer and songwriter Jason Ingram. One song I keep coming back to is “Lose It All”, which is one of the highlights of the album and very catchy, upbeat and worshipful. The second half of the album is pretty mellow and contemplative and I enjoy listening to the entire album in order and sharing in the worship experience with the band. I’m looking forward to seeing them in concert the next time they come to my area.
If you like Building 429, Ruth, Sanctus Real and Above The Golden State, then you should really enjoy this solid worship album. I score it 88% out of 100%, solid B+.
Acoustic Storytime | Posted January-22-2009 Jason Gray is a Christian folk music singer-songwriter in the style of Derek Webb, Bebo Norman, Andrew Peterson and Shaun Groves. Something unique about Jason is his speech handicap and how he has overcome that “affliction” in his profession. Jason says “I'm actually grateful now that my speech handicap never afforded me the option of masking my weakness behind an illusion of competency. Whenever I opened my mouth, there it was for all to see... I couldn't fool others or myself. I think the best thing that can happen to us is to be 'found out' for all that we are, our religious and human pretenses stripped away to reveal our sin, pettiness, and weakness. Then we can devote our energies to better endeavors than the constant masquerade of sufficiency.”
Those comments sum up the theme of Jason’s major label release “All The Lovely Losers” and the title song “Blessed Be” based on the Beatitudes. I really enjoyed that album last year, and I’m even more impressed by “Acoustic Storytime” because I get to enjoy the stories and heart behind Jason’s introspective and challenging songs. The basic message behind Jason’s songs is that “the added benefit is that people are able to see how God's grace works in a real person's life. When we come clean about our brokenness, Christ becomes the star of our testimony and not us.”
The live versions of “Blessed Be”, “The Cut”, “This Far”, “Not Going Down” and “Grace” are all enhanced by Jason’s spoken introductions and background about each of those songs. The stripped-down acoustic style of the album is also a highlight as you get to fully enjoy the message and heart behind the songs. There are also a few new songs and studio cuts mixed in and a great cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” and for me one of the highlights is at the end of “Blessed Be” when Jason breaks into Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”.
If you like folk-style music, then Jason Gray is for you. I recommend picking up this album and “All The Lovely Losers” to get the full experience of Jason’s music and if you like to get to know the artist behind the songs, then this album is a can’t miss. I’ve been very blessed to enjoy Jason’s songs and get to know his heart for God. “Blessed be the ones who know that they are weak.”
With Arrows, With Poise | Posted January-08-2009 The Myriad is one of the most unique bands I’ve ever heard. Winners of the MTV2 contest to determine the next breakout artist, they hit the ground running “With Arrows, With Poise”. Not only is the album title and artwork obscure, the music is the most original and they are the most engaging new artist I heard in 2008 other than After Edmund, who is another great new alt-rock Christian band. Other comparisons could be Christian bands Anberlin, Mae and Saosin. There are a couple of songs I just keep playing, including the hit song “A Clean Shot”, which is so catchy and obscure.
There is not a strong biblical basis for just about any of the songs. Opening song “You Waste Time Like A Grandfather Clock” has an interesting bridge asking “And If God did part the clouds, do you think He’d be proud?” The next song “Get On The Plane” has the lyric “It seems that God was not impressed with clever crooked fools”. Another standout song “A Thousand Winters Melting” has the great chorus “Love, Love, a thousand winters melting. Love, yes love, as you wrap your arms around me”. All that being said, the diversity of the songs and the great music keeps your interest much more than the average album. “Don’t Let Them See You!” is another song in that category as it just jams and builds to the exclamation “You might be wrong!” I can’t say enough about the music as the instruments and vocals all blend so poetically that you can get swept up by the songs, such as in “Forget What You Came For” and “The Accident”. I’ve listened to the album as background music while working, and cranked up in my car while driving and on my headphones breaking down the strange lyrics and it works on all fronts. The production, originality and style are all top notch.
For me personally, had The Myriad decided to be more direct in expressing their faith, this album would have been in my top 10 albums of 2008. As it is, I still like it a lot and rate it 90% out of 100% and consider it one of the best buys of the year. On iTunes, I got 14 songs with 2 bonus tracks including a cover of the Blondie classic “Call Me” and the music video for “A Clean Shot” for $7.99, which is a great buy.
Jeremy Camp's Top 10 of 2008! | Posted December-17-2008 Jeremy Camp has experienced the depth of God's mercy after losing his first wife Melissa to cancer. His debut album Stay featured songs expressing Jeremy's reliance on God including I Still Believe and Walk By Faith which hooked me immediately because they are so personal and biblical. Jeremy has gone on to become a best-selling artist with hit songs Take You Back, Let It Fade and Give You Glory and for me each album has improved on telling that personal faith journey that Jeremy is walking, particularly since marriage to his wife Adrienne, also an accomplished artist formerly in the band The Benjamin Gate and now solo with a great album of her own, Don't Wait by Adie.
Speaking Louder Than Before, Jeremy's newest album has a cohesiveness and maturity that I can hear in every song. The opener Slow Down Time has a Brit-Rock feel with a piano-driven intro and the theme is great in our fast-paced society. There Will Be A Day is one of the best songs Jeremy has ever recorded with these amazing lyrics: There will be a day with no more tears no more pain and no more fears, There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more, We’ll see Jesus face to face, But until that day we’ll hold on to you always. There's a great mix of uptempo songs such as Capture Me and the great title track and some reflective ballads including You Will Be There and the closing song Surrender. For me, this album is top 10 of 2008.
Big Daddy Weave's Best, Top 10 of 2008! | Posted December-08-2008 Big Daddy Weave has impressed me since their debut album One & Only, which included the hit song Audience Of One. The next 3 albums included the hits Fields of Grace, Without You and Everytime I Breathe. If you like southern rock like Dave Matthews Band and Third Day, then you'll enjoy this band, who mingles excellent musicianship and vocals with incredible lyrics which are biblical and challenging.
What Life Would Be Like is definitely the best overall album by this great band and is one of my top 10 albums of 2008. You Found Me kicks off the album with a great introspective calling out to God in prayer. The hit title track What Life Would Be Like is truly an anthem of faith and a real challenge to all believers to wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me. There are truly no filler songs on this album and once again there are a couple of cover songs and they are better than ever. Revive Us Again is a hymn re-write and extremely worshipful and then I was amazed by the excellent version of Another Day In Paradise, which actually is better than the original version by Phil Collins. The next songs Right With You and Falling Into You are also personal songs of worship and the closer Just Like Somebody Else is a great rocker and great way to close out this amazing album.
Very Impressive Rock Album | Posted December-03-2008
Before I dug into this album by Pillar, their 5th full-length release, I was only familiar with a few of their songs Frontline, Fireproof, and the U2 cover Sunday Bloody Sunday. Something changed when I heard the title song For The Love Of The Game. The instrumentation was so tight and the emotive vocal style of Rob Beckley drew me in like my other favorite Christian rock albums of the decade by Disciple, Red and Skillet. If you like those artists, then you MUST get this album.
From the opening notes of For The Love Of The Game, I was hooked. I found myself bobbing my head, air drumming, and pretending I was a Guitar Hero with every song, especially Turn It Up with the 34 Christian song titles in the lyrics, State Of Emergency and Get Back. If you grew up in the 1980's like I did, you'll be reminded of hair metal bands Def Leppard, Poison and Motley Crue, which is fun. As if those great rock songs weren't enough, the two standout songs to me are the ballad Smiling Down and the worshipful closer Forever Starts Now. I got chills listening to both songs. If you like rock music with a great message, then you must get this very impressive rock album. I rank it 90% out of 100%, 4 1/2 stars.
Nearly Perfect Live CD/DVD | Posted December-02-2008 Skillet is one of the best Christian rock band success stories of the past decade in my opinion. From the self-titled debut album in 1996 until now, the band has continued to redefine itself into the superstar rock band that released one of this decade's best-selling Christian rock albums, Comatose. For me, the combination of strings, keyboard, guitar, drums and John Cooper's emotional vocals with his wife Korey's background vocals was meant to be heard and experienced live. Since I haven't actually had that privilege, this nearly perfect live CD/DVD combo is the next best thing.
Comatose Comes Alive was filmed and recorded in Tennessee and it is easily the most impressive Christian rock live recording I've heard and seen since Live In Portland by Kutless. The songs just erupt with what live rock concerts are all about. The energy, emotion, and musicianship are completely engaging and I haven't stopped listening to this album over the last couple of weeks. The instrumental intro builds perfectly to the standout song Comatose and then settle in for over 1 hour of great live music. If you like Skillet, you'll LOVE this album and for me the highlights were my two favorite songs The Older I Get and The Last Night, back to back. John Cooper explained the meaning behind the songs and I got goosebumps listening to both of them. There are no filler songs and the album ends with standout songs Rebirthing, Savior and one of my all-time favorites Best Kept Secret. As John says during the concert, expect to lose your voice after singing and screaming along with this nearly perfect live CD/DVD. Great gift idea for any hard rock music fans.
Solid Rock Worship Album | Posted December-02-2008 Kutless is a band I've enjoyed since their self-titled debut album in 2002, in particular the songs Run and Your Touch which are biblical and having seen the band live, are full of emotional energy. Arguably, I felt they've improved with each of their following albums Sea Of Faces, Strong Tower and Hearts of The Innocent, which I rated a top 10 album of 2006.
To Know That You're Alive is yet another solid rock worship album but not quite another improvement over previous work in my opinion. The opening track The Feeling is a nice rock anthem with biblical lyrics, as are the other stand-out tracks Complete and the title track, which is the closest to my favorite Kutless song Not What You See. My ultimate review is that those 3 songs were quickly added to my Kutless playlist, along with I Do Not Belong and You, which are both solid power ballads, but unlike the last 2 albums, there weren't more songs that really stood out to me. If you liked their previous work, you should like this album which for me is 75% out of 100%, 3 1/2 stars.
Building 429: Excellent "Building Up" Album | Posted November-21-2008 Building 429 hit the scene big with their debut single Glory Defined and their solid debut album The Space In Between Us. Their style had a bit of grunge mixed with solid worship lyrics, fitting since the band name is based on Ephesians 4:29, which is a great life verse. After much acclaim and a Dove Award for Best New Artist 2005, Building 429 came back with a somewhat more rocking Rise, with the hit song Fearless. Iris To Iris was the third and final Building 429 album on Word Records and up until this album, was my favorite overall with stand-out song Singing Over Me, based on Zephaniah 3:17.
Building 429, the self-titled debut album on INO Records, is now my favorite overall album by this great band, who has really found their niche in my opinion. This is truly an album and band worthy of being named after Ephesians 4:29 as this excellent album is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Sometimes a band has an uncanny ability to connect with a listener and I truly had that experience listening to this album. The opening track Not Gonna Let You Down brings back the rocking sound missing from Iris To Iris and then the hit lead single End Of Me just grabs you as a listener and for me is somewhat biographical as though this could be my life story as a Christian. I truly enjoy every song and have listened to this album non-stop for the last couple of weeks. The other highlights of the album for me come next with Overcome, based on John 4:4, which brings tremendous encouragement that Our Savior has overcome the world, and then my favorite overall song is the ballad story-song Always, a song based on a true story of tragedy similar to Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns. The orchestral arrangement and Jason Roy's sincere vocals cause me to break down and this song sweeps me up in worship and hope in God's promise that He will be with us Always!
KevinDavis_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
