Satellites & Sirens
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Satellites & Sirens Since there hasn't really been much new music in a while, I decided to take a chance and get this off itunes. And I'm really glad I did!
I didn't know much about this band, but I had heard the songs Breaking...
Flashlights (The Cullen Song) - Single
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eleventyseven When I learned eleventyseven, one of my favorite bands, was doing a song about Twilight, one of my favorite books, I was of course PUMPED for it. So it finally came out today and I bought it off amazon...
Adventures In Eville
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eleventyseven eleventyseven got lots of negative feedback when they released their debut back a few years ago. But in 2007 with "Galactic Conquest," they redeemed themselves, sporting a new electro-pop-rock sound. "Eville"...
A Great (possibly even the best) Avalon Album | Posted December-09-2007
I remember buying this cd the week it came out. I fell in love with its first single, "All," which is upbeat and catchy. It as its mix of upbeat pop (All, Overjoyed, Good Way), midtempo pop (Far Away, The Creed, Wanna Be With You, I Bring It To You), and of course signature Avalon ballads (Abundantly, Renew Me, You Were There.) It basically sums up everything Avalon is best known for. In my opinion, it is the best Avalon album---too bad its singles didn't get too much airplay. Everything on here has a catchy melody. I think every single song on here has been stuck in my head at one point or another. My creative movement team did (and still does) a drama to "You Were There", and it is so awesome. We have had several people come up to us and tell us that it's their favorite one we do. That song in particular is so powerful.
It Took Some Growing Time... | Posted November-13-2007
Like "aylaeh", at the time I bought this album, way back in 2003, I wasn't really into rap or hip-hop. I enjoyed the album then, but about half the songs sounded bland to me. I liked the more upbeat songs, but once you get to the middle of the album, you have about 4 or 5 slow-paced songs in a row. The beautiful ballad, "True Love Waits" is what persuaded me to get the album in the first place. Back then, I remember my favorites were Let Go, Jubilee, Beneath The Surface, and True Love Waits. I absolutely did not like Same Old Game, Reflection, or The Color Hate.
But just the other day, 4 years later, I picked it up off the shelf and listened to it once. In today's pop culture, rap/hip-hop music is dominating the charts and is now "what's hot" in music. So I actually like this kind of music now, so I wasn't surprised that I actually really liked Souljahz's album this time. I can definitely say this is an album that had to grow on me. I'm still not a fan of Same Old Game and Souljahz Don't Stop, but Reflection slowly grew on me, and The Color Hate is now one of my highlights. If you still haven't bought this album, you should if you're into the music that's topping today's Billboard charts. Even though it's 5 years old, it doesn't sound outdated or anything, and will be a great Christian alternative. Throughout the album, there are some Chris Brown R&B moments, Nelly rap moments, and when Rachael takes the lead, even hints of Beyonce.
The album starts off at a slower pace, with Let Go (very catchy) and All Around The World (kinda catchy) being midtempo R&B jams. Other midtempo cuts include Worship (catchy chorus but the rest is bland) and Poor Man (awesome!). Jubilee (great at first, but gets very repetitive and annoying after awhile), Same Old Game (blah, VERY repetitive), Keep Rising (eh--OK), Souljahz Don't Stop (lyrics are kinda silly and repetitive), and Anthem (good beat but not really catchy) are the more upbeat songs on the album. Slower cuts dominate the middle of the album, with songs like Color Hate (beautiful), True Love Waits (beautiful), Reflection (good but gets repetitive), and Beyond The Surface (spectacular).
Favorites: True Love Waits, Let Go, Poor Man, The Colour Hate, Beneath the Surface
Good: All Around, Keep Risin', Anthem, Worship, Jubilee
OK: Reflection, Souljahz Don't Stop
Bad: Same Ol' Game
Overall Great CD with a few flaws... | Posted November-02-2007
This is one of my favorite CDs from OOE. It's the newest one (besides the hymns project), so it feels like R&B and hip-hop music of today. Even though God's name is rarely blatantly mentioned, He is implied in every song. This album's main focus seems to be witnessing and reaching out to non-Christians. The album starts off with 4 stellar songs, and ends with 3. The songs in the middle seem like filler, but it's overall a great album. The album opens with "Make Way" and "Just The Way" which are both upbeat, catchy hip-hop tunes. The title track has a '70s disco feel, but is modernized enough to sound like it belongs in today's culture. "Soldiers" is a catchy, upbeat hip-hop tune that is a call for Christians to stand up. "I Know," "It's You," "Could've Been Me," and "Shoulda Listened" are midtempo R&B songs. While all of them are catchy, none of them really stand out to me. "Drama Free" is another upbeat hip-hop tune that just makes you want to get up and dance with an awesome beat. "Secret" is a story-song about going to the grocery store and talking to a woman who wonders why she is so happy. The song is a slower-paced hip-hop song. My favorite part of it is the last chorus, which is "big" and climactic. "Sincerely" is an awesome ballad to close the album. It's a catchy and beatiful tune saying how we are unworthy of Jesus's love.
Favorites: Make Way, Soldiers, Secret, Sincerely
Great: Just The Way, Love Peace and Happiness, Drama Free
Good: I Know, Could've Been Me
OK: It's You, Shoulda Listened
Bad: none
boring.... | Posted November-02-2007
I bought this CD because I fell in love with its first single, "I Love The Way." It turns out that there is only 2 or 3 songs that I really like on this album. Most of the songs are piano-based midtempo songs, that run together and aren't really unique. Download some of the tracks instead of the whole cd! The best songs include the upbeat (the ONLY upbeat), lively "New Song," the catchy "I Love The Way," and the sweet ballad, "Let Them Hear." "Let Them Hear" is a great song, but I liked the "Blueprint" version of it better.
only an EP?...come on people! | Posted November-02-2007
Positive: Mandisa's vocals really shine on her renditions of 4 Christmas songs. My favorite is the only original song ("Christmas Makes Me Cry"). This song has a beautiful melody and Matthew West's guest vocals add to it a lot. The other 3 are remakes of classic Christmas tunes, my favorite of them being "O Holy Night."
Negative: "CMMC" is the only track that actually sounds like it belongs in 2007. The others have a big band 1940s feel. They are pretty good, but I wish they could have been a little more updated. Also, I think Mandisa deserves a full album. A 4-song, barely 20-minute EP is just not enough! I think 'Disa could make killer versions of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Breath Of Heaven." Since "God Speaking" was included on the WOW Gospel Christmas compilation this year, and is also her 2nd single, she could have re-recorded it for this EP too.
GOD- What more is there to say? | Posted October-23-2007
One of my all-time favorite Rebecca albums, right behind Transform. There are no filler tracks here, and each song is unique in its own way. As this released in 1996, the '90s rock sound is very evident. However, it is 2007, and I still love it! I actually didn't buy this cd until last year when I was trying to fill my RSJ collection and stumbled upon this album that I couldn't believe I didn't have yet.
GOD starts out with the rockin' title track, which I've heard is one of RSJ's signature songs, reaching #1 for several weeks. It starts out soft and sweet with a Native American flute intro and the soft first verse, before belting out the chorus and the remainder of the song is flat-out '90s rock. "You're The Voice", "You Then Me," "That's What Matters," "Me Without You," "Carry Me High," and "Go And Sin No More" are all mid-tempo rockers with a steady pace. "Speak To Me" and "Cold Heart Turns" are the ballads of the album, and are some of the best RSJ ballads ever! "Abba" has more of a contemporary feel to it.
I'm Dying For More Krystal | Posted October-11-2007
Let me get this straight...this album is wayyyy better than her debut. With her first album, I could tell Krystal really needed to just plain "rock out" and that she was kind of hidden in her shell. Half of the album was slow, with more acoustic sounds and ballads, which were good, but not enough for her album to be labeled "rock." I saw some real potential in this girl though, so I decided to give her a 2nd chanc and buy this cd. I was soooo impressed! This time, there are only 2 ballads, and even those are simply wonderful. Krystal gets to rock hard on tracks like Collide, The Situation, Love Is On The Run, and Stand and Scream. Songs like Live, Together, and Shake It Off are more soft rock, while still being catchy and rhythmic. Make Me Happy is like a pop/rock anthem, with its catchy, repetitive, and even quirky, sound. The 2 ballads Beauty of Grace and Hallelujah are very sophisticated and meaningful and you can really tell Krystal's voice has matured more since the self-titled album. I usually make a list of songs that are: Favorites, Excellent, Good, OK, Bad....but on this album, there's not a song that's my favorite because all of them are EXCELLENT! Not one song on here that I don't love. Usually there will be a few songs on an album that I will skip, but this one I usually play all the way through.
Nothing Short of Impressive | Posted October-09-2007
I remember her from AI, and how she was my favorite that year. I was so glad that she decided to go with the Christian genre. Through some reviews I read, it seems people don't like the fact that this album explores so many genres and that she hasn't yet "found her category." However, I think it's great because it gives a wide variety of songs, ranging from R&B, gospel, '90s, urban, and contemporary. The R&B songs (Only the World, True Beauty, Only You) seem like the genre she's most comfortable with, but it's nice to get some other flavors mixed in. Her shining moments, however, appear in the ballads and slower-tempoed music. Her first ballad, "God Speaking," reminds me of the powerhouse vocals we knew and loved from AI, giving her a chance to really show off that awesome voice. "Voice of a Savior" is not quite a ballad, but it does have a slower tempo to it. This is probably my favorite song on here, mostly because of the lyrics and melody. The lyrics are very simple, but very meaningful, and the chorus is very catchy. "Unrestrained" is tied with "God Speaking" for the best ballad, because it too is very powerful and catchy. "He Will Come" is probably my least favorite song on the album, simply because it just doesn't have the "magic" all the others have, and the melody isn't very catchy like the others. The remaining 4 songs are all very diverse. "Love Somebody," a collaboration with TobyMac, has more of a funky, disco feel to it, a lot like his song "One World" from Portable Sounds. "Oh My Lord" is a very gospel song, complete with a choir. It sounds like an old spiritual like a black church would sing, and is very awesome! "Shackles" is her take on the MaryMary hit, which she sang on AI in a shorter version. I was very pleased she decided to record this, and it is almost better than the original :-). "Steal My Joy" is in competition with VOAS for best song on the album. It reminded me of Amy Grant's "Every Heart Beat" with its '90s feel to it. It has a great message, and did I mention it's unbelievably catchy and addictive?
Excellent: God Speaking, Unashamed, Only The World, True Beauty, Voice Of A Savior, Love Somebody, Shackles, Steal My Joy, Oh My Lord
Good: Only You, He Will Come
OK: None
Bad: None
Michelle's "Comeback" | Posted October-08-2007
Finally, after 6 years, Michelle finally releases a new album! The first album I bought from Michelle was "Dream," way back in 2001. In that time, I loved poppy music like Jump5, ZOEgirl, and Rebecca St. James, and I wasn't much into soft rock, hard rock, or slow-paced music. Pop ballads were the only kind of slow songs I liked. So when I got "Dream," I was disappointed. There were only 3 songs I liked from it, so I basically just sat it on the shelf after about 3 or 4 listens and forgot about it. So, after that, I didn't think anymore about Michelle Tumes. It wasn't until summer of 2006 that I found out Michelle was making another album. I decided to give her another chance, now that my musical tasted have changed and I now enjoy a wide variety of genres. I was very impressed with it, to my surprise. Songs like "Introit," "Lovely Day," and "Domine" are some of the more upbeat points of the album (although none of them are "pop" like Dream), and have addictive melodies that you just can't help but enjoy. The strongest points of the album, however, are the ballads (Fair Weather, Far, Hold To Jesus). My favorite, "Fair Weather" is a mysterious, haunting ballad that reminds of an early Plumb. "Let It Rain," "Yearning," "Caelum Infinitum," and "Breakthrough" are some of the midtempo tunes on the album. While they are the strongest tracks, they are still pretty good. Probably the track that stands out the most on this album is "Gypsy Heart," which has a more mysterious midtempo sound to it with a catchy chorus and haunting lyrics.
Excellent: Introit, Domine, Fair Weather, Gypsy Heart, Yearning
Good: Lovely Day, Far, Let It Rain, Breakthrough, Caelum Infiitum, Hold Onto Jesus
OK: None
Bad: None
Grade: A-
Overrated! | Posted October-07-2007
This does a fairly good job of compiling some of the greatest hits in Christian music. The only problem is that this is supposed to be the best of 2007, yet some songs were topping the charts in 2006. For instance, Mark Harris's "Find Your Wings" was #1 in summer of 2006, it should have been on Wow 2007, not 2008. Casting Crowns's "Praise You..." is also outdated; a better choice would have been "Does Anybody Hear Her?" Also, it is missing a lot of great songs, but has some minor songs. It includes Brian Littrell's "Over My Head", which did not even make it above the #9 position, while it's missing many key songs of the year. Also, Britt Nicole's song "You" should have been used instead of "Set the World...", because STWOF was't even a single, while "You" was. The absences of Nichole Nordeman and Bebo Norman are just a few of the mis-steps in this compilation. Nichole had big hits with both "Real To Me" and "Sunrise" this year, and Bebo's "I will Lift My Eyes" was basically a given for this year's Wow (or so I thought).
singersmartguy17's Music and Book Reviews 
