Pieces of a Real Heart
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Sanctus Real Since releasing Say It Loud on Sparrow records Sanctus Real has been a consistent voice is CCM. Hits like "Things Like You (Everyone's Everything)," "I'm Not Alright," and "We Need Each Other" have...
Breaking The Silence EP
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The Letter Black Known as Breaking The Silence, The Letter Black or a Flyleaf/Fireflight re-make, one Tooth and Nail’s newest artists have now provided fans with their first project, Breaking The Silence EP. The band is...
Forget And Not Slow Down
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Relient K Forget And Not Slow Down sis not a Relient K album. Yes, on the side of an album is says ‘Relient K’, but comparing this release to Relient K’s career is difficult. This Relient K uses five new weapons...
The conclusion to Forman's great seasons | Posted January-12-2009
One reoccurring theme over 2008 was Jon Forman and his acoustic seasonal EPs. Though the set of EP’s started with the Fall EP back in November of 2007 it wasn’t until October of the following year that Forman’s beak from multi-platinum selling rock band Switchfoot was concluded with Limbs And Branches: The best of all four EP’s with two new songs thrown in.
What made the acoustic pop/rock/folk rock survive boredom was a steady dose of powerful ballads with the occasional oddball song and some up tempo song at the right time. “Behind your eyes” has a very upbeat tune, which is very energetic compared to most of the unplugged songs while “resurrect me” sounds like Switchfoot performing acoustic along with some pretty innovated music. A solemn feel surrounds the entire CD and it helps many of the songs including the impressive light pop ballad “the cure for the pain” even though it could be argued that Forman’s attempt hit the high notes fall short.
The single “Your love is strong” is a basic acoustic song among the 26 overall songs released by Forman but the emotion that is brought to the guitar driven chorus is greatly effective. The music reflect the title of “southbound train” because of the harmonica and the very country style of music and the duet with Sarah Masen on “the house of God” also has a southern sound. Not every song has diversity or a solid sound though. In the cases of “a mirror is harder to hold” and “in my arms” which are simply guitar driven ballads and new song “over the bridge” lacks an artistic touch. The other new song, “Broken from the start”, doesn’t lack much with its upbeat acoustic tune that uses a haunting piano in key places.
The lyrics have been a key part of the attraction of the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer EP’s as it seems that Forman’s has been allowed to free himself up to talk about faith and life in places he could not as a part of Switchfoot. Many songs take their roots in the scripture such as “your love is strong” which features a slightly altered version of the Lord’s prayer (nothing is taken away) and the song also underscores God’s faithfulness (‘So why should I worry?/Why do I freak out?/God knows what I need’). “The house of God forever” borrows heavily from the 23rd psalm a “mirror is harder to hold” seems to originate from James 1:23-24 and Matthew 7: 3-5 (‘You’ve got nothing I could ever hold/against you/I got fatal flaws to call my own’).
Gems surface on “the cure for the pain” which is about a man struggling with pain who won’t give up despite his difficulties/admits the futility of searching elsewhere for the cure for sin (‘Oh my Lord! to suffer like you do.../It would be a lie to run away’) and “learning how to die” which is a though provoking look at our mortality. “Instead of a show” is a very blunt song against the modern American Church and a call to live righteously (‘Instead let there be a flood of justice/An endless procession of righteous living’). Although “behind your eyes” and “in my arms” leave something to be desired the song writing is usually very solid and, in the case of “broken from the start”, spectacular.
Of the 24 starting songs the final ten that made the final cut are very good (though “equally skilled” would have been a nice addition), but even with the strength of “broken from the start” it’s a no much off an incitement to those who have the previous EP’s. But the point of the all the EP’s and Limbs and Branches (at least in my eyes) is to give more credit to Jon Forman’s work and which will certainly add more anticipation to Switchfoot’s next album.
Star Gazing gets Interesting with The Glorious Unseen | Posted January-07-2009
Bored with Chris Tomlin and MercyMe? Well you are in luck because new band Glorious Unseen might be just the band you want to meet because of their policy to impact people spiritually instead of a ‘cheesy preachy way’. Even though the bands aim (with their debut project Tonight the Stars Speaks) is kids who listen to Underoath and As Cities Burn rest assured that their worship music is a far cry from Demon Hunter.
It’s always nice to see a band like Glorious Unseen who has a light melancholy approach to worship music that avoids being boring or drastically repetitive, though it can be a challenge to tell if lead singer Ben Crist’s vocals are lackluster or passionate. Leading the way for Tonight the Stars Speak (which features guest performances from Cool Hand Luke's Mark Nicks and Sixpence None the Richer's Matt Slocum) is their solemn sounding single “Hear Our Prayers” which has a good light guitar driven sound, with some very artistic background music.
While most of the first half of the album retains its melancholy sound the album does become more upbeat half way through with a slightly laid back version of David Crowder Band’s “Oh praise him” and despite the awesome intro the semi-upbeat “Wrapped Up In You” which is somewhat generic. Unchallenging music and some difficulty to distinguish the chorus from the verses’ make up a pretty bland title track. Although the album mainly centers around light guitar driven music, the solemn sounding “burn in me” uses an impressive piano instead; also the artistic background music is impressive except that it lasts too long. While the final track, “Close to your heart” seems to be a serene little ending ballad, kudos to Glorious Unseen for adding the extra electric guitar and solid music close to the half way point.
It’s probably a given that the music is merely leading the way to the main event: the spiritually impacting lyrics; However when it’s all said and done the Glorious Unseen probably have a smaller vocabulary than Chris Tomlin. “Hear our prayer” is a cry to God (‘God, see our tears that we're struggling to see through. /God, hear our prayers to You.’) while “forever holy” marvels Gods holiness while asking him to his presence also (‘You're forever holy. /God of my salvation, clothe me in Your glory.’). As with all of the track on the album, including anther prayer in “Tonight The Stars Speak”, are written directly to God.
The problems begin to arise with the jaw-dropping simplicity that Glorious Unseen is allowed to get away with and still be called ‘spiritually refreshing’. “Burn in me” offers shallowness (‘How my heart skips beats when/Your love excepts me as I am’) while “wrapped up in you” offers the simple truth: ‘God you're all I'll ever need. /To be with You’. Depth is not offered on the basic worship song “embracing the call”, and “meet us here” while is lyrically lacking “Hear Our Prayers” ‘And it makes me feel loved again/So close in your arms/And it makes me feel home again/So close to your heart’.
It pains me to ask say this but does Chris Tomlin has deeper lyrics than the Glorious Unseen? Tomlin’s latest Hello Love certainly covers more topics than Tonight The Stars Speak. But one thing that Glorious Unseen has over Tomlin and other similar style worship artists is a more interesting style of music which may attract those who may just want a better quality in their praise/worship music.
Charting through the stars with Eleventyseven is a fun voyage | Posted January-02-2009
The first glimpse of Eleventyseven was ...And The Land Of Fake Believe their debut album which for the most part written off as a energetic band putting out generic punk songs with juvenile lyrics. However with the entrance of their second project, Galactic Conquest, Eleventyseven is out to prove that they are not your average run of the mill band with common tunes and high school musical style lyrics.
The title of Galactic Conquest is pretty bold for only a sophomore project but the space suits and counter balance some of the seriousness. Although “ignition sequence” is only eleven seconds long it does prepare the listener for the brief voyage that basically begins with the highly synthesized, catchy, punk/rock “love in you arms”. While the quality of the sound is impressive the second track, “happiness” isn’t quite as crisp with a rough techno pop/punk tune that only runs smooth in the final lines of the chorus. While it’s rare that the songs on Galactic Conquest are not fun there are upbeat tunes which are ear-friendly that are not necessarily cutting edge such as “happiness”. “How it feels(to be with you)” is fun to listen to though the up tempo pop music is only average, and “feel okay” is simply a fun tune with a good electric guitar.
The opening trumpet of “fight to say your life” is pretty lame but the song quickly accelerates fast paced catchy intro punk/rock with an infectious chorus. The synth sound is fully amplified in “galaxies collide” where the techno sounds absorb most of the innovative song. Although “12 step programs” has some distinguishing songs the diversity, compared with the rest of the album, is low, but “retail value” and “Conan” are solid songs. The guitar driven ballad “it’s beautiful” may be simple but it does provide needed diversity and Matt Langston’s vocals are pretty good. A flaw in the CD as a whole is that it’s short (not even 35 minutes long) and what occasionally fills in space is sonically led music which is exaggerated on “love in your arms”, “retail value”, and the final synthesized instrumental finale, “Program Terminated”.
What’s nice about EleventySeven is that some of the lyrics are actually quite thoughtful which is a strength in Galactic Conquest rather than a weakness. Both “12 step programs” and “fight to save your life” send messages about Gods truth lasting far better than the deceitfulness of the world. “Feel okay” offers a rare solution to a problem the band says is overrated (‘My first impression is I don't think that depression is/The tyrant that we make it out to be/Your life is yours to live for something way more positive/Than what you woke up feeling like today’) and the singer in “love in your arms” wants Gods rather than a bunch of rules and religion. Fortunately “how it feels(to be with you)” and “galaxies collide” focus around God. Unfortunately neither are very deep.
Of course Eleventyseven does get a laugh or two along the way (particularly in “Conan”) but the focus doesn’t linger on girl guy clichés or cheesy part tracks. The music overall hits a few pit falls and the over arching sense of teen pop/punk feel will probably scare some away. But Galactic Conquest is certainly a very good sophomore project which will have more fans ready to beam up on the next voyage.
A good Balance | Posted December-31-2008
It’s always encouraging to see a band like Deas Vail that started from a couple musicians playing songs for fun to two albums and the White Lights EP which gears up for their full length 2009 release. The interesting thing about the EP is that lead singer Wes Blaylock’s vocals often make or break the songs rather than the alternative rock.
Blaylock’s light vocals drive the soft alternative rock music, which can be sometimes be annoying especially in the case of “undercover” where the resemblance to House of Heroes is striking. The hooks add very little grounding to the very disjointed rock tune, and despite some good piano bits the original style is marred Wes Blaylock’s d incoherence. However some of the strangeness is wiped away in the album’s medium rock title track and while Blaylock’s vocals are still high and particularly aggressive they are more strategically to put the emphases the message.
The light rock music displayed in “last place” is charming thanks to the guitar and the soft vocals which add emotion to the song. The atmosphere of “from priests to thieves” is very light as it’s clear that this type of piano driven alternative light rock isn’t the type that should be blaring through the car stereo because the words ‘slightly’ and ‘upbeat’ can hardy apply. “Balance” is a very telling title of the fluid organic sound that starts lightly but becomes a more up tempo rock song.
Encouragement comes in “White lights” message which revolves around a girl who has risen past her pain (‘She's got white lights on her face/From the bad days/That she just can't erase/And her sad eyes are replaced/With the new life in a beautiful place’). The Bands reveals their faith in “Last place” which references Mark 9:35 (‘So go for the last place/Cause the last place will be the first/And let's change our stance/We'll stand taller now’) while “balance” says: ‘You are the balance/You are the fold/You are the sails that bring me home’.
Deas Vail’s music varies from artistic to disjointed, but the artists side wins even with the occasional strange music. Their lyrics can be odd as their music especially “undercover” which has uses some uncomforting lines amidst the cryptic whole. But it’s the exception of the five song EP rather than the norm which means the White Lights EP sets up safely for their third project.
The sifting through weak songs may not be worth fighting for | Posted December-24-2008
Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live". That phrase is the one that drives the title of Warren Barfield’s latest album Worth Fighting For his third studio release, but the real theme of the album is Barfields statement "True Christianity is about being Christ to others,".
Leading the way for Worth Fighting for is anthem for the album, “love is not a fight”, a guitar driven ballad, which was used in the film Fireproof that projects a strong adult contemporary album. What lies behind the emotional vocals and inspirational beat is a dull and almost joyless album. For those who would argue the joyless point and state that the album has many upbeat song would be correct, however few songs leave any lasting impression except for the daring the “singer not the song” and the “the one thing”.
It apparently is difficult to keep success moving from song to song since “drop the world” sorely lacked the music and inspiration of the title track and “As it is in heaven” is rather generic with its lyrics and the twangy music. The hooks and riffs just do not stand out on the light pop song “Say it with your life”, and “reflect you” lacks the distinction between other light rock/pop tunes on the album. Kudos to Barfield for giving “I belong to you” a little something extra to save the cliché worship song.
The lyrics also excel in simplicity as Barfield’s messages mostly dwell on milk as shown on “the one thing” where the theme is simply ‘That your love is the one thing that I can’t run out of’. “this road” and “say it with your life” both offer insights to walking the Christian faith but the complexity is low with lines like: ‘On this road together leaving the past in a cloud of smoke/Headed on to forever as we follow the One who knows this road’. Most of the album follows suit and it would be easy to cross Worth Fighting For as merely a feel good album.
But that’s not true. While “love is not a fight” is directed at marriages and not jumping ship at the time of trouble (If we try to leave; /May God send angels to guard the door /No, Love is not a fight /but its something worth fighting for’) it would be folly to divide it into one category. “The singer not the song” offers some good insights and asks good questions (“we have abused grace and reduced grace to a tune… we have mad worship cheap… Maybe worship is more about reaching out than reaching up.”) but Barfield doesn’t elaborate much farther.
With Strong albums by Big Daddy Weave, Downhere, and Jeremy Camp it’s unlikely that Worth Fighting For will be among the top favorite of the year, though “love is not a fight” will be. So is that where getting Warren Barfields album comes down too? One song? Well since there are two different versions of the song it’s likely that “love is not a fight” will be the only thing worth remembering here.
A good Drive | Posted December-19-2008
Paul Alan certainly isn’t a household name but you might have heard some of his work. His first solo album, Falling Awake, offered the single “she’s the reason” while more recently hit song bring you back” broke into the top ten for singles off of his sophomore effort Drive it Home.
While Paul Alan could be put into a boat with Brian Littrell and Chasen a couple whiffs of “bring you back”, “wreckage”, and “Bethlehem” will strike some of those comparisons aside. His music is probably correctly categorized as adult contemporary seeing as seven of the ten tracks have the light pop sound that can’t be mistaken as worship music. The guitar driven “canyon” uses some twang in the soft ballad, and a similar hint of southern music appears briefly on the title track. The music isn’t overly complex but it’s not terribly simple either; when the music is simple it usually picks up (“scars”) but not always (the soft ending ballad “find our way”).
The rock songs on the album are considerably good and not gritty or lame and “bring you back” is a good example of that with it’s driving electric guitar. the vocals in “wreckage” are demanding but Alan rises to the occasion brilliantly and makes the song into a very memorable upbeat rock song. “Bethlehem” uses an impressive rock tune that uses some really impressive riffs at the last chorus. While not as hard as the before mentioned songs “when the sun goes down” is a surprisingly good emotional pop tune.
The lyrics of “bring you back” reveals some notable song writing by Alan as he describes Matthew 18:12-13 and shares the depth of Gods love (‘And I left the ninety-nine to find the one/and you're the one/I walked a thousand miles in this desert sun Only to bring you back’). “Come to Jesus” and “find our way” are straightforward with worship-like lyrics while “wreckage” with a simple message of calling for help (‘pull me out of the wreckage/drag me out of this burning disaster that is my foolish pride’). Neither “Bethlehem” nor “another silent night” are Christmas tracks but the former closes out a great song with “‘I don’t want a religious experience/I just want to know you/How do I boil this whole thing down to God so loved the world?’)
Nothing is very flashy on Drive It Home, as the ballads are nothing unheard of and the rock songs can be quickly forgotten under the steam roller of new rock tunes. However the lyrics are meaningful and relevant today without being cheesy which makes Paul Alan’s sophomore project an enjoyable drive.
Worth Spending your money on? | Posted December-17-2008
Before Worthy Dying For came around anyone saying that there was a band who could be compared to Hillsong United, Skillet and Evanescence probably would have gotten a lot of stares. And while Worth Dying For’s debut self titled project isn’t those three bands to an exact science the comparison is not that farfetched. Emerging from California lead vocals Christy Johnson and Sean Loche, are set to give the youth of this nation new anthems for a revolution which is portrayed well on the cover of the album.
To be perfectly honest the formula that Worth Dying For uses is rather shaky. Take the vocals for a moment, Christy Johnson sound like Flyleaf and Inhibited lead vocalists and Sean Loche sounds like a punk artists who has switched to rock. Those two switch fronting songs evenly through the album which could be a turn off to some fans that prefer only one of the styles used. Fortunately the album has 15 songs giving plenty of listeners to pick from. While Loche’s vocals stay intact on the opening solid rock track he sounds incredibly bored on his next song, “Unite” which fortunately has some complex music backing it up. “Let it out” is a good chick rock tune, the is electronically driven song is far cry from awkward sounding “crazy”.
The entire CD is a roller coaster of ups and downs but the ‘ups’ don’t go very high and the ‘lows’ tend to stay lower longer. Johnson builds up a lot of emotion in the light “lose myself” and “consume me now” uses a clever combination of Loches and Johnson’s vocals in the fast paced rock song. However songs like “all we” and the ballad “unafraid” are just not interesting enough and the early duet in “my only one” is wisely broken up early to avoid a pop rock meltdown. But even without outstanding songs the music gets by with some solid songs like the intense “at your cross” and “die to live” which needed to be a tad harder to match its impressive electronic base.
If Hillsong is the king of praise and worship music than Worth dying for is the rock edition, but sadly what Worth Dying for drifts too close to Hillsong with their simple lyrics and the defining song “holy” which uses these sole words: ‘We sing holy God almighty’. Anyone wanting depth or is not a fan of repetitive songs should avoid Worth Dying For like the plague even if the style of music strikes their fancy. All of their songs have worship atmospheres around and all 15 tracks (with the exception of the final song which is a reggae testimony) are simply praise songs. Sadly the focus is not always on God as what one might expect but the heart of their lyrics is often on how much the singers love God; a rather dangerous position.
The extremely repetitive lyrics and messages aside Worth Dying For does revisit many truths like ’You're the Savior of my life/You're the One that I lift high/You're the only one who can save this world today’ (“revolution”), ‘Lord I believe You bled and died/An atonement of sin for all mankind/Unafraid to be my sacrifice’ (“unafraid”) and ‘Now I am free, through Your love that poured over’(“at your cross”). “lose myself” is an earnest desire for God (and “consume me know echoes it) and “the change” is the actions that follow suit from believers conversions (‘A generation who will not let their lives pass them by/Today we make the change’).
As much as this might be a sad fact, another reason that Worth Dying For may not leave the store shelves is that young fans may dislike the forward and unchallenging lyrics while their parents may look at the CD and pass it up because it sounds like Skillet. It’s a no win situation that is one of the few mistakes that could cost Worth Dying For popularity. Technically solid on some things but lacking in many others Worth Ding For’s debut falls short of the bands potential.
The beauty is not hard to find | Posted January-02-2009
What separated the Esterlyn’s debut project, Lamps, from other pop/rock acts was the passion of lead singer’s Luke Cadwell’s voice and his artistic songwriting. One thing that that is not lacked on Mending the Meaning acoustic EP, is the vocals and the lyrics which is only amplified in the five song EP.
With the intention of keeping things simple teaming up with producer Rob Hawkins (Fireflight, Nevertheless, Jackson Waters) certainly was not a bad thing. The strings of the first song, “sweet love”, are finely tuned and are reminiscent of Jon Forman’s solo EPs which and allow listeners to easily listen to the well crafted lyrics’ that speak of God’s grace (I stop again take a breath/I think about my past regrets /A smile breaks and finds a place,/In this valley I see your grace’.). The piano driven "Esther" is an epic track where Cadwells vocals shine and where message of God’s faithfulness to the weak is passionate rather than cliche.
The vocal hooks is strong spot on virtually all points on Mending the Meaning but particularly on the acoustic guitar led “beauty to be found. The soft “how great is your love” is very complex using the most verity of instruments that enhance the melancholy tone of the lyrically simple tune. The contrast to “how great is your love” is free the light” where Cadwell’s vocals take precedence over the music to drive a song with a “lamps” like message (‘Won’t you free the light/Let it come inside/Fall to your knees/Surrender your life… Can this life be new/Could it be the one to change you’).
The music is well crafted but the passionate lyrics are really where Esterlyn strikes gold again. Great ballads such as these will be an excellent addition to the band’s arsenal. Those who want more of Jon Forman’s guitar driven acoustic ballads should look up Meaning the Meaning Acoustic EP.
An 'eclipse' prevents Volume 1 from being perfect | Posted December-09-2008
In between heavy metal guitar riffs and screaming vocals Demon Hunter put out the single, “My Heartstrings Come Undone”, a lighter goth rock tune that had great intensity that did not lack any of the bands poise. Those who are happy to jump on that band wagon but dislike the screaming should hop aboard The Becoming’s debut rock album, Volume 1.
Their gothic rock doesn’t get that extreme but the combination of Caleb Owens’ vocals and Justin Carpenter piano, adds plenty of haunt to almost every single track. “Our first sunrise” is a perfect example of the effectiveness of the piano which transforms an ordinary rock (with a goth influence) tune into a very artistic and inspirational tune. The introduction to the CD “Dressed in black”, is similar to that of Anbelin’s “ready fuels” but that’s where the similarities end with some impressive gothic rock hooks preceding a instrumental treat driven by the piano. “I cry” has a more generic rock sound but the slightly emotional music is quite impressive as the guitar driven songs clicks on all cylinders.
“somebody didn’t come home last night” is one of the few ballads on Volume 1 and while the change of pace is nice the song lacks enough music to make this particular emotional song a star. But one thing the CD is not short of is memorable songs like the “the one to hurt you” which blends an electronic rock sound with the piano and while the rock music is there it’s shadowed by a good deal of passion with the vocals. The gothic music is amplified on both the vocal and the music on “we are already dead” which is anchored by hard vocals and a hunting rock sound. A rather distinct tune is “your love” which is centered on pop/rock with a memorable piano driven bridge.
Even albums such as these where it seems that no wrong can be done the fact is that the music is nothing unheard of (though it is finely tuned) and some tracks like the underwhelming “escape you” and “the night that has no morning” didn’t have to make the cut. “Under the full eclipse” is one of those epic finales where the music is more complex and drawn out to give listeners a full experience. The chorus is complex, meshing vocals while displaying a more original style of music with a solid chorus and great instrumental music to follow.
The lyrics follow the complexity of the album. It’s easy to say that these scary looking guys have their hearts in the right place with songs like “I cry” which is blatantly about how we are sinful and without hope of cleanness without Christ and “your love” which talks about a man finding refuge in God (‘I see your familiar face/I find warmth in your arms/In this place I feel safe/You protect me from all harm’). “The one to hurt you” seem to indicate a search for Christ: ‘Father as I hold your hand/Still holding onto all I have…And in the seas of love I drown/But in the depths your face I found’. One of the main themes of Volume 1 is hope and survival through tough times which is excellently detailed in the final track (‘Can we make it through this endless night?... My world is closing in…But love can still survive/Under the full eclipse’).
However the biggest theme on Volume 1 is death which is detailed in a number of songs. “dressed in black” is set as a funeral with an unsettling line (‘We are killers hiding in the cold’) being out shadowed by the call to life to the fullest. And a similar message is represented in “silent as the grave” which puts down ignoring our mortality and endorsing the fact that hell is real while “we are already dead” seems to be one the same topic (I’ve got to find out why I’m still here/I’ve given all that I can give/But soon, soon we’re gonna know’). More unsettling songs come in the form of “somebody didn’t come home last night” which uses creepy lines like (‘So cut my hands off, watch them bleed/Let the guilt drain out of me’) and while “heaven isn’t so far” seems to be a longing for heaven (‘God you know how hard I’ve prayed/Though it seems I’m still the same/If I could ask just one thing/Could you take this world away?’) there is hinting of leaving sooner than one should.
It’s hard not to be impressed with what the Becoming has done with their debut album with their riveting tunes and unforgettable epics are frequent. The only obstacle is whether fans of the goth rock want to sail through some murky messages and some disturbing lines to find the lyrics of salvation and redemption.
No "pull out" is needed | Posted December-03-2008
Bebo Norman’s first release as a BEC recording artists comes in the form of his eight studio project simply called Bebo Norman. Trying to stretch his musical abilities past what he was able to do previously at Essential Records, was the key to the label change which left Norman to give fans a more intricate style of music than his hit song “I will lift my eyes”.
There are actually only two real praise and worship songs on the album: the soft and simple finely, “can’t live without you” and the relatively weak “the only hope”. Aside from that the album is upbeat starting with the top ten single “pull me out” which is not really catchy but has a more upbeat pop sound that fans might be used to. The extremely hyped “Britney” starts out simply with a guitar, sounding like Chris Rice, but turns into more aggressive pop tune. “Million rain drops” is a rather artistic song, which thrives because of an emotional bridge but the really impressive bridge shows up on “ruins” where Norman’s vocals bring on inspiration and plenty of emotion.
For not being known for strong music Bobo Norman’s melodies are not bad. Of course there are some weaker songs. For example “never saw you coming” is pretty good except that it seemingly borrows from “pull me out” and “hear it from me” has a rough transition from the light verse to the more up tempo chorus. “Not living in between” is coarse in places but is a decent song while “never saw you coming” is impressive especially in the arena of the emotional refrain.
Not too much on Bebo Norman’s self titled album is too similar to “Great Light Of The World”, “Holy Is Your Name” or “I will lift my eyes” as the approach of the album isn’t praising God but a collection of songs about our desperate clinging to God in faith or being held on to. From the yearning for salvation and redemption (“Pull me out”) to our nature to do the things that would distance of from God (our only hope) to the journey of a man back to God (“ruins”); the theme of needing a savoir is very evident.
The song “Britney” is an apology to Britney Spears for the way the media and people have gone along with it. The song goes into the destruction of a young women’s life, the caution to a younger generation and hope for the future ‘I know love goes around the world we know /and you never see it coming back /but I can see it coming back for you’. Despite all of the good things that could be said about the album rough patches are “never saw you coming” which sounds hollow comparatively and “one bright hour “which assumes the Lord’s return will take place in an hour.
Bebo Norman described his music on his self titled record ‘dramatic’ and surprisingly so it’s not so far off the mark. Some of his song has a good deal of emotion as well as being artistic, lyrically and musically. It’s nice to know that artists like Norman haven’t shown fans all of the tricks in his bag, so kudos to him and here’s to many more solid releases at BEC.
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