The InBetween
by
Scarlet White Black or white. Hot and cold. Good and evil. Dead or Alive. Extremes on continuums. And in-between? An infinite series of points on the scale. Something that seems to define Scarlet White....
If the internet era has bequeathed artists anything, it is the ability to find and grow an audience, and from there attract notice from the music industry. The independent musical landscape is...
Matt Papa’s first album with the Centricity Label, and second full-length project, hits the ground running, picking up where his previous effort, You Are Good left off. Your Kingdom Come is an authentic, stimulating and direct album of modern praise and worship demonstrating a seasoning that goes beyond Papa’s actual 25 years.
Your Kingdom Come is a collection of intelligently written, thoughtful, hook-laden music, in the vein of predecessors David Crowder, Rich Mullins and Matt Redman. Much like fellow prophetic minstrel Derek Webb, Papa pulls no punches with regards to his lyrics. Every track is fully capable of engaging the listeners’ whole heart and mind, as well as their hands and feet. His melding of ancient cannon & simple, sound theology with modern pop/rock is fresh, appealing and ear-catching.
Papa continues to demonstrate a mastery of musical continuity by nimbly connecting diverse genres of influence into an organic whole. While the majority of the albums’ whopping 18 tracks lean toward high-energy rock reinforcing God-focused anthems, interspersed throughout are several deeply revealing acoustic tracks and quirky vignettes that give us a glimpse of the multi-faceted (Godly) man behind the music.
Fans of the above modern worship luminaries, as well as Fee, Charlie Hall, Jason Morant and Matthew West will also find common ground in Papa’s work.
It would be beyond easy to cynically dismiss pure NRG as just another imitative, gimmick act, riding the coattails of the success enjoyed by similar ‘tween Disney and Nickelodeon acts. The adolescent trio of Caroline, Carolyne and Jordan share the same polished presentation and image with their much marketed peers, but where the wholesome ‘tweens of kids’ T.V. tend to dilute, skirt or altogether avoid spiritual issues, the kids of pure NRG are unabashedly direct with “their” music.
The songs of The Real Thing, the trio’s fourth album, are bright, upbeat, and edgy pop/rock. Energetic, techno-influenced rhythms layered with guitar and keyboards are delivered with a highly polished gloss. All three members of pure NRG’s line-up are more than able singers, and several tracks of The Real Thing showcase each member’s burgeoning development as legitimate vocalists.
Whereas the popular cover albums of the KidzBop series only rehash material, pure NRG is able to avoid contrived cuteness by performing original material that strikes a surprising balance between fun and mature. The songs’ lyrical maturity no doubt benefits from tapping a veritable who’s who of Christian songwriters including: Scott Krippayne, Matthew West and Todd Smith. The Real Thing lives up to its name and will definitely appeal to fans of other ‘tween acts like Jump 5 or the Disney Double-Threats (re. Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, et al.), as well as artists like Jesse McCartney, David Archuleta and Britt Nicole.
Justin Unger’s latest, To Know You Love Me- Songs For The Stillness, is meant as a beacon of light in the twilight gloom that perpetually surrounds those who have turned their backs on the world for the sake of God’s call. Unger himself believes, “(m)usic can pierce through the darkness just like light… The music and lyrics of this project are a reflection of the ‘Light of the World’ – our Savior.” And while the listener may expect a slower-paced, more contemplative album, To Know You Love Me is more jovial campfire than somber candle.
The whole album flows seamlessly from song to dong without interruption, creating a genuine worship environment. Unger, and writing-partner / producer Greg Bieck, demonstrate a dazzling facility for deft composition and arrangement. To Know You Love Me possesses a vibrant, yet paradoxically soothing energy. Neither tempo transitions nor vocalist change (when Mrs. Unger steps to the mic to assume or share vocal duties, as she does on four of the CD’s 11 tracks) organically “fit.” Each song, including the two “covers” (“Praise to the Lord Almighty” and “All Creatures of Our God and King) are recognizable, ancient hymns, yet cause nary a flicker in the structure and brilliance of To Know You Love Me.
Sonically and lyrically, To Know You Love Me falls somewhere between Philips, Craig and Dean, Keith Green or Jeff Deyo and Sonicflood, David Crowder Band or Newsboys. Phil Collins, Genesis and Mike & the Mechanics’s more reflective songs came to mind more than once. Warm and foundational reassurances “tendered” by modern pop, with subtle 80’s, 90’s and even Celtic influences, make this album burn a little brighter and cast a brighter glow.
B. David, worship leader of Destiny Metropolitan Worship Center in Marietta, Georgia and member of Destiny Praise releases his first solo album on the church’s in-house boutique label Destiny Style Records. Life Journal is a soulful and vulnerable examination of hope and healing painted from a broad musical pallet.
B’s lyrics serve as a personal testimony to one young man’s journey from hurt to hope. His musical witness is permeated by a joyful optimism firmly grounded on his personal experience of God’s loving graciousness and healing. The songs of Life Journal deftly avoid a Pollyanna outlook, acknowledging the grim reality of pain and suffering, but David reveals his scars with unencumbered honesty and a genuinely empathic perspective.
The music of Life Journal is a satisfying blend of rock, urban, gospel, and jazz. Nods toward Motown influences are subtle, yet evident. This blend and these influences create a sound which gives David’s music a broader accessibility to those unfamiliar with artists generally limited to the more traditional urban genre.
Fans of everyone from Tait and Bee Bee Winans, to, Donnie McClurkin, Smokie Norful and Israel Houghton should take the opportuntiy to savor this soul-barring musical celebration of faith and grace.
Louisiana native Phillip LaRue, the male half of defunct (and under-appreciated) brother/sister band LaRue, takes a break from his busy songwriting and producing schedule to release a project of personal material. LaRue is given free reign by producing partner Tyson Paoletti, allowing him to personally and expressively explore and define his inner muse. The expression of this creative freedom makes Let The Road Pave Itself an extremely palatable disc of subtly flavored pop and atypical contemporary music.
If you’ve had the privilege of residing in or visiting the state of Louisiana, you’ve hopefully come to the conclusion that it is a singularly unique member of the Union with its veritable gumbo of cultural influences. The musical flavor of Let The Road Pave Itself is similarly varied and broad. LaRue’s voice forms the backbone for all 12 songs, with piano, acoustic guitar and drums providing a simple, yet solid supporting framework. Touches of Delta Blues, acoustic jazz and southern folk, rock and gospel influences flesh out the project, creating a savory and distinctive sound.
The only drawback to this album is the overabundance of mid-tempo pieces and the repetitive use of tempo changes and musical fades midway through songs to showcase the emotive timbre of LaRue’s vocals.
Chris Rodriguez’s Beggar’s Paradise, Brandon Heath’s Don't Get Comfortable and Leigh Nash’s Blue On Blue come to mind as apt comparisons to Let The Road Pave Itself; though not necessarily stylistically similar. Other comparable artists, at their quietest and/or quirkiest, include Between The Trees, Chasen, Ruth and Telecast. Music lovers bored with the “same ol’, same ol’” should venture a little off the road more taveled and sample this personal and distinct project.
Arizona-based indie label VSR adds another talented band to their roster with the signing of Atlanta trio Seven Stories Up. The label recently bowed Falling, the band’s six cut EP, as an introduction to a national audience.
“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news…” according to famous diarist Anne Frank; and writer/frontman Andy Rocker seeks to validate the personal (Christian) reality of this maxim in his songwriting. The band contributes by doing a plausible job of creating exuberant and heartfelt worship couched in familiar pop/rock tropes sprinkled with hints of latent uniqueness and maturity.
Ms. Frank’s quote continues: “The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be… And what your potential is!” Signaling opportunity for growth and maturity through progression and experience. It is the glimmers of undeveloped potential sprinkled throughout the songs of Falling that augur success for the band’s future.
Seven Stories Up’s blend of pop-rock and modern worship finds common ground with artists like Rush of Fools, Tenth Avenue North, and Brandon Heath, as well as bands like Addison Road, Echoing Angels and 33 Miles. Hopefully, we will hear a full-length project from Andy Rocker and company soon because as Sir Winston Churchill stated, “Continuous effort- not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” And this band has quite a bit of potential left unexpressed.
May 5th sees Future of Forestry deliver a new six cut expanded EP / mini-album as a follow-up to their outstanding 2007 Credential release Twilight. Travel continues the band’s penchant for creating intelligent, thoughtful, emotion-provoking, impassioned music.
Music flourishes and subtle layering adds to each song’s lushness. Eric Owyoung’s vocals are poignant and expressively textured. The lyrics reflect and embrace the full range of the emotionally-rich human condition from a forthright Christian perspective.
Much like Twilight, Travel is an exceptional group of songs that distinguishes FoF as a band of veracity and craftsmanship. If there is any short-coming, it is Travel’s brevity, which leaves the listener yearning for more.
Future of Forestry’s contemplative, alternative sound should find eager listeners in aficionados of Mute Math, The Glorious Unseen, as well as Chasen, Copeland, Fleet Foxes and The Myriad.
Lanaẻ Hale’s latest, Back & Forth comes courtesy of the small, Nashville-based wünder-label Centricity Music. The album features 8 tracks of lively and catchy pop / pop-rock, complemented by several gentle, melodious ballads. Tag-team producers Mark Hammond (Nicole Nordeman, Ashley Tisdale) and Allen Salmon (Seabird, This Beautiful Republic) place their signature stamp on Back & Forth’s production, but it is Hale’s versatility and talent as a singer/songwriter, that give substance and character to this “deep pop.”
Ms. Hale’s breathy vocals have a give and take quality; sinuously moving between a silken quality and a country-influenced nuance. Her vocals simultaneously embody quiet vulnerability, innocent lightheartedness and an assured sonorousness. She easily transitions between secure transparency and an affirmed clemency depending on the mood and tone of the song and lyrics.
If you’re looking for mature, affable music, then you should definitely give this album a listen. Lanaẻ Hale’s Back & Forth shares common ground with Faith Hill and Nicole Nordeman, as well as Sixpence None The Richer, The Cranberries and Melissa Greene.
New label, {L}istener Records, enters the modern praise & worship scene / market with Capture Me; San Diego-based worship leader Joe Henschel’s compelling and mature national debut. The album is grounded by the strength of Henschel’s compositional skills, his emotion-laced vocals and the polished, if somewhat standard, worship band kit. Capture Me deserves a broad audience based on the first two factors alone.
The eight original worship compositions of Capture Me are definitely equal to the recognizable works of the well-known modern worship leaders / recording artists (re. peers Matt Redman and Delirious' Martin Smith). The two (seemingly obligatory) covers that round out the album’s 10 tracks are so seamlessly woven into the flow of the album, it serves to further reinforce Henschel’s abilities as a singer/songwriter.
Though it treads familiar worship territory, Capture Me is nonetheless a first-rate example of a skilled musician and worship leader allowed to unabashedly showcase their devotion and craftsmanship. Fan of Tim Hughes, Charlie Hall, Brenton Brown, Eoghan Heaslip, or the aforementioned Mr. Redman? Then do yourself a favor and snag this modern worship gem.
Melissa Greene, half of the female membership of Avalon, makes her second foray into solo-dom with Next Step, on new label KOCH Records. The album treads variegated musical territory, while be interwoven together by the promise of and personal glimpses of God’s companionable presence and encouragement.
The songs of Next Step are wonderfully expansive compositions that exhibit spiritual steadfastness and are ably arranged to showcase Ms. Greene’s stratospheric vocal abilities. Ms. Greene is not bound by genre nor influenced by her Avalon experience; offering songs that range from unpretentious acoustic paeans to upbeat urban gospel and modern praise & worship to edgier pop-rock. Unfortunately, some of the songs of Next Step tend to stray into the territory of current hit radio- music epitomized by a routine and undistinguished sound.
Melissa Greene’s second solo effort is paradoxical in that it is effervescent and meditative. It strides a path that is defined by a miscellany of contemporary music and abiding, sacrosanct lyrics. Next Step should garner attention from fans of Natalie Grant and Nicole Nordeman, as well as fellow songstresses Kelly Mack, Nicole C. Mullen and Brooke Barrettsmith.
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