Holy Mystery (Single)
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Conley Worship Conley Worship is the collective formed by Maryland-based worship leader David Conley. The Liberty University graduate just released "Holy Mystery" as the firstfruits of the upcoming album, Are...
New Life x New Vibe (Single)
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Red Letter Hymnal Red Letter Hymnal got its start doing Christian Dubstep/EDM covers of worship songs, garnering more than a million views each on videos for "One Thing Remains" and "God's Not Dead."...
Me Against the World: Vol. 2
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5ive Rapper 5ive, also known as Craig James, has a pretty incredible, radical conversion story of how Jesus met him in a huge way and instantly ended his addictions. Since then, he's been sold-out to God,...
Neo-'90s? Or a folk future? | Posted December-12-2014
Dante Schmitz keeps pretty busy. The Broken Arrow, Oklahoma artist is a worship leader--at THREE different churches--and has a rock band called Dante and the Hawks. Oh yeah, he has an indie solo career, too--and his work caught the ear of A-list producer Ed Cash.
Now, Schmitz has released his Cash-produced Brighter Than The Sun, which introduces the world to his folksy, poppy, singer-songwritery goodness.
Dante's voice is smooth and soothing, not unlike Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay's. He has some folk-pop tendencies, dancing the line between Jars, FFH and Caedmon's Call, with a little bit of the late-'90s band The Waiting. That's pretty good company, and those comparisons certainly point to a more '90s style of Christian music. But Schmitz pulls off the dated style without making a dated-sounding record.
Highlights of the album include title track "Brighter than the Sun," which has a Southern rock-meets-acoustic-ballad style of play. It's a hopeful song about Jesus' ultimate victory over the darkness in the world.
"Footprints," another high point, definitely carries the Caedmon's Call and The Waiting vibe musically, while lyrically pointing to the truth of God's presence even during the toughest times (think about the famous poem that shares the song's title). It features some of Schmitz's most aggressive vocals.
Call me a sucker for good use of banjo, but the deployment of the instrument right at the beginning of "Alive in Me" caught my attention right away, and never let it go. The strongest cut on the record, the song is a singable, worshipful song that has some serious adult contemporary radio friendliness to it. The chorus, which sings, "You were alive in me when I thought I lost my way," is a profound declaration of God's overarching grace.
This song really makes me wonder what a more overtly folk record would sound like for Schmitz. It's not out of his range of knowledge; Schmitz says folk is where he started as a musician. The production quality is incredible, the obvious lyrical direction is refreshing, and the vocals would catch any Jars of Clay fan by pleasant surprise.
One of the best moments musically on the album is "A Little Faith," which provides great interplay between atmospheric guitars, background "oohs," cascading pianos and Schmitz's balladry. There may even be a little slide guitar in there for good measure. A great message drives it along, too: "If you have a little faith in your life, the storm gets warm and dark becomes light."
Brighter than the Sun features three acoustic "remixes" of songs already on the album, and I'm glad they're on there. They present a reintroduction to "Alive in Me", "Shine on Me" and "Uncovered," and in the case of the latter, it's an improvement upon the original. I would've like to have heard more acoustic layers to these songs, but I think that just comes from my overall desire to hear Schmitz pursue a more overtly folk record.
An interesting moment on the record was on the song "Dwell," which is a great call-and-response-type song that we really haven't seen since the '90s--you know, the ones where the boys sing one thing and the girls sing the echo? Well, unfortunately, the guitar riff at the beginning of that song distracted from that great moment, because it was, note for note, the same as one of the most popular songs in Christian music right now. Take a listen and you'll hear the intro to the song "God's Not Dead." I'd like to think that was a coincidence, but surely a producer like Ed Cash didn't stumble into it.
Closing Thoughts:
What's old is new again. That's not only the truth today; it's biblical truth. Solomon talked about it. We see it with the influx of '80s-styled music. There's no reason to think that the '90s can't make a musical comeback, too. Dante Schmitz has certainly found himself in that realm, and he pulls it off convincingly.
That said, I'd like to hear a folk record from him, which I think would better suit his vocal and songwriting strengths. We caught it for a second on "Alive in Me," and it only makes me curious for more songs like that.
The Birth of the Concept EP? | Posted November-26-2014
Andrea McCaffrey has released her debut solo EP, The Push and Pull, but she's by no means a newcomer to music. A longtime worship leader--and current leader at a megachurch in the Indianapolis area--she got her start in garage bands as a teenager.
After experiencing a number of challenges, transitions and heartaches in the past few years, McCaffrey felt the need to express her journey of doubt and faith, and the result is The Push and Pull. It's an honest project birthed out of McCaffrey's heart, and supported by an army of musicians, friends and Kickstarter backers.
What's great about The Push and Pull is the fact that, in a sense, it's a concept EP, which isn't something you hear about too often. It takes listeners through this journey of struggle, surrender and growth--in just five songs.
Title track "The Push and Pull," is sort of the summary of this journey, talking about the back-and-forth tension we experience in this life between trusting God and doubting Him. Andrea declares, "It's a push and pull inside my heart, and someday You will win." With distortion guitars, syncopated keys and march-friendly drums, the song carries an almost "live" feeling to it.
Keys--electric piano and standard piano sounds--drive upbeat ballad "Bird In A Cage," in which Andrea laments her spiritual paralysis. "It's time to embrace instead of escape," she sings. The song's a passionate one of having nothing to say, but pleading, "If you hang around just a little longer I'll let them [my words] out."
A definitely love song of longing, "A Million Miles" features emotive keys and electric guitar riffs that accompany some great male-female harmonies. "You are the morning and I am the night / I'm falling far behind / You are the future, I am the past / I keep hanging back," Andrea sings to God, indicating her realization of God's distance.
"How do you get underneath my skin / Reach me in that place no one else can?" Andrea begins in "Reason and Rhyme," a song of realization that even when God feels distant, "You're not far behind." The tone of the EP changes here from that of searching to that of understanding. It's noticeably brighter sounding, despite the confessional vibe of the lyrical content.
The piano- and organ-driven, Sarah McLaughlan-like "I'm Coming Home" closes out the EP with a Prodigal Son-like vibe. "I threw my hopes on the ground / When I was searching for a treasure but the treasure never could be found," she sings, as a resolution of sorts. Thematically, Andrea comes to a peaceful conclusion that God was never the one to be distant at all, and that she's ready to rest in Him.
Closing Thoughts:
The Push and Pull is incredible in its ability to cover so much ground thematically and lyrically in just five songs. The overall musical vibe finds itself in this grey space between a studio record and a "live"-type recording--meaning, it almost sounds live. Many times this works well for the recording, but sometimes the electric guitar riffs can distract from the excellent piano lines and soothing vocals.
And speaking of vocals, Andrea is at her best when she sings with a smooth, whispery quality. The higher-end, power vocals don't necessarily fit her singing style, although those moments are rare. The sheer honesty and purity of the delivery serves this project well.
It's clear Andrea McCaffrey has some serious songwriting chops, and as an artist, I'd like to see her focus more on that Sarah McLaughlan, subdued style for her peace-filled voice. Debut projects, though, are all about finding what works best for an artist, and there's a lot that works well here. Looking forward to more from this successful storyteller.
Creative Christmas | Posted November-12-2014
As Page CXVI, Latifah Phillips and her band of hymn-revivers have made it their personal mission to breathe new life into the hymns. And just because this indie band isn't concerned about making commercial music, it doesn't mean that their treatment of timeless classics isn't accessible.
This band provides music that's at once meditative--and able to be atmospheric background music--and participatory, providing easy melodies (and in some cases, well-tread melodies from known musical commodities) for those wanting to engage.
The Advent to Christmas EP is the first in the band's Calendar Project series, and it presents a spiritual continuum that takes listeners through the anticipation of the Savior coming to His birth and the subsequent celebration--just how the liturgical calendar has spelled out for years.
Rather than beginning with a longing feeling, "Awake My Soul, Awake My Tongue" begins on a bright note, with a driving, positive declaration that almost serves as a rallying cry for the entire advent season. With plenty of horns, piano--and, did I hear a xylophone?--the song is a prayer to be awake and aware of the significance of Jesus' birth, and to be willing to share about it.
"Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" gets into that moody, seeking vibe. Rhythmically complex drums provide the backdrop to the rendition of this well-known advent hymn, which is performed at a faster clip than is typically done. Haunting oohs and soft high harmonies, along with ambient electric guitar swells and violins lead into a powerful, cinematic "bridge." With this song it almost feels like we're all seeking Jesus in the midst of our busyness, eventually getting to the point of desperation where, in the stillness of nighttime, when we really have time to think, our need becomes a yearning.
The announcement of Jesus' coming, and the hope that it brings is the basis for Page CXVI's treatment of "Comfort, Comfort Now My People." Electric pianos, simple electric guitar licks and smooth vocals take on the character of the angel Gabriel, presenting the good news of Jesus' birth and what it means--even though the world still waited (and waits yet again). It's a peaceful proclamation of the promise of Christ's coming--and in our case, His return.
The second half of the EP treads into somewhat familiar territory. "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is presented with familiar rhythms and lyrics, but has some melodic twists that differentiate it from the 3,000 other treatments of the song you've heard. With cascading pianos, tambourine and prominent upright bass, it definitely offers something different with the song, exposing lyrics that oftentimes get lost in their familiarity. The same holds true with "O Come All Ye Faithful."
Melodies largely stay the same with "Angels We Have Heard on High," taking a normally "up" song and making it chill out a little bit. The "glooooooooria" refrain serves as an echoing response to the verses that were just sung. It's a refreshingly delicate take on a typically big song.
"Silent Night" brings simple piano and the whispery smooth voice of Phillips, like what you'd expect to hear around the fireplace at her house on Christmas Eve. Layered violin, bass and a beautiful, worshipful ending provide a hushed sense of awe that comes with the arrival of Christmas.
Closing Thoughts:
Advent to Christmas--and the entire Calendar series--presents Page CXVI at their best. They present unknown hymns in such a way that you're like, "Why haven't I heard this before? It's so good?". And they take the familiar and add enough of a twist on them melodically, musically and energetically that it's akin to refinishing an old chair or removing linoleum to reveal beautiful original hardwood floors. Page CXVI knows how to unearth the gold in hymns, and to get us to focus on the unparalleled theologically rich songwriting therein. If you're looking for more than just Bing Crosby and tired retreads of the same songs, give Advent to Christmas an intentional listen.
Song to Download Now:
"Comfort, Comfort Now My People" (Get it on iTunes here.)
KMB Has Much to Share | Posted October-31-2014
Kevin Michael Bauman used to be known as "Bau Down." That was, until God got ahold of him and opened his eyes and mind to the world of faith-fueled hip-hop. Leaving behind his old ways and former lyrical choices, Kevin has had a Saul-to-Paul conversion of sorts as a rapper, and now goes by his initials, KMB.
The result of these life changes and creative influences comes as a firehose of new content from the rapper in the form of the 24-track album, God's Plan (Deluxe Edition). In this record, KMB maintains the old-school, '90s-era flow of his past with plenty of bold, in-your-faith lyrics.
While 24 tracks, of course is a bit long (and could've been spread out over time), from a ministry standpoint, it's easy to see why he felt the need to get all this out there. It's a new chapter for KMB four years in the making, and he's eager to share. It's just impossible, though, for all two-dozen tracks to be memorable.
Chances are, every listener will find their own favorites in the mix--there certainly is a buffet of choices--but for me, "My God Is The Illest," "Music On A Mission" and "Pride" are three standout tracks.
"My God Is The Illest" is an aggressive, almost Eminem-like tribute to the greatness of the Lord. It's a tad repetitive, but makes it one of the easiest tunes with which to sing along. Going along with the same theme of vowing to "let the world know" about God's awesomeness is the chilled out "Music On A Mission." Almost like a theme song for KMB, he flexes between singing and rapping, providing an interesting juxtaposition between a smooth R&B feel and passionate, punchy verse.
"Pride" is a swaggeriffic, sports pump-up song that repeats, "This is our house / What we gonna do / This is our house, winning's what we do / It's game time." It's a hard-hitting song that transcends just the sports references, also working for the Church when talks about going hard and having one another's backs. It's a great workout song, and my only complaint is that the "gang vocals" (I think it's KMB quadrupled) could be a little louder for a good punch.
I like the potential of the title track and lead single "God's Plan." It's a tobyMac-style story-song with KMB asking God to "take my heart and make it new," eschewing his own will in favor of God's plan. It's not a bad song, that would be better served by some stronger hook vocals.
Truth be told, KMB tries his hand at singing a few times, and it's not he's bad at it; he's just so much stronger as a spoken word/rapper type that it stands out. He should stick to rapping and find some powerhouse vocalists (and/or high-powered samples) to fuel his hooks.
With God's Plan, at the end of the day, if you're comparing KMB to contemporaries at the top of modern Christian hip-hop, there will certainly be a mismatch, as KMB's style harkens back to the LL Cool J style of chilled out flow.
Instead, it's kind of a beauty to behold when someone naturally recreates a form of art that otherwise has all but gone extinct. What's enjoyable about KMB is his ability to just be himself. You have to right your expectations going into it to truly enjoy it.
With this Deluxe Edition, the tracks are pretty bloated, and the majority of them clock in past four minutes--a death knell for radio play--and about half of them are timed at more than five-and-a-half minutes. It's clear that in future projects, KMB has to learn to tighten things up, because in communication, if you say too much, the message gets lost.
There are some good hard-hitting moments, some awkward ones, and some tender ones--the markings of a first album of a new (or remade) artist. KMB offers a uniqueness that isn't seen in Christian hip-hop today--an important style that stands on its own. Now it's time to hone what works and trim out the excess. There's promise there, and we look forward to hearing where the story goes from here.
What Those Feelings Sound Like | Posted October-03-2014
I've heard it said that music is what our emotions sound like. And by that logic, King Solomon of the Bible--the wisest man who ever lived--was a pretty emotional guy, as evidenced by the Song of Solomon (as well as his emotive reflections in Ecclesiastes and the Proverbs).
Solomon's life was the inspiration for the incredible new film, The Song, which released Sept. 27 nationwide. It stars Anthem Lights' Alan Powell as lead character Jed King and Ali Faulkner as his wife, Rose, as well as singer/fiddler Caitlin Nicol-Thomas as his touring partner (and temptress), Shelby Bale. And the music therein tells that story well.
Much like Switchfoot wanted people to see the Fading West film before they heard the album of the same name, The Song soundtrack is at its most poignant when you've experienced the film. That said, the songs on here can definitely stand on their own.
The soundtrack puts its best foot forward right away with its title track, "The Song (Awaken Love)," the song Jed King writes for his wife the day after they're married. It's the song that propels the character to stardom, and it employs a great Nashville/Americana sound with mandolin, strings, and acoustic strumming that later explodes into an uptempo declaration of love.
Lyrically, "The Song" is a pure poem of affection from husband to a wife, celebrating the fact that as a couple, they were "taking their time, doing things right," and that "the waiting was worth it" with regard to their purity. Now that they're married, he says, "Tonight I'm not gonna just kiss you goodnight." In much the same way as the source text--the Song of Solomon--Powell sings, "Your eyes like the dawn / You are beauty / The touch of your skin consumes me."
There are so many biblical references in these songs, and I won't go into them all here, whether they are direct quotations from Solomon's writings or artful paraphrases. "The Song" foreshadows the events of the film, with the powerful ending line, "Love is the power that heals." Not wanting to be a spoiler, I'll leave it there.
"Son of a King" is the first song we hear in the film, finding Jed King playing acoustically in a small venue. This short (90 second) song basically is Jed airing his family dysfunction in aggressive acoustic style. "Yeah, I was born the son of a king / You don't know what that means, do ya? / Yeah, you might say it's living a dream / Somehow dreams have a way of coming true like you don't want them to." Living under the shadow of his famous father, who had made quite a mess of his life in earlier years, fueled this passionate opener.
"Split the Baby" will make people who haven't seen the film curious, for sure. This song happens during one of the funnier moments of the movie, as Jed takes time during a harvest party performance to simultaneously woo Rose and humiliate her sexually motivated ex-boyfriend (who is in attendance at said harvest party). The song features an uncharacteristically raspy and bluesy Powell singing over a lone banjo.
"You Made Me Love You" is another short track that serves as the background to Jed and Rose's budding romance. Taylor Walling, an indie singer-songwriter who is part of the duo The Wallings Jr is shown in the film playing this tune live while Jed and Rose are on a date. It's a sweet, playful number that lends to the innocence of the pair's romance. As things get more serious between the pair, the pining "Can't Hold On" by Powell demonstrates the best kind of anguish.
The sweetness and innocence is abruptly interrupted with loud electric guitars as an alt-country stampede hits in the form of Caitlin Nicol-Thomas's "Confetti." Nicol-Thomas, who plays the seductive bad girl singer Shelby Bale (who becomes Jed King's opening act), plays all her own fiddle parts and sings a suggestive song about how she's "aching to get undressed" and sings that she wants her audience to "do what you want without an ounce of shame."
The presence of the fiddle in Shelby's songs lends to Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," and certainly points to a devilish influence.
With "All I Wanna Be," there's a double meaning going on, where Jed's singing the ballad to his wife, asking questions about why he's doing what he's doing--which takes him away from Rose and his son, Ray. Shelby, on the other hand, is singing this song to Jed: "All I wanna be is with you." There's a great change of pace fiddle solo that speeds things up and leads into an octave jump with Jed nearly screaming, "All I wanna be is with you! / I want your love/ I want your touch / All I wanna be is with you!"
The creepy "Falling Like Stars" is like the theme song to Jed's hypnosis and compromises. In what sounds like a marriage of country/Americana and the lounge singer-style ballad, Nicol-Thomas's Shelby sings about her intentions towards Jed: "I'm obsessed, I must confess / I don't care if it's wrong or right / Under this moon you belong to me." Nicol-Thomas' voice is as pure, emotive and spot-on as her incredible fiddling and tremendous acting.
The sound of country guitar, violin and the humbled broken voice of Powell as Jed drives "Chasing After Wind," a song that leaves you feeling simultaneously sad and hopeful. Pulled from the "what's the point" vibe of Ecclesiastes, Jed asks in song, "Why should you be if no one's there to see / All of your deeds are raindrops in the sea / What do we mean if nothing has meaning?"
It's a soothing feel of a song, despite the gut-wrenching, honest, searching lyrics. At the end of the song, the band abruptly drops out, leaving an emotional Jed nearly screaming, "Why should I sing if nothing has meaning?!" It's a raw, powerful moment in the film, and translates well to the recording.
While the cast's performances are incredible in their own right, what strengthens this soundtrack is the stamp of approval given to it by the recording artists who support it with additional music. GRAMMY winners Ricky Skaggs and Emmylou Harris--both icons of folk/country/bluegrass in their own right--help paint the landscape of The Song with their contributions.
Skaggs' driving-in-the-pickup-with-the-windows-down "Kentucky Voice" is an inspirational ode to the state in which the film is based, and even gives a nod to Solomon's writings in the lyrics. Harris' one-of-a-kind voice presents the passionate "Prayer in Open D," which uses simple acoustic guitar finger-picking, upright bass and slide guitar to paint that "hit rock bottom" kind of feeling that permeates some of the film's more poignant moments. Christian music veteran Jill Paquette also provides a tender, lullaby-like rendition of "I Love You Truly" (originally written at the turn of the 20th Century by Carrie Jacobs-Bond), and NEEDTOBREATHE presents the ominous sounding "Oohs and Ahhs" from their album, The Reckoning.
The Byrds' classic song, "Turn Turn Turn," referenced many times throughout The Song--of course, because of its Ecclesiastes-fueled lyrics--gets the Grand Ole Opry treatment. The Byrds' lead singer, Roger McGuinn, rearranged his band's hit, and joined Harris and Skaggs on the classic tune. It's a great song, and fans of the movie now have a new appreciation for it, as it's essentially the story in a nutshell.
While there's plenty to love with this version of the song, I was disappointed that Powell's rendition from the film was omitted. It was so powerful, and it was great how he started quietly and tenderly, eventually layering in a band with a big finish. The McGuinn/Harris/Skaggs version is very good, of course; it just doesn't connect with the story quite like the Powell version.
That's probably my only complaint with the soundtrack, period. Well, that, and the fact that the moody, revealing song from singer-songwriter Cheyenne Marie Mize in the film isn't included as well. (It's the song where she profoundly sings, "You call me beautiful, but you don't know how ugly I can be.")
Those who were patient or curious enough to stay to the end of the credits were treated to one final song from Powell, "End of the Matter," which presents the Gospel message and serves as an epilogue of sorts for the story. In what is nearly an a cappella track--save for a few acoustic guitar strums to change keys a few times--Powell nearly whisper sings as he talks about hope that comes through Jesus: "The only hope that we have is the only Son that He did send / So at the end of the matter / His will be done not mine / He breaks the seals, fulfills the signs / Makes everything so beautiful / It's all gonna be so beautiful / In His time." It's a peaceful, restful, comforting end after so much turmoil.
Closing Thoughts:
The Song soundtrack is an incredible album in its own right. When it's not presenting dramatic, moving songs from the plot of the film, it's showcasing some heavy hitters in country/bluegrass/folk lore. The album is a beautiful union of and tribute to the wisdom poetry of the Bible and the Americana musical genre. The songs are delivered with such honesty and raw emotion that you can believe what's being sung, and in many cases can relate to it.
Truth is truth, and The Song has found a way to communicate the wisdom of scripture without necessarily doing the thinking FOR the audience. That's a feat within Christian music, and even more so within a Christian film. We understand the message because we can feel it. It rings true in our human experience.
We already knew Alan Powell could sing. He's fantastic with Anthem Lights. But with The Song, we're treated to a range and a depth as an artist we hadn't seen before. And I'm probably not alone in hoping we see a solo project of some form is in his future. (Americana would be nice, but not likely given his personal musical tastes.)
If you haven't seen The Song, you'll enjoy this album, and probably be moved by it. It still tells a story, as you can hear in the music and in Powell's delivery a searching, a smittenness, confusion, hopelessness and humility. I'd still recommend that you go see the film, though, because in a way, these songs get unlocked, and bring back all sorts of emotions the movie draws out of people who see it.
Taking Flight | Posted September-26-2014
I know I wasn't alone in wishing that tobyMac's son, Truett "TruDog" McKeehan would come out with an album of his own. After all, the torch has to pass at some point between generations, and TruDog comes from good--pedigree? (No pun intended... well, sort of intended.)
That hasn't come to pass yet, but Baltimore's TJ Prodigy produces the kind of positive youthful raps I was wanting out of a project like that.
I'm apparently late to the game when it comes to Prodigy, whose real name is TJ Lasinski. Although he's only 14, he has been making original music and YouTube videos for much of his short life, and has amassed an army of passionate fans.
Over the past couple of years, TJ has rolled out single after single, YouTube music video after YouTube music video, and finally, to the excitement of all those fans, TJ has put it all together for the seven-song EP, Flight.
In true M.C. style, TJ comes out of the gate with bombastic party anthem "Crank the Bass," which basically serves as a jumpstart for the album. If you're looking for lyrical depth here, sorry... it's all about "move your body / rock your body / let me see ya." Basically, if you like Family Force 5's party rock and a rapid-fire, 50 Cent-style flow that talks about "dancing all night" and seeing "all the ladies lining up" because of "swagger," then you'll be right at home.
"We Stand" features another rising teenage heartthrob in Tae Brooks, together juxtaposing the ills of society that come from isolation and brokenness with the power of standing united in community with others. The verses talk about a child being beaten to death by a stepfather, and a bullied student bringing a gun to school. The passionate chorus resounds, "If we stand together we'll change minds forever / We stand as one 'cause wrong is wrong / We're not gonna let you stand alone."
TJ Prodigy gives us a treatise on his personal calling with the more than two-years-old song "Hands Up," a synth-rich, triumphant-sounding jam that says: "I put my hands up for all the dreamers out there." He also takes the opportunity to gush on his fans, the "ladies in the stands," and his late grandfather, ultimately saying, "When someone says you can't, you gotta prove them otherwise."
Another autobiographical song, "Anthem," features TJ rapid-fire rapping in more intimate detail, talking about his past of being bullied ("The kid on the ground? / That was me / Never picked first and always teased / My confidence / That was low / Their words hurt more than you could ever know"), his absent father ("Where's my dad / Forgot to even call the other son he had"), how music changed his life ("For a while I guess I lived in the dark / till God gave me music, it became my spark"), and his new focus today ("I stand for kids who've lost their way / Who gave up on tomorrow because of yesterday"). This is a standout track; it provides TJ's most personal transparency on the whole record, and it strikes all the right notes.
There are two versions of this song--one featuring the personal testimony of rapper C&K, and TJ's verse on its own. In my opinion, the better version is the collab, because C&K unashamedly reps Christ in his portion.
TJ's current single and most recently released song, "Fly Away," has a catchy hook sung by Jessica Hayes. In the same spirit as "We Stand," TJ tells the true stories of people going through difficult times, in the end encouraging them to "let nobody hold you down." One story was about a kid who was teased for singing, and the other was about a girl from South Korea who said TJ's music gave her hope in the midst of an abusive home environment.
Closing Thoughts:
Flight is a project that--whether intentionally or not--basically chronicles TJ Prodigy's growth as an artist. There's a clear difference in the production quality, songwriting and execution between the older songs and his newer ones. While certainly his older singles aren't at all bad, it's exciting to see his leveling up in the newer material.
Listeners really are missing out on certain dimensions of these songs by merely listening to them, though. TJ has released music videos for each of these songs, and the stories are told even more poignantly by watching his visual treatments.
There's probably a bit too much "I, me and my" grandstanding in this album for my liking, but my guess is TJ Prodigy isn't primarily geared towards the Christian audience. If you look at TJ and Flight as a way to minister to the masses, then it's probably more palatable than if you think he's trying to preach to the choir. Then again, the choir always needs a good sermon about hope.
TJ Prodigy is a gifted rapper who clearly is taking meteoric steps forward in terms of his overall craft, while telling some important stories that need to be told and encouraging anyone who will listen to keep dreaming.
Album of the Year | Posted September-13-2014
I've been trying to figure out how to write this review for more than a month. I first heard for KING & COUNTRY's much-anticipated sophomore effort--RUN WILD. LIVE FREE. LOVE STRONG.--when I was sitting in the catering and press section of Creation Festival NW in late July, waiting to interview the band.
Less than 24 hours after the band's publicist sent me the final masters of the album, co-frontman Joel Smallbone had given the record a final listen as a complete work on an airplane, the band's ever-meticulous creative force giving the project his final thumbs up.
During the interview, you could see it in Joel's eyes: The band simply can't wait to get this music out there. And I don't blame them, because this album is consensus Album of the Year material by the NRT staff.
Fueled by some pretty radical life changes, challenges and questions since the band's debut record, Crave, Run Wild represents a massive, wholesale leveling up for a band that already displayed superior musicality, spiritual sensitivity and lyrical honesty.
I've written and rewritten this review several times, and the truth is, there's so much here that I could easily dedicate 5,000 words to the record and still not do it justice.
Album highlights? All of it. "Run Wild" kicks things off surprisingly mellow before crescendoing into a punch-you-in-the-face chorus that shows off the band's newest trick that appears in various places throughout the album: masterfully marrying their trademark instrumentations with electronic sounds. Andy Mineo's verses contribute to the theme of Christ's freedom in a way that you have to hear to believe.
Fans of for KING & COUNTRY can picture the band doing their thing, with a stage full of dudes hitting various percussion instruments with passionate flair on the "Prelude," leading into catchy lead single "Fix My Eyes"--a song that deploys those big drums, a big church-bell sound, handclaps, groovy bass and a ton of other instruments craftily layered together.
The message of that song, of course, is about how past mistakes and present challenges "are dimming in the light of Your glory and grace." The chorus's "you-oo-ooo-ooo-ohhh-ohh" (it's really difficult to spell that out) refrain is catchy and quite earworm-ly. It's the high-energy kind of song you'd expect from these gents.
"When you feel it / Once you see it / And you breathe it / It's unforgettable," is the chorus of the big-sounding, cinematic, hopeful, bold song "To the Dreamers," but it also could double as a good sentence-long summary of this album. The song, which encourages people to keep on dreaming and singing in the face of difficulties, is moving enough that NBC featured it as the theme music to its fall lineup. What does that tell you?
"Shoulders" is a Psalms-inspired slow jam that obviously is fueled by some very personal experiences, declaring, "My help comes from You / You are my rest, my rescue / You carried my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness all on Your shoulders."
There's more of a tip of the hat given to the timeless hymn "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" in the song "No Turning Back." Lyrically, it's simple: they're singing about their allegiance to Christ. Musically, there's never anything simple with these guys. There are some killer harmonies delivered in some head-nodding rhythms.
Holy cow, where do I begin with "Without You"? I first heard this song when the band performed it at the K-LOVE Fan Awards this summer. It was tremendously impactful, especially given the personal story of Luke's health issues, which it seems threatened his very existence. Then, to hear the mostly piano-and-string-driven song accompanied by Luke's wife, Courtney, who sings an actual sentence she said to her husband, "I don't want to live without you"--there aren't words. This isn't pop, folks. This isn't a show. This is real life, and real, very real, suffering. It will surely minister to others who have gone through similar pain.
"Long Live" encourages those out there with childlike faith--the people who can be ridiculed for playing drums with no rhythm or singing off-tune--in arena-shaking bigness, singing, "With a drop of faith and childlike wonder / You can weather the lightning / You can brave the thunder."
I love overhearing my son sing, "You keep... me... steady when the sky is falling do-o-own." This confession, lauding God's never-changing love and covering, is a great reminder in these uncertain times. While there's undoubtedly lots of underlying unsteadiness and uncertainty that led to these words being penned, the execution of this is so victorious and positive-sounding. It's such a beautiful dichotomy, again that seamlessly marries electronic and "analog" instruments.
To say that "Already Home" sounds like a Coldplay song would diminish the work of for KING & COUNTRY. But the truth is, I think the Smallbone brothers do Coldplay better than Coldplay on this song. With an emotional organ (think "Fix You"), and a Chris Martin-esque vocal line ("You don't have to be broken to see there's magic in a shooting star"), the passion that made the Brits famous is exceeded by these Aussies, and with it comes the message of hope that the big universe points to a big God who loves us: "Look up and you'll know that you're already home."
"This Is Love" is admittedly the band's first outright "relationship song" is dedicated the two Mrs. Smallbones--Moriah (Peters) and Courtney. It's not a slow dance song by any stretch, but a radio-friendly, driving, pop-propelled picture of God-centered love. "Love is patient, I know love is kind / Thank God is saw the sign / This is love, this is love, this is love that I'm feeling."
Sometimes it means everything in the world to just have someone say: "All of the hurt that happened to you / It matters / I hope you know it matters," but more importantly, to God "you matter... I hope you know you matter." Huge message in this age of hopelessness and feeling like on in a million. With high tenor vocals over a driving beat, the statement couldn't be made any more emphatically.
The message is complemented nicely with "It's Not Over Yet," a reassurance that it's all going to be OK in the end... so if it's not OK, it's not the end. "To everyone who's hit their limit, it's not over yet," the song resounds. A fun, misleading intro to the song gives the song an extra layer of playfulness--the kind of joy that makes no sense to a panicking world, but is available to those of us who know Jesus.
"O God Forgive Us" is a piano-and-voices ballad of repentance that closes out the album with a soul-stirring blast of an organ to close things out a passionate refrain: "With our white flag sailing in the night / Eyes pointed to the sky / Hands up and open wide, open wide." As if you were still needing closure, after 40 seconds of silence on the final track, Joel comes on, Kevin Max style, with a spoken word admonition unpacking the album's title.
Closing Thoughts:
Album of the year. Incredible songwriting. Raw-yet-polished, painful-but-victorious, resting-but-driven anthems that are single handedly moving Christian music forward. Rare, seamless marriage of conventional instruments and electronic elements that don't come off as trend-following or out of place. There's no question this is the best project of 2014, and definitely one of the best in Christian music history. Not being glib here. Being real.
Passion, piano, praise | Posted September-12-2014
In football, there are some quarterbacks who like to take over a game, stealing the show by having fancy footwork, big deep-ball plays or otherwise making good things happen. Then, there are the equally important game managers, who rely on the strength of the team by distributing the ball to various members of the team, staying out of the spotlight but still serving a crucial role.
Oklahoma worship leader Kacey Walkingstick would be the first to tell you that her calling in Christian music is that of a distributor rather than a "worship rock star," penning praises to God that she hopes will go beyond her CD, her community and her church, to edify and strengthen the "capital C" Church. Her own projects serve as a demo of sorts to get her scripturally inspired tunes out there.
With her latest effort, The Depths, Walkingstick explores the various facets of God's love as she has experienced it. Driven by piano but garnished with a number of other instruments, Walkingstick presents an alternative to the largely guitar-driven worship projects of the day.
Vocally, Walkingstick shines the most on slower jams--which provides more of a home for her indie-friendly voice--as well as some of the more harmony-rich songs. Album highlights include the poppy, Ingrid Michaelson-esque "Beauty in the Vine," as well as the emotive, Wilson-Phillips-style tunes "Sea of Glass" and "The Way You Love," which all deploy some rich, immersive harmonies.
Listeners expecting a polished, CCM-style aren't going to find it here. Walkingstick certainly has some vocal support issues at times on this record, and the production value isn't at industry standards. But at its core is a worshipful heart, scriptural truth, and a whole lot of potential--both for Walkingstick herself, and for the churches that may adopt her songs.
I really enjoy the Wilson-Phillips type of songs she has on The Depths, and I can't wait to hear more of the harmony-rich ballads that really propel her songs.
Employed and Awaiting a Promotion | Posted August-27-2014
With Employed by the King, South Florida indie rapper J-Giles Son is continuing a message he began in his previous record, Kingdom Work: "Whatever setting we're in we could actually really be working for the Lord primarily, even though we might get a paycheck from a certain place or the government or wherever you're employed by," J-Giles Son told NRT in a recent interview. "The main person you're employed by is God. You're representing Him and you're a light and you need to shine."
On this record, the message vacillates between giving a presentation of the gospel--that is, Jesus' saving power through His death and resurrection--and admonishing believers to shine for Christ in the way they live.
Highlights of the album include the aggressive "One Mo' Gynn," which bombastically boasts in Jesus and how His grace changed the lives of J-Giles Son, Dee Black and T-Word.
J features a number of guest vocalists and rappers on the album, and Alysia Ferrari provides some spot-on, powerhouse hooks for J-Giles Son, the best of which is the welcoming opener, "Hello," which is geared towards believers and spends the verses contrasting the life of faith with the destructive passions of the flesh.
With title track "Employed by the King," listeners enjoy fast-moving video game-type sounds that complement J's ambling rap lines. In this song, J-Giles Son and Victor Cornelius talk about how that despite having jobs in the world, God is ultimately their boss and provider. J raps about how he could lose his job (which is in a public school) if he doesn't "switch sides," but notes, "My CEO is the Most High... Christ is the One, He would never leave me with zero." Cornelius echoes that sentiment: "On sick days You heal me, and on hungry nights You fill me."
J-Giles Son isn't your rapid-fire rapper. He's the kind of laid-back lyricist whose word hit like waves upon the shore--slowly, steadily, but exactly. That works sometimes, and other times, it leaves for a lot of silence between beats, interrupting what could be a pretty good flow. Truth be told, at times, the album sounds more like it was recorded live during a rap battle than during a deliberate studio process.
Undoubtedly the strongest track on the album is "Why Stop," which features Reflection Music Group rapper Swift (formerly known as R-Swift). A slower beat pushes J-Giles Son to throw a faster, more creative, ear-pleasing beat over the jams that really stands out. Great production, instrumentals that change and push the song along really add to the overall experience. Swift, of course, shows up with great Jesus-powered swagger. The song's theme proclaim's Jesus's victories and then asks, "Now why would I stop following the Christ?"
I also enjoyed J's preaching track, "Bitterness," where he basically talks about how bad it is to keep bitterness inside, and the soulful oohs in the background accompanied by piano, brass and drums is a nice touch.
Closing Thoughts:
Employed by the King shows flashes of brilliance by J-Giles Son. He knows how to pick his collaborators. He has the best subject matter in the world. Now, his task moving forward is to transition from sounding like a spontaneous rap battler to an intentional lyricist who uses as many beats as possible to deliver a consistent, uninterrupted flow. He proved that he could do it on "Why Stop," and I'd love to see more creativity that way.
There's no doubt that J-Giles Son has all the pieces (and weapons?) to make a splash in Christian hip-hop. He has the unique sounding voice, access to decent production, connections with great collaborators and the ability to craft an aggressive hit. Now he just has to put the pieces together in future efforts, believing that the beat, the flow and the production will serve as a gateway to the life-giving message he brings.
We believe J-Giles Son when he yells loudly on Employed's final track: "This is the beginning!"
A Welcomed Change of Pace | Posted July-24-2014
When you think "Irish worship band," people tend to think about the chart-topping, Jingling Johnny-wielding Northern Irishmen in Rend Collective Experiment.
But plenty is happening in the Church in Ireland, and another expression and outpouring of that is found in exciting, artful newcomers The Remission Flow. Hailing from the rural border town of Monaghan, the band has been together since 2010 and is exploding on the international scene with Rhythms of Grace, an album that can simultaneously serve as the soundtrack for your morning coffee and bring you to the heavenly throne room.
Fans of bands such as Citizens, NEEDTOBREATHE and yes, Rend Collective all will find things to love about The Remission Flow. Lead singer Darren Mulligan has a raspy baritone voice that is a nice change of pace from the lyric tenor-heavy sounds that dominate Christian music and corporate worship music.
I think "change of pace" is the best way to describe this album. People expecting the same old, same old will be surprised not only to find differentiating vocals from the band, but also generally reflective and meditative song structures and instrumentations. The songs, which dance between being non-corporate art and very singable new hymns, definitely lean towards the folk end of things but still have enough of a piano and electric guitar foundation that they don't sound like the prevailing folk-style worship bands of today.
Highlight tracks on the album include "Before the Dawn," which shifts gears from sounding hymnlike in the verses to an almost 1990s-style rock-and-roll chorus. The opening line, "I know that it is darkest just before the dawn / I'll be holding on to You until it comes," immediately caught my attention with its powerfully simplistic message.
The piano-and-vocals opening of "Vast as Oceans" has that NEEDTOBREATHE, Mumford and Sons grit and passionate expression that immediately demands attention. The song's opening refrain contains the album's title: "I wanna live my life in the rhythms of your grace / I wanna feel your touch and a warm embrace / I wanna drink from the well that can never run dry / I wanna feel your heartbeat next to mine." It's probably the most singable song on the album, corporately, as it's catchy and easy to pick up lyrically. There's a big, cinematic bridge that's probably the most memorable moment on the album: "This love is making me whole / Your love is rest for my soul / You have rescued my soul!"
"Trust and Obey" is probably the most energetic song, sonically, and is the album highlight. It's a prayer to God for Him to "take my life, and do with it as You please." Mulligan hits his highest notes here, and gang vocals add an extra dimension to the song. The driving beat and interesting rhythms and chord progressions make this declaration of surrender a victory chant.
Deploying the piano-and-voice arrangement again, closer "It Is Well" presents a creative modern hymn that doesn't sound like the original "It Is Well with My Soul," but certainly was inspired by it. "More Like You" has a smooth female vocal augmenting Mulligan's soaring prayer for God to make him "more like You." An aggressive bass line, atmospheric synths and tribal drums make this song pop out from the pack. "Lay Down," for whatever reason, has a melody line that sounds itchingly familiar.
Closing Thoughts:
Rhythms of Grace by The Remission Flow is a fantastic international debut by this promising collective of musicians. Being far removed from the Christian music "industry" has allowed this band to draw from regional influences and experiences from the local church movement, and the music is better for it. People looking for three-minute radio singles aren't going to find that here, but given today's folk-worship tastes, people probably won't (and shouldn't) mind.
If you're looking for the passionate marriage of hymnlike choruses and artful arrangements, this is your band. And given the great production quality of this debut, it's pretty exciting to think where they could go from here.
MarcusHathcock_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
