Vagabonds
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The Classic Crime The title to The Classic Crime's latest long player implies a certain need to travel; and while the alternative rock act is no stranger to touring, the inspiration actually comes from a more missions-minded...
Eternity Invades
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Vicky Before UK born and bred singer/songwriter, Vicky Beeching, began her pursuit of professional music she enrolled as a theology student at Britain's renowned Oxford University to ensure her spirit-led songs...
Miracle
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Robbie Seay Band Quick disclaimer: What I don't mean to say is "if you've heard one Robbie Seay Band album, you've heard them all." At the same time, RSB's latest batch of worshipful pop/rock tunes, entitled Miracle, features...
BROODING, BRILLIANT PIANO ROCK | Posted November-24-2008
Lujo Records might be one of the brightest young labels around. And Cool Hand Luke stands as proof positive of that assertion.
The Florida band has been through the ringer enough to provide solid evidence for creating such dark textures and haunting melodies. Membership changes and questions regarding if they would even go on have given way to the band’s surest effort yet on The Sleeping House.
Equally disturbing and beautiful, The Sleeping House rides highs and lows to create a deeply moving, emotional experience. Mark Nicks and Joey Holman work together to perfectly balance and buoy each other, with neither moving too far from the other without making sure everything is in its proper place. Even on slower numbers like “The Mirror,” Nicks reins it in even when it’s his moment to shine.
Tempo changes and inventive song structures mark “The City Prevails” and “Failing in Love,” with the latter being a stunning rock anthem proved by Holman’s best work. “Spirit Sing” evokes Travis comparisons with its easygoing nature, while “Wide Awake” seems the electric, soaring song that Sleeping At Last has yet to create.
The Sleeping House is perfectly sequenced, and producer Matt Goldman’s (Underoath, Copeland) hand brings it all together. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
LIVE CD/DVD PROVIDES INSIDE GLIMPSE BEHIND BAND | Posted November-24-2008
For the last eight years, Demon Hunter has been winning over metal fans coast to coast with their brazen brand of hardcore music in the vein of As I Lay Dying. Now a new CD/DVD titled 45 Days takes fans of the Seattle band behind the scenes and into the lives of the five members.
The live recording is taken from a Nashville concert and features some older tunes alongside a heavier set from Storm the Gates of Hell, the band’s 2007 release. Highlights here include a beautiful version of “Carry Me Down” on piano, a stellar performance of “Lead Us Home” and the title track from Storm the Gates of Hell.
The DVD portion is anchored by director Cale Glendening’s strong work behind the camera, gathering artistic shots in the mold of Sigur Ros’ Heima disc out earlier this year. This effort isn’t just celebrating a band making music, but it also focuses on Demon Hunter fans of all ages. It’s a truly artistic endeavor, and the Clark brothers are to be applauded in their choice of direction here.
A second DVD features a Rocketown concert of the audio disc filmed from several angles and offers nothing new in terms of typical concert footage. For fans wanting an inside look, the artistic DVD of 45 Days is definitely worth your time. And if you caught this tour with Demon Hunter and Living Sacrifice, this makes for a great memento of the occasion. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
PRETTY, PREDICTABLE POP | Posted November-24-2008
Tooth & Nail Records suffered a major loss when rock staple Anberlin announced they were leaving for greener pastures. Leave it to the label to come right back with former Militia Group indie rock act Copeland.
Copeland brings plenty of momentum to Tooth & Nail, with increasing debuts on the Billboard Top 100 Chart with each successive release. You Are My Sunshine only continues that forward motion for the most part, with Aaron Marsh’s pleasant tenor mixed with Aaron Sprinkle’s production work.
“Should You Return” features the trademark layered harmonies of Marsh and places the vocalist front and center as the face of the band. The song comes off a bit dreamy, but Marsh soon finds his stride on “The Grey Man,” a simple, pretty melody that depends on his falsetto work.
Some songs blend together a bit too much here, with “Chin Up” and “The Day I Lost My Voice” being such casualties. It’s when drummer Jonathan Bucklew is let loose that the rest of the band shines brightest on Sunshine. “Good Morning Fire Eater” and “What Do I Know?” break up Sunshine from its consistent, piano-driven, laid-back tendencies with proper rock variance.
Copeland has a new home, but it’s clear the band’s sound is already well defined, and it’s not moving from it. You Are My Sunshine is a fine album, albeit nothing new. And it seems that pretty is good enough for these Florida boys. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
A GENERALLY UNNECESSARY IN BETWEEN ALBUM | Posted November-24-2008
There’s no overlooking KJ-52’s ability to hit the target on his conceptually themed 2007 CD The Yearbook, which not only offered a series of self-esteem affirmations, but impressive rhymes over the emcees’ rap, hip-hop and occasional rock hybrid. Outside of being a fan favorite on the road, the project also expanded the Christian star’s listener base, thanks in part to song placement on CBS’ “Cold Case,” plus collaborations with members of Disciple, Emery and Group 1 Crew (to name a few).
In attempts to continue that craze, this sequel of sorts provides several unreleased tracks from those sessions, plus a handful of remixes (following a rap market trend that often serves as a stalling tactic in between proper studio CDs, executed by everyone from Vanilla Ice to Kanye West). Though the songs are still in step with KJ-52’s current format and are generally quite accessible, the satirical duo “Stuck In the ’80s” and “Starbucks Takes All My Money” seem like mere leftovers with predictable premises.
Those hoping for something stellar in the remixes are likely to be disappointed as well with “You Can Still Come Back” and “Pump That” coming across particularly stale compared to the more intriguing original versions. The CD’s saving grace is the previously unheard duet with Liquid, “I Can Never Forget You,” a neo-soul reflection about rising above the ghetto’s circumstances. While it’s not enough to make this project one of KJ-52’s most meaningful moments, it’s a mildly entertaining epilogue that will hopefully prompt the performer to come out with an official album that starts from scratch sooner rather than later. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
FANTASTIC FOREMAN-FLAVORED FOLLOW-UP | Posted November-24-2008
There’s a young Jon Foreman peeking through the curtain while Ruth’s sophomore album, Anorak, plays the main stage. It’s found in front man and namesake Dustin Ruth’s “yes, ma’am” pleasant delivery. It’s apparent in the budding potential on songs both electric and acoustic. It’s clear in the lyricism of yearning and belonging here that’s also quite prevalent on most Switchfoot albums.
Secondhand Dreaming, the Aaron Sprinkle produced debut, was a fine enough foundation—a decently forgettable album with a couple highlights (see “Mr. Turner”) but primarily ’90s alt-rock retreads. It was a young man playing it safe and crafting what he knows will work. Lucky for us, Dustin Ruth & Co. decided to have a real go at it the second time around.
Anorak completely trumps Ruth’s debut on all counts—from the songwriting to the musicianship and back again. The songs here are tight, mature and entirely enjoyable. “Back to the Five” rides a clever pulse toward an electric chorus that wonderfully utilizes Dustin’s falsetto. “Dead Giveaway” sounds like one of Foreman’s recent solo tracks as a dusty, front porch Americana cut that’s a tender, terrific song. “Nothing to Hide” is emotional and triumphant and features slight Death Cab for Cutie leanings. It’s the perfect show closer and is the most memorable track on an album full of them.
Before this, Ruth was simply one of several “could have been something” bands. Now their time has arrived. Anorak will be, without a doubt, one of 2008’s finest releases. Foreman would be proud. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
A SHOCKINGLY UNDERWHELMING SOHPOMORE SLUMP | Posted October-21-2008
There’s no doubting the immense songwriting talent and musicianship of Jon McLaughlin. Early glimpses, for those in the know, during his independent days yielded a prodigy-like penchant for melody in his late teens that seemed destined for mainstream pop culture. And McLaughlin’s major label debut, Indiana, proved just that with hits like “Human” and “Beautiful Disaster” along with tour dates with Kelly Clarkson and an Oscar performance of “So Close” from Enchanted.
All of which makes OK Now, McLaughlin’s sophomore output on Island/Def Jam, even more disappointing. The bar stood at a significant height post-Indiana, and the ensuing thought was further seasoning and maturity would only enhance the Hoosier native’s distinct piano pop sound. Instead, what we’ve been given is a middling effort marked by out-of-step ’80s-tinged tracks and decent enough ballads.
The “are you sure this is Jon?” tracks are at highway safety worker levels in terms of easiness to spot. “Dance Your Life Away” would make Pat Benatar and Rick Springfield euphoric with its radical ’80s guitar licks. Of course, it’s intended to be that way with lines like “If we can’t dance on the ceiling, we’ll be dancing in the streets.” The other atrocity here, “You Can Never Go Back,” remembers the same far-out decade with its handclap synth work and cheesy chorus.
McLaughlin doesn’t completely veer off course. Lead single “Beating My Heart” rises and falls with his perfect falsetto. “We All Need Saving” stuns with its simplicity and vocal arrangements. “Smack Into You” could stand tall as one of his best ever if the silly verb of “smack” wasn’t a part of it. Instead, it’s a beautiful song scarred by a silly word choice.
No matter, McLaughlin is still a premiere talent and a young one at that. He will move on and so will his fan base. –Matt Conner
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
ROLLICKING ROCK WITH A SOUTHERN SLANT | Posted October-21-2008
Between soundtrack spots on “CSI Miami” and World Wrestling Entertainment to scoring the Dove Award for “Rock Album of the Year,” it’s been hard not to notice the waves Disciple’s been making over the two years since its last CD, Scars Remain. The Knoxville fivesome’s latest, Southern Hospitality,certainly continues in that disc’s rollicking tradition, though there are several newly treaded paths on this shred-heavy CD.
As the title suggests, the band’s been listening to plenty of blues-inspired rock ‘n’ roll, from scorchers like The Black Crowes and ZZ Top to possibly even the like-minded Christian act DecembeRadio. Though it may seem like a slightly peculiar pedigree for a group reared on strictly hard rock, the southern leanings fit right at home across a dozen incendiary tracks. The title cut provides a fitting introduction to the gang’s monstrous melodies and gritty guitar solos, which could certainly be used in the ongoing “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” video game movements.
But outside the roaring riffs inserted within other foot-stompers like “321” and “Falling Star,” there’s plenty of lyrical substance on Southern Hospitality as well. Throughout the crashing percussion of “Whatever Reason,” front man Kevin Young calls anyone who’s strayed to come home to Christ, while he screams “I once was dead/Now I’m alive” throughout the searing “Lay My Burdens.” The finale “Savior” is also a sincerely presented prayer for a non-believing friend to have their heart softened, interjecting a dose of acoustic variety into the already impressive makeover. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
COOL, COLORFUL AND CONFIDENT | Posted October-21-2008
Eight albums into its boundary-breaking career, GRITS continues to give fans a reason to come back for more, starting with a record label switch from Gotee to the group’s very own Revolution Art. Though members Teron “Bonafide” Carter and Stacy “Coffee” Jones always stuck to their artistic guns, this emancipation of sorts finds the pair coloring a little outside the usual lines, but not at the expense of the chemistry and confidence they’ve steadily built since rising up alongside the rap days of dcTalk.
Fans of the Black Eyed Peas and N.E.R.D. will surely fall in love with “Reminds Me,” which references a variety of pop culture references (“The Breakfast Club” anyone?) but seeks out a higher purpose in life. Like Group 1 Crew’s recent offerings, Reiterate is also on the pulse of today’s hip-hop and rap scenes, trading in references to green and bling for more meaningful topics, such as family commitment throughout the neo-soul chill of “Something About You” and making a conscious decision to seize each day during the jumper “Beautiful Morning.”
Though several cuts feature collaborations with yet to be discovered artists, there’s also plenty of familiar faces that make Reiterate fall in conceptual lines with Santana’s duets project Supernatural. “Fly Away” is a dreamy R&B romp featuring Third Day’s Mac Powell; “Sky May Fall” merges hip-hop with acoustic rock backed by Jars of Clay’s Dan Haseltine and Annie Peters; while “Say Goodbye” is an urban groove and includes a little help from longtime pal tobyMac. Even worship leader Martha Munizzi makes a soulful appearance throughout “I Run,” sure to widen GRITS’ already fervent audience. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
DIZZYING STYLES OVERSHADOW, BUT PHELPS’ MAGNIFICANT VOCALS SHINE | Posted October-07-2008
David Phelps is a busy man. Between releasing 2005’s full-length project Life is a Church, 2006’s Legacy of Love Live project, 2007’s One Wintry Night and No More Night: Live in Birmingham CD/DVD combo, Phelps is pairing up the fall release of his new studio record, The Voice, with a live Christmas extravaganza taped earlier this year.
O Holy Night: A Live Holiday Celebration begins with “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” filled with voices swirling around Phelps’ unmistakable tenor in a chilling a capella ode to the advent of Christ’s birth. Introducing the band, “The Singer (Let there be Light)” slowly builds in an epic journey from Creation to the cross.
“Hallelujah” is a Gospel/rock fused rendition of Handel’s famous chorus, a throwback to the Young Messiah tour of the early ’90s. And a very Take 6-ish “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” skips and scats into “White Christmas,” a beautifully orchestrated segue to the haunting, Tim Burton-esque original “If Christmas Never Came.”
Of the finer, quieter moments “Lully, Lullay/What Child is This?” offers up another effective vocals-only arrangement, providing a lush bedding for Phelps’ exquisite phrasing and a perfect introduction to the hair-raising “Away in a Manger/Sleep Little Baby” composite.
The only criticism for an otherwise exceptional holiday collection is O Holy Night’s dizzying orbit of styles. In an effort to conquer every popular genre, Phelps’ voice loses out. And a gorgeous instrument like his deserves the subtler context only half of this material affords.
Even still, after listening to a near perfect execution of Mark Lowry’s magnificent “Mary Did You Know?” it's no wonder Phelps is such a widely recognized and appreciated talent. O Holy Night is certainly a legitimate addition to the holiday music scene. –Andrew Greer
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
A GLORIOUS, REFINED DEBUT | Posted October-07-2008
There’s certainly something respectable about a band of young people who hope to “raise up a generation of excellence among musicians in the Church.” Where original, innovative art once thrived, the Church has been noted in modern culture as a “behind-the-times” venue where creativity is stalemated by what is deemed “appropriate” and “inappropriate” for worship.
But The Annie Moses Band put its words of hope into action. Having been thoroughly educated in the fine arts (does Julliard ring any bells?), the five siblings not only create excellent recorded product but host Fine Arts Summer Academies to gift even younger generations with a skilled appreciation for arts in the context of greater spiritual meaning.
This fall the siblings contribute their refined sound to This Glorious Christmas, the band’s first major label debut. A stylistic journey through elements of bluegrass, pop, jazz and classical music, the holiday disc is amazingly cohesive, thanks to Annie’s lead vocal and the other four siblings' consistent instrumental (Alex on viola, Benjamin on cello, Gretchen on violin and mandolin and Camille on harp) and vocal contributions.
Beginning with the traditional English “Sussex Carol,” the siblings’ fiddles play off one another in a delightful, Irish-flavored instrumental dance motif. An audience favorite, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” mixes the instrumental strong suits of each member while communicating the carol’s timeless message through traditional three-part harmonies.
Originals such as the country/pop influenced “Little Baby” (think Alison Krauss) strengthen the handpicked carols. But it is the creative force of the band’s instrumental arrangements that most effectively translate on CD. From the modern pulses of the harp on the indefectible “We Three Kings” to the bending Appalachia fiddle and harmonizing mandolin on “Go Tell it on the Mountain" and the impressionistic dreamscape of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," the members of the Annie Moses Band know their instruments and know them well.
This “glorious” Christmas, enjoy a band who has chops to spare, and cozy up to the infectious landscapes of the Annie Moses Band. –Andrew Greer
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
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