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...
Give the Keys over the Group 1 Crew | Posted September-21-2008
Group 1 Crew emerged quickly and was far from quite as they quickly bagged a hit single with “everybody’s got a song to sing”. Then they bagged a Dove award. Although the bio of their new CD contains their ‘long time message’ of being dreamers, Group One Crew has taken steered the theme of their latest CD toward that message which is the inspiration of the bands sophomore project title, Ordinary Dreamers.
But their isn’t too much ordinary about Manwell and Blanca Reyes and Pablo Villatoro music and message. Sure they have similarities to other artists in their genre like tobyMac and Manafest but the electronic twist on the rock fused hip hop is very refreshing. The first single “Keys to the Kingdom” is a terrific blend or rock and rap, from the smart piano intro, to the great background music and vocals which does a great job of making the song very intense. “Key’s to the Kingdom” is the peak of the bands rock/rap, but it does show up on “movin”, a good rap song with a style most reminiscent of tobyMac but even with Blanca clever background vocals the beat is a little too repetitive. Though unlike tobyMac who has to keep introducing new ladies to do bits in his music, Blanca does a fine job when she is driving a song and she is here to stay. She does a fantastic job on the light hip hop track “closer”, which is a very smooth song except for the ending which feels out of place.
“I see you” and likewise “change” is a very enjoyable, catchy upbeat hip hop song. Despite some of Group 1 Crew’s ingenuity there are times there things just don’t sit quite right like "Critical Emergency (What's Going On?)" which is oddly an upbeat song considering it’s urgent title. “icontact” delivers some crisp rap but it suffers from an all to repetitive beat, “Live Out Loud” also serves up some solid rap only to fall short in the area in a really simple tune and towards the end of a 14 track album the sound starts sounding less diverse. However as a whole the album is diverse and other positives are “Gimme That Funk”, “tonight” and “lullaby”.
One thing Christian rappers and hip hop artists do very well is relate biblical truths in a very impressive way, and Group 1 Crew does that but Ordinary Dreamers is troubled by mixing messages, packing too much into a song and just losing a theme of a song when it’s unnecessary. “Bring The Party to Life” is only one example where Christ is mentioned but the meaning of the song is lost among a bundle of lyrics. Aside from that the band offers many positive and key messages. “Keys to the kingdom” is a wonderful song lyrically and “closer” is basically complex worship song desiring a more intimate relationship with God (‘I’m on my knees, I’m crying out/Draw me closer I want to be closer to you’).
"Critical Emergency (What's Going On?)" spends most of it’s time pondering the tragedies in our day and in the end asks God for the solution (‘Father show us how to love/There’s a world that needs your touch/Lead us to the river of new life’). Other themes include living for Christ in the way we act (“Live Out Loud”), changing for the better (‘change”) and sensing God in everyday life and realizing his promise to never leave or forsake (“I see you”). “Movin’s” theme is difficult to understand but it does offer tidbits like ‘you don’t have to wait anymore I can hear him calling, step through the door, where anything is possible’ and in” gimmie that funk” it state: ‘Got ‘this feelin that I can’t ignore, you gave me more than I was asking for, and now I owe you my life, I could never deny you inspire what comes outta this mic’.
Group 1 Crew’s attitude towards God gets a little lovey dovey in a couple of places but the plain, and refreshing thing is the respectful and obedient way they treat God in their lyrics. Throw in their clever and up beat hip hop tunes and you have a well balanced out album which doesn’t at all fit into the ‘sophomore slump’. Ordinary Dreamers is a step in the right direction in their career of putting out easily accessible music to those who may not be a fan of the hip hop genre.
Without anything new, Tomlin is still the top of the City | Posted December-19-2008
What did Chris Tomlin says about his New CD, Hello Love? ‘With each new record, I continue to strive to create songs that will help people voice their worship to God’. That’s nice, but it’s getting very old when each new record contains 90% of what was in your last effort. Tomlin, arguably the most prestigious worship artist in Christian music, has been flooding the air waves with hit after hit of his music and he will do so again with his latest album. Interesting though that not all his songs are his to begin with; the song that quickly pushed him to popularity was “indescribable”, by Laura Story, and another huge hit was “my chains are gone” which is, of course, to John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace” with some added lyrics. “How great is our God” was a very solid hit for him but “how can we keep from singing” and “made to worship” were too generic, sounded too much alike lyrically and musically; plus they are repetitive. Now his latest hit, “Jesus Messiah”, is a song destined to top worship music charts and be a favorite in Churches, but in reality is just another repetitive basic worship song that offers no new insight into the Christian life or that spins any new prospective that would be the mark of a good songwriter.
In fact, Hello Love is essentially the same way. Tomlin’s vocals are strong in the upbeat “sing, sing, sing” but the song is as complex as the word ‘sing’ and it’s just as repetitive as the title (‘We will sing, sing, sing/And make music with the heavens/We will sing, sing, sing’). Despite the Switchfoot Esq. style of intro and more aggressive method of pop “you lifted me out” just an energetic tune which is so-so and manages to be a bright spot. Tomlin incorporates a choir on a few songs like “exalted”, and "Love (with Watoto Children’s Choir)" which does add a tiny bit of much needed diversity on an otherwise boring and simple album. Both “I will rise” and “All The Way My Savior Leads Me” start as ballads before picking up as the song goes on. The very emotional “God of this city” will probably be a future smash single but Tomlin puts more ‘Greater things have yet to come/Great things are still to be done’ than is even close to necessary. Anyone who says that Hello Love is a musical accomplishment or that originality shines is, I’m sad to say, is wrong.
Writing doesn’t seem to be an impressive feature on Hello Love either, as originality is very low, and actual themes are scarce. Aside from feel good lyrics in "Love (with Watoto Children’s Choir)" (‘Love is the answer/Love will find a way/When we love one another /It's a brighter day’) “Jesus Messiah” does make one of his best song writing moves (‘Who knew no sin/That we might become His righteousness/He humbled himself and carried The Cross’) which is pretty pathetic when you think about it. Avoiding clichés was never Tomlin’s strong spots in lines (‘you’re the Rock on which I stand’ and ‘Your love rescued me’) as well as themes “you lifted me out” and “God almighty”. “I will rise” is an odd collaboration of old hymns, new chorus and scripture; while the silver lining is a good job weaving them together the truth is more like the word incoherent.
The music and lyrics were so dull that during the first pass on the CD I skipped parts of his long songs to find something worth writing about. While Hello Love isn’t burdened by other writer’s song like previous albums have been in the past, nothing new is offered. Many have speculated that Chris Tomlin’s music is strictly for giving Churches new (such as it is) material, but that’s not entirely the case for I doubt the many people who put Hello Love onto Billboards top ten were specially aiming for their Church when they bought the CD. One thing I do know is that despite what critics say there is very little which indicates a fall for Tomlin on the singles charts and as one of the highest esteemed worship artists today.
No New Reaction | Posted October-01-2008
The uses for an EP are usually for promotional purposes only. For example, a band wants to release a new album soon it’s handy to give fans a dose of what is to come to build anticipation. Also EP’s have been used for getting older artists name back in the game. But leave it to one of the most unorthodox bands in Christian music to produce a completely untraditional EP which could easily pass for an album for almost any other band. Thus is the basis for Relient K’s 26 song Bird and Bee Sides EP.
The first half of the EP is the Nashville Tennis EP which is a set of completely new songs, with one exception. The curtain opens with “Where Do I Go From Here”, a punk rock tune, with a banjo opening, that is very faced paced, such a song is reminiscent of a previous song “over thinking”, which was a good song that was only magnified by the acoustic version. The same is true with “Where Do I Go From Here”; with a acoustic version allows lead singer Matthew Thiessen voice to really shine. The Nashville Tennis EP doesn’t just sport Thiessen’s genius alone; it also features a song written by bassist John Warne, “the last, the lost, the least” a edgy rock songs that sounds similar to run kid runs’ style of music and vocals. The new drummer Ethan Luck got in on the fun with the brief rock track “no reaction”.
The haunting piano ballad previously on the Apathetic EP, “the thief” was given new life and new length as “there was no thief”; the song may have more music than its predecessor but its hard not to notice that the real emotion and appeal that was wrapped up into “the thief” may have been slightly lost during the transmission, turning a great song into a really good song. The upbeat “the lining is silver” is a terrific pop tune even though the tune is a tad rough in places but comparatively it’s a fantastic song. The one song that stands out for its gut retching guitar riffs cutting edge beat that has defined Relient K as quite capable rockers is “the scene and herd” from a crushing chorus to a brilliant soft yet complex ending. A song which may fly under the radar that is really a very potent track is “there was another time my life” which speaks a lot to the diversity of Relient K’s which really should not come as a chock to anyone.
Relient K has tried their hand at rap, rock; punk, pop; acoustic, worship; and now (which is the real core of the Nashville Tennis EP is built around a style that fans briefly heard on the song “faking my own suicide”) country. The music is basically pop with a country influence, as the twangy guitar riffs are almost too much for those who can’t stand the southern style. “At Least We Made It This Far” and “You'll Always Be My Best Friend” may be more annoying southern pop songs but they are still fun, and the single “I Just Want You To Know” is among the better songs. The corny “Beaming” makes a mockery of country music for 1:37 seconds as the curtain falls on the music of Nashville Tennis EP.
Relient K has been one of those few bands who have received mainstream success but have not scarified their spiritual side of their lyrics at any time, though they have never shied away from a few laughs. “The last, the Lost, the Least” reminds Christians of our duty to the unfortunate (‘His image shown/When we give our lives, our time, our own/To feed, to clothe/Those in His image we have left alone’), and “I just want you to know” brings to mind the thing we want everyone to know ‘There was a man who lived one day/With holes in his hands as some do say’. Although “the lining is silver” teaches to look for the good side of things it hints that goodness comes from inside us.
While talking about his beloved a really nice thing shows up on the girl/guy songs: commitment. In “at least we made it this far” it makes the statement that tough times will only strengthen the relationship, plus "You'll Always Be My Best Friend" and “curl up and die” share similar levels of commitment. Of course it would not be Relient K without their hilarious lines and corny songs like ‘And odds are that you probably/Magically got this song for free’ (which has a unfortunate ring of truth to it), and “no reaction”.
The other side of the 26 song EP is the self titled (?) Bird and Bee Sides EP, which includes a couple acoustic versions of past songs and tracks that only early devoted fans could capture. The “up and up” acoustic version is very smooth and doesn’t drag like some acoustic tracks can, and “who I am hates who’ve I’ve been” is equally amazing. Relient K pays their tribute to Five Iron Frenzy in “Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead Or Dying”, a 41 second fast paced rock song; the Ska Version of the song is a little more funky, but the bands enthusiastic heart still remains.
“The wit’s been done before” is classical Relient K rock with a punk influence that has been amazing from day one and amazingly the band picks it up even farther with the witty fast paced “the vinyl countdown”. The “Jefferson Airplane (Demo)” is creative but it lacks some of the charm as non-demo version, and the acoustic version of “hope for every fallen man” drag some and defiantly doesn’t line up with the original mix. “The Stenographer (Demo)” has a very sharp light sound which is simply brilliant. The background music is similar to what eleventy seven uses for their new martial on “For the band”, the entertaining different up-beat song that features a terrific bridge.
It’s fascinating watching Relient K’s wit change over the years; it seems that now more silly songs are set apart because of their short lengths but four years ago entire sons were devoted to silliness like “the vinyl count down” (‘In the present day in which we live /It's all the same with all the kids /No one knows what vinyl is /Cause they just burn the MP3s (Whoa-o) /Onto their stacks of blank CDs’). Throw in the “Five Iron Frenzy” tracks, “The Stenographer (Demo)”, and the hilarious “A Penny Loafer Saved Is A Penny Loafer Earned” and you have a fair share of laughs. But Relient K stills stays true to offering meat among the jokes like “Hope For Every Fallen Man” which offers insight on redemption and a great look at human nature (‘Because the judge of you is someone I could never be,/Is why you should thank the Lord that it is Him, and it's not me.’).
Everyone’s familiar with the great message of “Who I Am Hates Who I've Been” and probably the slightly less known hopeful “up and up” (‘For you never cease to supply/Me with with what I need for a good life/So when I'm down I'll hold my head up high’). “Nothing without you” eloquently describes our dependence on God (‘We're nothing without You /(When me and You subtract the latter /Equals nothing really matters)’). Practical messages show up one “for the band” which seems to indicate ones obsession on something could lead to straining relationships and Relient K offers an abundance of insights in "Wit's All Been Done Before" (‘But to innovate, is a mistake,/Cause there's nothing new under the sun… Cause we're all getting tired of the media,/Cause it tries too hard to make you like something,’).
Nevertheless is waking up to the occasion reather than "sleeping in" | Posted September-10-2008
Nevertheless’ debut album, Live like we are Alive, may be similar to Jimmy Eat World, Further Seems Forever, and Cartel in the musical aspects but very little is similar about Nevertheless and those bands. The indie rock band’s opening album showed maturity in all aspects of song structure but one part that stood out is the ability to reach across and relate their messages of faith and hope easily. That skill still sits with fans and those who are holding out on improvement the second time around. Let me tell you, In the Making of Nevertheless’s sophomore project, they have been making improvements.
The basic tunes and unchallenging riffs were fine in Live like we are Alive but there was a feeling that the music wasn’t fresh of cutting edge enough to stick with bands like Hawk Nelson and Relient K. But their first single shows that Nevertheless has not been wasting their time; the piano driven pop/rock anthem, “sleeping in”, and key track song for the album is smart, it flows well, and it has a very unsullied sound to it. “I needed this” and “cross my heart” seems directly influenced by Relient K, with Josh Pearson’s vocals sounding similar to that of Matthew Thiessen, and the tune is reminiscent to some of Relient K’s older up beat pop/rock/punk material. But “Cross my Heart’s” verse still sounds like the style of music we heard on the title track of their first CD, but the chorus is a more stable, flowing tune.
The pop song “it’s true” is only average, but “long shot” is energetic and a fun punk rock tune with some impressive guitars. Musical maturity is clear but the biggest change will probably catch fans is the fact that the ballads out number than rock songs. Not that it’s a pitfall but ballads are usually on the simple side, and but Nevertheless does a good job keeping them diverse. “I found my way back again” and “it’s no secret” are more acoustic guitar driven and they sound the roughest sounding the ballads. Although “Augustine” sounds a little too much like “topics” the piano based tracks are both emotionally inviting.
Nevertheless didn’t stray away from tough spiritual topics like adultery, being lukewarm and dancing on the edge of sin as Christians and although the first three songs have similar themes songwriting isn’t a negative issue on In the Making. “Sleeping in”, “cross my heart” and “it’s true” all admit failure in doing what Gods says but there is a determination in the first two mentioned songs to strive to be better and “it’s true” hints that we are the problem (We've made it hard to see /The light shining through/The things we do’). “When I’m alone” is about regretting a hard friendship and the regrets of wasting time (‘There's so much I should have said,/When time was wearing thin’) and the humorous “long shot” gives a biblical mind set to a girl guy relationship; a combination rarely seen these days. The brilliant song “topics” stands as the most impressive accomplishment off the album.
Nevertheless make it clear that they are not a cheesy indie rock band: ‘These aren't just songs to soothe breakup sores or to feed the fires of crushes; they are also songs to mend deeper wounds’. And they practice what they preach, as they have a good balance of Biblical truth that has relevance in today’s culture. Fewer ballads would have been appreciated and so would a few more pop rock tunes on In the Making along with some more cutting edge songs like “sleeping in”, but who can be truly disappointed with such a solid project?
Brouwer’s "sleep" is a little restless | Posted September-08-2008
Canadian native Matt Brouwer’s newest album is projected as an album which is insightful and lyrically compelling. Early praise is cheap but one whiff of the title track of Where is our Revolution, Brouwers’ third CD, and it’s apparent that the praise for that track at least is not far off the mark.
Most adult contemporary are very dependant of their song writing abilities to carry the album since their music is generally simple; the most popular adult contemporary artists thrive on skillful music to go along with their lyrics like Mat Kearny, Brandon Heath, and new artist Jon Forman. Dispute a slow start with “come back around” Brouwer quickly drives interest with the light pop “beautiful now” and “Where is our revolution”. The title track starts with an acoustic guitar but when it hits the chorus it turns into an original quirky pop rock song with a very impressive tune. When it comes to ballads “running to begin” to among the most emotional piano based songs that is around, as emotion flourishes with a southern hint to the music.
But not all the ballads shine, as many fall into just one of the twelve tracks on the CD like “all the way”, “a good nights sleep”, and the unflattering “please say”. Fans’ wondering what Amy Grant is doing with her time these days will see her again on “The other side” in back up vocals with Vince Gill in the southern style ballad. “Writing to Remember (The North Horizon)’s” acoustic pop manages not to be dull with a more up beat refrain, and “a love that saves me” is energetic enough to keep listeners interested in a series of songs which are boring.
The album starts out poorly in terms of lyrical depth with a simple “come back around” (even though the song does say: ‘When your heroes have all let you down/And you find that your faith is unsound/Come to me dear, with your broken heart’) but as the entire album finishes spinning the song will one of the few pieces that indicate spirituality. A man searching for his salvation finds it in God and “all the way” (T’here’s a dark cloud over every step I take/Like a sickness that the body just can’t shake…I can’t make it on my own/Come and save me’) and “all I really want” suggests God.
After that the album stands on shaky ground because the focus is so fixed on girl/guy relationships it’s difficult to fully appreciate the great song “where is our revolution” which just stresses the need for a revolution in our nation (it claims: ‘Waiting for a solution that gets/Farther off everyday/The only thing I know is we’ll never make it alone’, but it doesn’t name whether it’s a spiritual revolution), and the thoughtful “sometimes”, but does it ponder eternity or what life could be like(‘Sometimes there can be so much more beyond what we see/Sometimes I’m amazed how we see the world in different ways’)? “A love that saves me” doesn’t even talk about what does save us but about a girl and “please say” is pretty pathetic when it comes to that same subject.
Song writing is pretty good on “running just to begin” but it’s depressing and it includes a mild profanity and it’s disappointing to see “The other side” dwell on spiritual matters for a the wrong reasons as it’s about a man who has lost his significant other and hopes that heaven is real so he can see her again (‘When all I really want is to believe/Is there a place on the other side’). Songs that run the edge of God and girl/guy clichés include “all I really want” and “Writing to Remember (The North Horizon)”.
Where is our Revolution will be pleasing to fans of the genre and songs like the title track and “running just to begin” will attract fans of good hard core adult contemporary and acoustic pop. The real issue is the lyrics God is there but so many relationship songs without His appearance is disturbing. Which side though tips the balance though? A tough question because Matt Brouwer doesn’t answer that so look to the final track for the conclusion.
Hope that Brooke Fraser's "Epilogue" is far away | Posted September-04-2008
There was a lot of hype surrounding one of Hillsong’s vocalists, Brooke Fraser sophomore album, Albertine. Fraser struck gold in New Zealand with her music and the reception of Albertine has been glowing. In New Zealand there is no distention between Christian and secular music which allows her to send her messages to a wider audience.
Albertine’s music is mainly adult contemporary with some praise and worship and alternative mixed in. Fraser’s voice is the first thing that stands out about her as she can easily carry a song on her own, but thankfully she doesn’t have too on the single “shadow feet” a piano driven light pop track which really shines. "Hosea's Wife" is an impressive ballad where the her voice gets rather emotional plus the chorus is impressive. While musically “deciphering me” starts slow the album progresses at the second time through the verse in the acoustic song and “hymn” is an inspiring piano driven ballad.
The instrumental “epilogue” is really a instrumental intermission though it does have some impressive electronic hints. Though Fraser’s vocals are very passionate and many of her ballads are smooth and attractive, some are too simple and even others are almost lullabies. “The thief” is almost entirely lifeless except for her vocals, while the light pop “love where is your fire” contains plenty of emotion the tunes changes little, “seeds”, which undergoes a long after a long intro, doesn’t challenge the listeners. The title track has a great finish but it really stalls at the start of the song.
Though Brooke Fraser may enjoy success on both sides of the musical scene it’s pretty clear by just looking at her song titles who she is singing fore, although there are a few more relationship songs than is preferable. “Hymn” and “faithful” are both God centered tracks but they tend to be at the weakest side of her song writing. Among the good lyrics are Fraser’s stance in when things go bad ‘When the world has fallen out from under me /I'll be found in you, still standing’, and her reluctance to be lukewarm (‘Some urge me to be temperate /Lukewarm will never do’) (“shadow feet” and “love where is your fire”). Intelligence is required to understand some of her messages like “C.S. Lewis song” and “Albertine” which is about a Rwandan orphan she met on a trip to Africa.
"Hosea's Wife" is depressing song because it depicts man’s depravity very well but it does offer hope on the ultimate question (‘We are more than just/Blood and emotions /Inklings and notions /Atoms on oceans’). It’s pleasant to see Fraser include God in her girl/guy songs in the song “deciphering me” (‘It's truth, it's truth that shows us /If we'll walk in His light’); what’s not so pleasant is the amount of time she spends on relationship songs. “the Thief” depicts a lover in a questionable light so it’s unclear whether her relenting to him is good or bad ‘You're breaking into my heart/and I’m letting you” and we could have done without “love is waiting” which states includes the incredibly insightful following: ‘Honey hold on if you can /The bets are getting surer now /That you're my man’.
Brooke Fraser does a sparkling job of carrying a song with her voice, and for the most part her music is very solid with a few dull exceptions. It’s similar with her lyrics where some are deep, some are simple but still focused on the Truth, and others could have been scratched. Albertine hits a bull’s eye for the adult contemporary crowd but it may be too boring musically to attract a huge following yet.
Daylight is already here | Posted September-01-2008
It seems that when artists team up with dove award producer Ian Eskelin good things happen. It happened again for the four brothers of Remedy Drive. The indie rock band’s second album, Daylight Is Coming, doesn’t look like it will fall into a sophomore slump that some fall into. On the contrary, the Nebraska foursome’s album is looking to become one of the year’s favorites.
Lead Singer David Zach’s voice is similar to Jon Forman of Switchfoot, but the music is harder to find a comparison. The medium rock/pop is often piano based, especially on “what happens (at the end)” where the piano plays a big part in carrying the chorus and David’s vocals get the most aggressive to the slightly melancholy song. Half of “stand up” is intro, but that is not a bad thing because the tune of the song is solemn before it kicks into a upbeat rock tune (setting the stage for the album mood?). Even with their rough verse, the chorus of the upbeat piano “valuable” is very inspirational, and it doesn’t end there, as the songs shines in the bridge also. The solemn sound in “daylight” is well placed particularly when it sounds up beat as the same time, also the alternative spin on the pop rock is very welcome.
“Something made to last” has a big base and some good riffs in the album’s hardest song, however even though the rock song doesn’t take any falls the rock song isn’t as cutting edge as some rockers and the song flies by too quickly. Chock it up to experience, and expect when Remedy Drive gives fans harder rock they will slow it down to give the maximum enjoyment to their listeners. Even with their rough verse, the chorus of the upbeat piano “valuable” is very inspirational, and it doesn’t end there, as the songs shines in the bridge also. The solemn sound in “daylight” is well placed particularly when it sounds up beat as the same time; also the alternative spin on the pop rock is very welcome. Remedy Drive does a great job of finding a happy medium of keeping diversity in their songs while staying attached in their area of music, like “heartbeat”, “hope”, and “belong with you”.
The main focus of the album is the darkness then the dawn the light. Only with a lot of weight on the light as “daylight” stresses. But the album is not without lyrical faults though. Jesus’ name is never mentioned and the metaphor “valuable”, is a little over exaggerated. Enough with the negative now because there is too much good stuff in Daylight is Coming to get to throw out. While God’s name is not mentioned Remedy Drive certainly makes it clear who they are singing about in the phenomenal “something made to last” (‘Rock and roll - happiness - diamond rings/These are the best of the temporary things/There must be more for us/'Cause it's all turning into dust…A kingdoms coming /And it won't stop running/It won't fade away’) and “valuable” (‘The scar that's in my side says/As the sea is wide my love is more so… Don’t you know the blood I bleed is for you/don't you know’).
Eternal messages that show up are man’s weakness and God’s strength (‘My rock and mighty fortress/I'm walking in your promise/Your love will remain’), salvation (‘You heard me cry emergency/Screaming out for help/You saved me from myself’), and a man who has lost his fire but still gives thanks to God (“sunshine above the weather”, “what happens (at the end)”, and “heartbeat” respectively). Tired sand castles being washed away the singer realizes that only God can fill him in “all along” (‘And I'm left back where I began tonight/The only thing that can ever fill me up /Has been right in front of me all the time’). Even when spiritual matters are not on front of their songs they still have great things to say about a couple falling into tough times on “hope” and moving past our defeats in “stand up” (‘Why does our brokenness keep whispering/It's telling us that we're not anything/I say no fall is going to keep us out/This fear is something we'll forget about’).
It’s tough to fathom that in eleven tracks there are no throw away songs, no musically and not lyrically. It’s not often to find a band such as Remedy Drive who excels as both their melodies and their lyrics. Daylight Is Coming doesn’t stay in the darkness long, and when they do it’s to prove that the sunshine is right there for those who put their trust in God. A flat out terrific album.
Enough "gasoline" to keep December Radio going | Posted August-26-2008
An early comparison of December Radio’s debut was “Third Day on ten cups of coffee”. That is still an accurate description of the band and their sophomore album Satisfied. However listening to radio would have given you the wrong impression because their two big singles “drifter” and “find you waiting” have a completely different sound than southern rock. But with a huge audience sucking in the heavy ballads it does bring about an obvious change in their new record.
Although the guys in December Radio didn’t originate from the south, where their music is based. Add a lager base, big riffs, and a hugely aggressive guitar to the southern style and you have pinned down their music. While lead singer Lou Gramm may not sound as twangy as Mac Pollew of Third Day, his vocals fit the southern approach well approach with the booming electric guitar in back of him like on the gritty, tough rock song “better man”. “Gasoline” features a lot of banging on guitars and a beat which is reminiscent of rock and roll, the children’s choir at the end will leave listeners wondering about the ingenuity to add something new to a song or the fact that it’s so disjointed. A problem that is noticeable is that there isn’t any noticeable stand out rock tracks on the album. Among the loud and blaring guitars of “Falling for you” is an energetic pace but not a flashy beat.
“Satisfy me” is an impressive southern hard rock track, but by the time “powerful thing” rolls around the fire of novelty of the rock tunes is gone (though the band does give it a good try in the end of the song when they get very animated). Adding a few more ballads to the album isn’t really surprising considering that is what made a big portion of the splash in the first place but it does disrupt the flow of the rock tunes which will be favored for some fans and anger others. Unfortunately most of their softer material isn’t even close to the quality of their hits. “For your glory” is simple and “Love can” doesn’t capture the emotion of “find you waiting”. Speaking of “find you waiting” the band included the light country song with a great guitar bridge in their Satisfied for those were lacked the ambition to get expanded edition of their debut.
December Radio is similar to Third Day in music and in lyrics as well, but only to a point. While the band discusses some topics that one might find on a Third Day project their execution is usually shallow. “Find you waiting” is feel good song which is probably easy to find on a secular station, and “love can” parades the phrase ‘love is all you need’ often but it is a little unfair because the song does talk about God’s love in a slightly more in depth way than that. However lyrical shallowness isn’t the only problem with the song writing, it’s the man center focus in the songs which are meant for God’s glory. “For your glory” sounds a little puffed up and unrealistic (‘And I do everything/For Your glory, for Your glory’) and “falling for you” claims that he is lifting God higher. Aside from that and more shallow songs (“powerful thing” and “gasoline”) good stuff does show up “better man” says ‘The only way I will survive/Is to take up my cross’ and there is a nice song from God’s prospective about telling people that if they are hurt come to him or “look to me”.
In a market where their style of music isn’t flooded with many talented artists it’s easy to see how one band with competence and some inspirational lyrics could step into the spot light. That’s what December radio has done in their time on the Christian music scene so it will be hard to see what is just good and what is really cutting edge. Lyrically December Radio is still stuck on the milk and don’t expect much improvement. Satisfied may satisfy fans but it will leave them hoping more is coming soon.
Make Some Noise doesn't always "feels so right" | Posted August-25-2008
Krystal Meyers is on a mission, a mission to be a voice for a generation which some have dubbed dying and hopeless. She also wants’ you to be a voice and what could be a better title for her third album than Make some noise. The much anticipated album is already gaining momentum with a radio single “shine” and a promotional song on NBC. Bet that Make some Noise will be a defining album of Meyers and one that will finally end the comparisons to Avil Levine.
Exchanging the rock song for a pop sound could not have been a better move for Meyers as her rock music never hit exceptional but a quick dose of the insanely catchy title track and it’s clear that the sky is the limit of her. The fast paced pop “make some noise” has all the cylinders clicking away from the verse to the chorus and it’s not an isolated incident. A prime example is “feels so right”, the song’s tune changes often, but it never loses its catchy pop rock act and Meyer’s voice absolutely shines. The guitar driven “S.O.S.” is a fun solid pop song which stays away from major pitfalls, as does “love it away”, which is sure to be a future single, and while it may not be as flashy as “make some noise” the bridge and the musical parts in between chorus and verse is great.
It’s easy to see maturity in Krystal’s new stuff because of her techno pop song “shine”, which has an excellent chorus to go along with a lousy verse, but the most impressive thing is the originality and a hint of hip hop thrown in. “My freedom” is based around the piano, and the pop rock is good enough even though the song is a little too over dramatic, and even though “up to you” may not be among the favorites on the album it deserves credit for not being a wimpy song. Meyers again proves her new skill with “beautiful tonight”, a really catchy song with a great bridge, and in the quite(ish) corner of the Make Some Noise is the final track “in your hands” which is a nice blend of soft pop with a hint of techno.
There was some actual depth in Krystal Meyers last CD, Dying for a Heart, in terms of the lyrics, which is impressive considering her peers usual depth in messages; However Make Some Noise shows us an interesting new side of Meyers lyrics. “Love it away” is a nice touch feely song about when we are hurt God will ‘Love, love, love it away’ so not too much substance to that though “S.O.S.” is clearly a song asking God to save her. Unfortunately spiritual themes are not as that common, take “make some noise” and “shine” for example; both songs are about sticking out and making a difference, sadly though the reason for this stand is never mentioned or implied.
Although it ends with ‘In my sickness can you find me beautiful tonight’, “Beautiful tonight” is a very dreary song about her life where the lyrics are depressing and vaguely destructive, (‘I'm becoming quite a liar… I'm falling, dissolving/It's crawling into my veins/I'm gonna regret this’). It becomes dicey with the relationship songs because “my freedom” doesn’t actually mention God and neither does “you’ll never know”, and “feels so right” isn’t really healthy at all. “In your hands” is an encouraging song among an album that could have used more like it.
Make Some Noise is really a step up for Krystal musically Meyers, the riffs are good and the tunes are really catchy. This is a huge step for Meyers musically, but lyrically it gets pretty shallow and that is disappointing because it’s sad to see a good breakthrough like this get spoiled by something we know she is capable of. Enjoy the music but keep track of future lyrics.
Not a huge “breakthrough” but certainly a good debut | Posted August-16-2008
Don’t make impressions based on album covers because they don’t always tell the whole truth. This writer, did though, make the mistake of taking a look at Brooke Barrettsmith and assuming Bethany Dillon had come back with black hair (though the electric guitar should have been the tip off). But in reality acoustic ballads don’t greet listeners, but rather a attack of blaring guitars and aggressive vocals which are closer to Flyleaf than Dillon in Brooke Barrettsmith’s self titled debut.
Coming from a family that are no strangers to music Barrettsmith hit her first bit of success with his single “farewell”, a song where the refrain is a barrage of her talented emotional voice and persistent pop rock chorus which is very similar to Flyleaf and Inhabited among other pears. “Right now” has a younger energetic pop tune than real rock, unfortunately while her tune is nice her overall originality is low. There isn’t much about “quite streets” that is soft, as the music is very fast paced and loud in this impressive rock song, but a change of pace is needed because her routine changes little (except a little in the bridge).
“Quite my heart” is a light pop ballad which is impressive because her vocals are strong, especially at the chorus. However Barrettsmith time isn’t used much into making emotional ballads as rock songs like “anymore” a heavy pop rock tune where her aggressive vocals again shine and an interesting tune change in the bridge. The album overall has a melancholy feel hanging over most of the songs particularly “OK” where the piano in the background paints a sad picture in the rock song, and while the science of the music in “breakthrough” is encouraging the beginning is dreary. The odd track out is “paper tigers” a song which seems to be a piano ballad but the music becomes closer to alternative rock.
The music may be a bit on the generic side, but the lyrics are a little different as Barrettsmith throws out today’s problems in a more original light. “Paper tigers” cautions about how storms and troubles are not the end and there is hope, and along those same lines the depressing “right now” ends with ‘I won't let 'em keep me down… You've given me a second chance’. “Farewell” centers around salvation but the chorus heavily leans on self forgiveness, however “quite streets” is very direct about spreading the gospel. Songs like “Father” and “more real” are very straight forward, but when Barrettsmith gets off the beaten path to discuss a rough relationship, things a little vague (“anymore”).
Brooke Barrettsmith’s debut can jam pretty hard sometimes, as her music is pretty impressive and her voice is very nice, her lyrics are similar to her peers but her handling of issues is used better than some. While talking about the routine of her family in music Barrettsmith says “It's in my blood”, it’s too bad that her routine in music couldn’t have been a little more original and that is the whole truth.
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