Holy Mystery (Single)
by
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)
by
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
by
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,...
A Career-Defining Triumph | Posted September-13-2011
It may show my age, but I've been a fan of Switchfoot since the beginning, rocking out since the late 1990s to the generation-pegging “Chem 6A” from their Forefront Records debut The Legend of Chin, the radio-friendly pop song “New Way to Be Human” from their sophomore project of the same name, and the explosion of poetic yearnings in Learning to Breathe.
Good, positive rock and roll is what initially drew me to Switchfoot, and – starting with Learning to Breathe – what pulled me in deeper was frontman/songwriter Jon Foreman's poignant, honest lyrics and progressively inventive and captivating instrumentals.
Although I've enjoyed the direction the band has taken over the years, there certainly were days when I longed for the upbeat, uptempo rock and roll of their past. I certainly don't hold all Switchfoot albums equal; some certainly were stronger than others.
But the album that stands above them all is Switchfoot's eighth, Vice Verses. The musicality, the story of tension and the unparalleled poetry combine to deliver a dozen solid tracks that stand on their own.
“Tell me why would I wait 'til I die to come alive?” asks the first song, “Afterlife,” an opening declaration to live life now, instead of just hanging on for Heaven. Distorted interplay between electric guitars in the verses gives way to a driving chorus.
Rhythmic bass lines and prolific drum runs drive “The Original,” an energetic, happy song that encourages listeners to “free yourself” by embracing your unique identity: “Don't let nobody try to steal your soul. You're the original.” The sound and uptempo feel is reminiscent of Switchfoot's earlier albums.
“Every fight comes from the fight within,” claims “The War Inside,” a heavy, mid-tempo track about how our own brokenness leads to all the battles in our world. “I am the battle line,” the chorus admits, a realization that our own choices affect the course of the fight. Rhythmic, monotone verses sung over electronica bass distortion and a riff that sounds like a slowed down version of the riff from “The Sound (John M. Perkins Blues).”
Out of the confessional-type song comes what is easily the most emotional, climatic song of the album in “Restless.” The confession of brokenness gives way to a confession of desperation for God. “I am restless looking for You... I run like the ocean to find your shore,” Foreman sings in classic Switchfoot ballad style. The imagery of water drops making their way to the sea paints a beautiful metaphor of the longing for God's presence. “I am the raindrop falling down, always longing for the deeper ground,” is a verse that resonates with people whose hearts have been captured by Jesus.
“Blinding Light” is another song that hearkens back to Switchfoot's earlier days, but with the incredible word pictures of today's band. “Deep down there's a hope inside; you've got wings but you're scared to fly... wake up.” The song, with many echoing instruments and background vocals, talks about the inaction we all struggle with sometimes, and the inability we sometimes have to become the people God already says we are.
Switchfoot takes aim at the “info-tainment” nature of mass media in “Selling the News,” the track which easily is the most experimental on the album. Jon Foreman's classic vocals take over in the chorus and bridge of the song after his rhythmic speaking on the verses. (It's more poetry slam than rapping.) Foreman expresses his disdain for the money-seeking, “lowest common denominator” media industry in the third verse: “Substance, oh substance, where have you been? You've been replaced by the masters of spin... The facts are simply one option to choose... We're still on the air, it must be the truth.”
“I wanna thrive, not just survive,” proclaims “Thrive.” Drum machine beats, ethereal synth strings and light guitar accompanies lines like, “I come alive when I hear you singing, but lately I haven't been hearing a thing, and I get the feeling that I'm in between a machine and a man who only looks like me.” It's a cry to feel alive—a recognition that the singer doesn't feel like himself. Hopefully he declares, “I get so down, but I won't give up.”
The stand-out rock track of the album is “Dark Horses,” a track Foreman and Co. wrote for the homeless youth of their native San Diego. These people—and many more like them—have been counted out by society for many reasons. “We've been down but we've never been out,” the song shouts with multiple layers of Foreman's voice. It's a positive anthem that tells people they can rise above their circumstances, no matter what others say. Full of loud, distorted guitars, head-bobbing rhythms and singable choruses, don't be surprised if you hear “Dark Horses” on TV near the end of the college football season.
“We were so young; we had no idea that life was just happening,” reflects “Souvenirs,” a movie soundtrack-type song full of thick harmonies, haunting “oohs” in the background and anthemic chord progressions. The singer says he wouldn't trade his “souvenirs” for anything, as it gives him (and the listeners) happy memories of earlier times of innocence and a perspective to seek out that innocence.
The meaning behind the rhythmic, uptempo jam “Rise Above It” isn't at all veiled. It talks about overcoming the broken system of earth, “living under the curse.” Foreman sings: “Just because you're runnin' doesn't mean that you're scared. Just because it's law don't mean that it's fair. Never let another tell your soul what to fear.” Regardless of the brokenness around you, he extends an invitation: “Let's rise above it.”
Switchfoot has described Vice Verses as an album that deals with the tensions in life, and the title track absolutely embodies this, as it openly struggles with tough questions, including, “Where is God in the earthquake?” and “Where is God in the genocide?” A simple track with just Foreman's echoing vocals and an acoustic guitar, this intimate song plays like a personal journal entry. “Everything feels rusted; tell me that you're there,” he says, then noting, “I know there's a meaning to it all.”
With stomps, hand claps and echoing whoas in the background, “Where I Belong” concludes the album like a drive into the sunset, proclaiming hope in the world to come. Whereas “Afterlife” dealt with living in eternity now, “Where I Belong” acknowledges that the children of God, Jesus' followers, aren't home yet. “Until I die I'll sing these songs on the shores of Babylon... still looking for a home in a world where I belong.” The song bookends “Afterlife” by reprising the phrases, “I still believe we can live forever. You and I we begin forever now. I still believe in us together. You and I we're here together now, forever now.” From this perspective, though, it lends to an inspiring call to bring Heaven to Earth.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Vice Verses has something for every Switchfoot fan. It has the introspective, pleading ballads. It has the gritty hard rock riffs. It has the song that inevitably will find its way onto ESPN. It has the song that could've found its way onto The Legend of Chin or New Way to Be Human. It experiments some, and the experiments pay off.
But beyond the stylistic elements comes an album that tells a tremendous story of the tension of life. It captures the sometimes schizophrenic, sometimes manic-depressive roller coaster of life we all go through as Christians trying to figure out what this walk of faith means. It deals with action and paralysis, searching and meaning, boldness and insecurity, underdogs and conquerors – all supported by perfect instrumentation and vocals.
Now free of label pressures – both from Christian and secular interests – Switchfoot finally has taken off the training weights of expectation and is creatively sprinting into a new era. Vice Verses, it would seem, is the combination of the best of everything Switchfoot has played, written, learned and become in the past decade and a half. This is career defining material, and easily the best album of 2011.
Christian music is easy to find. The kind of gripping, moving, rocking art Switchfoot produces is difficult to find. Find this album, and you'll find your own story.
V.Rose is Moving Christian Music Forward | Posted August-17-2011
It's a very exciting time in Christian music. The genre has gone from being just a tad behind the musical trends of the day, to now matching—and exceeding—the sound, style and quality of its secular counterparts. Carrying the unashamed message of the Gospel no longer comes at the cost of musical and lyrical excellence.
Just this year, we've seen amazing strides taken in the pop/rock genre from bands like RED and newcomers Royal Tailor, and Beckah Shae's recent release, Destiny, is raising the bar for what Jesus-centered R&B/pop sounds like. So is new kid on the block V.Rose.
When talented hip-hopper Flame released his hit song, “Surrender,” the question that inevitably arose after listeners were blown away by the sheer awesomeness of that record was, “Who is singing on that track?” We wanted to hear more.
The honest, talented, undeniably urban yet delicate sound of V.Rose—the sound that earned her instant credibility with listeners—quickly garnered her a record deal with Flame's Clear Sight Music label. The result of that partnership is V.Rose's self-titled debut album, a project I believe continues Christian music's advancement.
Classy orchestral hits and acoustic guitar strums introduce the album with the song “Not So Average,” a song that talks about realizing how Jesus is the judge of beauty, not Hollywood, and He has already declared us beautiful. V.Rose delineates some of her quirks—“So what if my nail polish always chips?”—“It doesn't matter what you say, we're gonna do it God's way.” The sound and style is reminiscent of Mary J. Blige, but with more essence of bubble-gum.
After V.Rose states in her first song that she's not in this to be a star, she follows it up by declaring she's a “Christian Girl,” noting, “Gotta show the world where I get my confidence.” It's a confident song indeed, identifying herself as “a Christian girl, light of the world,” and saying she tells “all of my friends I'm born again; done with the sin, let me show you how to win.” She invites the DJ to spin tracks by her label-buddy Flame and Third Day, two admittedly very different tracks to rip at the club. Handclaps and electric guitars drive this song, which simultaneously evoke flavors of Ke$ha, Avril Lavigne and Mya.
The strongest, standout track of this album is “Battery,” a driving, club-friendly single that declares, “I feel His energy charging me like a battery every time my hands go up-up.” Fans of Britney Spears (and even a little hint of Miley Cyrus) would find a welcome bridge to unabashedly Christian music here. V.Rose is able to showcase her vocals powerfully, and it's the rhythmic nature of the song that allows her to add a little extra punch. The power-themed song states that V.Rose gets her energy and life from Jesus: “I'll tell them what you have me to say. Jesus, your name is power, you're the outlet I plug into. I just want to be used, electricity for Your city.” Flame turns out an impressive cameo rap in the third verse.
Completely changing gears, “Hater” is an Alicia Keys/Pink-like tune that begins with mid-tempo driving piano. It's a sort-of breakup song, with V.Rose telling an unnamed antagonist that her kicking him to the curb was due to his jealousy of her relationship with Jesus. “You hate Him and His love for me, but He's perfect and He's all I need … see what happens when you're a hater.” She later tells him that although he's “hot,” she says, “God made you everything you are, but you took it way too far.”
“Run That Way,” is a autotune-heavy, club style warning to flee evil. V.Rose testifies about the grip lies once had on her: “You had me locked away. I thought I'd never escape. I told you I was changed; you threw that in my face... but then one night I found out about His grace. He said He'd make a way, but I'd have to run away.” A companion to “Battery,” this is another one of the standout tracks on the album.
Piano and hip-hop beats propel “Dear Adam,” a slow-jam that is a letter from Jesus to Adam (or rather, the entire human race). The inspiring, Michael Jackson-esque R&B song says, “I just wanted you to know you can fly with wings like eagles; I can do the impossible.”
The heartstrings V.Rose pulled in that song are immediately and aggressively strummed at the start of the next track, “In Dependence.” This high-energy pop song talks about the facade of independence, telling stories of how seemingly self-sufficient, successful people are really falling apart inside. “So while everyone's trying to be just like her,” she says of a rock star referenced in the first verse, “I'll be who God wants me to be.” It's a cute, bubble-gum song, although the verses don't show off V.Rose's range and versatility like many of the other songs.
Dramatic, foreboding, orchestral synths provide the backdrop for the aggressive rap V.Rose delivers in “Girl, What U Lookin At!” The song is V.Rose's observations of a “hecka mean” diva who is hostile towards people trying to see who she really is. “Jesus wants to free you, but you have to say so,” she says. “So get your joy back and lose the diva act.” V.Rose delivers both the vocals and the rap confidently and with talent. This track makes me wish she attempted more rapping on the album.
“Let's Go Home” is the first outright Gospel slow-jam of the album, complete with piano bangs and jazzy bass. V.Rose has some Michael Jackson-esque moments as she talks about longing for heaven. Although lyrically amazing, this song is probably the weakest of the entire album. That said, it's pretty good if you can draw Michael Jackson comparisons on your weakest track.
“Love Pursuit” features John Katina of the group—you guessed it—the Katinas. It's a duet in which Katina portrays Jesus, and V.Rose portrays a woman who believes she's too unlovable for His grace. It's Gospel/R&B dialogue that addresses the questions and protestations people have when they encounter Jesus. “Even though you are unworthy, I have a plan to love you forever,” Katina sings. “But what if my heart should stray?” V.Rose asks. “Then I'll pursue you with love and grace,” Katina answers. It's a great song that pulls you in as it progresses.
A fantastic vocal performance drives the repentant song, “Forgive Me.” V.Rose really shows off her singing chops here, yet the song's tremendous R&B potential is robbed by the disjointed Gospel-meets-orchestra instrumentals, when a light beat and synth pad are required. I'm looking forward to a remix on this song, although V.Rose certainly should be commended for her performance here. The background just doesn't match her level here.
Closing the album is the emotional, dramatic recounting of Jesus' sacrificial death, “Cry Holy.” It's a powerful Gospel song that turns out another great vocal performance by V.Rose, vividly painting the picture of the crucifixion, as well as what it'll be like when she meets her Savior: “But when I do see Jesus, I won't ask Him why we die. I won't ask Him to explain the planets, I'll be spending all my time crying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy...'” It's an easy listening tune that wraps up the project by putting the focus on the greatest gift of all time.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
A common trend in debut albums from multi-talented artists is to experiment with musical styles, to see where an artist is best received and most at-home. V.Rose's project does just this, pole vaulting from rock to pop to R&B to rap to straight-up, old-school Gospel.
It's impressive to see V.Rose take on each of these styles, and she really handles them all with excellence. The album does what it's supposed to, in that it discovers which styles she executes best. To that end, V.Rose is at her most potent when she's singing over dance club-ready jams like “Battery”, and “Run That Way.” She also showed glimpses of her strong rap and R&B chops with “Girl, What U Lookin At!” and “Dear Adam.”
These songs undoubtedly will be the singles released from V.Rose, and hopefully that means we'll see a sophomore album that explores these sounds more intently. In the meantime, though, this newcomer has given us an unashamed expression of the Gospel that is fresh, relevant, fun and competent. It's clear V.Rose is part of the advancement of Christian R&B in these times.
A Lock'd and Loaded Project | Posted August-08-2011
Deshon “Shonlock” Bullock is someone who understands the music industry, both in the secular and Christian realms. He has been there and done that as a dancer and choreographer for Aaliyah and Arrested Development (among others), and he has been tutored under the incomparable tobyMac as part of the Diverse City Band. With an ear to culture and a heart owned by Jesus, I expected Shonlock to produce a God-centric, radio-friendly, high-quality debut album.
And Shonlock delivered.
The album kicks off with his first single, the smash hit “Something in Your Eyes,” a kick drum-pounding, dance club friendly song that is all about the hope and the light that followers of Jesus carry within them. I remember hearing this during Shonlock's solo set at tobyMac “Winter Wonder Slam” tour, thinking it was one of the night's undeniable highlights.
So that's the song we all know, but where does the story go from there?
“Could U Be” is a relaxing, but uptempo jam that applies Shonlock's smooth, Akon-meets-Seal vocals over churning, turbulent beats and instruments. The juxtaposition of autotune-heavy singing and instrumentation lends itself to the story of Shonlock's song, which is God's steady and continual pursuit of him, through the madness of his life. He talks about how he “was found in the lost and found,” and that God “picked me up, I was hurting.” But beyond that, he admits how that when things are going well, there's the temptation to push God aside, although the voice of the Holy Spirit never lets him go and he realizes God is “all I ever wanted.”
The second single released from NEVERODDOREVEN is the catchy “Hello,” another techno/dance-influenced number that encourages people to embrace their God-given identities and chase their divinely inspired dreams. “This is your chance, the moment is now. I know you've been waiting to turn it around. Just step out in the open and you'll figure out there's so much more than who you are right now.” It's a mid-tempo, synth-strings anthem that has an inspiring, strangely familiar feeling to it. The more I listened to this catchy song, it hit me: The hook has the exact same chord progression as the song “City on Our Knees” by Shonlock's mentor, tobyMac. I could sing the tobyMac song right over the chorus of “Hello” with no problem. That was a little strange for me, but regardless, it's a good song. I'm looking forward to a mash-up of the two songs, since they are compatible thematically, too.
Shonlock switches gears musically with “Simple Man,” where he transitions into electric guitar-backed rapping. The song is full of words that, to the casual listener, sound right at home on secular hip-hop radio, including “pimp”, “shawty”, “playa”, “hustle” and “grind,” rapped with a style similar to both Jay-Z and Nelly at times. But the message of this aggressive rap isn't typical rap. In a phrase, it's: “Hey, this little light of mine, let it shine. Burn, baby! I do it all for you; I know the view gets hazy. The grass is greener here, oh my dear, smell the daisies. Said naw, don't play it cool, act a fool – go crazy!” Yeah, he's chasing the rap game, but he's chasing Jesus harder, he says.
“Bet Ya House” is a funky, big energy, snare-happy song that expresses Shonlock's joy at doing what he loves for the Lord. “Not saying I've arrived, but I survived. And if I choose to act a fool, it's 'cause I'm so alive,” he raps in the first verse. Lots of grunts and “hey”s are scattered throughout for effect. Organ, piano, electric guitar, hand claps and even a cheerleader-type refrain combine pleasingly. Much in the same vein as the previous song, Shonlock declares, “They call me Lock, I beat the block, get lit without a lighter.” A later song, “Q2GO,” expresses how Shonlock has been waiting for God to release him, musically, and he reiterates that he is only in this to save souls and glorify God: “Tear the roof off reach the lost at all cost I aint even gotta floss. Straight out the box, blocks ahead of your block, it's Lock: ready to explode and give you all that I got!”
“Set It Off” is a high-energy, Outkast-like jam that encourages people to embrace their own callings from God. “You're a star... don't try to be me. Be who you are, it's easy.” There are some great drum breakdowns that remind one of Outkast's “Hey Ya,” and the use of brass only emphasizes that.
In “You Act Like,” Shonlock introduces his first R&B-style love song, where he praises a woman for showing him love, even though he doesn't deserve it: “You read my forecast, knowing you deserve the best, waiting on my clear skies. I'm impressed.” It seems from the mid-tempo, harmony-laden jam that this is a relationship that hasn't really materialized yet, but the singer is beginning to understand what's happening. “I ain't saying that you love me, but you act like you love me. Yep, I think you love me...” he sings in a club-friendly tenor voice.
Simple acoustic guitar and piano are the backdrop to “Cheers,” a ballad that showcases Shonlock's vocals the best of any track on the album. It's almost a Mat Kearney-style song that seems to tell the story of a broken relationship and the transitions of life. The more heart-wrenching “Scarred” immediately follows with smooth female vocals accompanying Shonlock's emotional rap about destroying a relationship. The scene is painted poignantly: “My words mean nothing to her 'cause she know that I'm a poet. Standing at her doorstep, empty bottle of Moet. The pain brung the rain, so I'm out here gettin' mo wet.” The regretful lyrics, which never lead to resolution with the relationship, come to a climax as the singer realizes he has to get right with God first, and asks, “Could you love me again? Is grace gone like the wall of Berlin? … Before it ends, let the healing begin, my God!”
Monster growls, screams, crumbling concrete and Ephesians 6:12 open the distortion-and-guitar rap “Monsta,” a song that isn't about Shonlock's internal struggle, rather, it's about feeling persecution from the secular world for being a Christian. “You talking to me... act like you never knew me... wish you could see the beauty. Yeah, I'm a monsta.” He goes on to say, “Them truth tellers, that what they scared of.”
“Get Free” uses orchestral-type synth strings and blues guitar as the backdrop to talk about the empty pursuits of money, pleasure, lust, and getting high. He tells stories of strippers, their clients, violent youths and drug dealers, ultimately offering in the chorus: “Get free, get free right now. I know a lot of y'all ain't where you wanna be right now.”
The album ends with the title track, “Never Odd or Even,” which sums up the story of salvation and temptation, struggle and grace with a declaration of thankfulness and awe for God's seemingly “odd” decision to save him and not get “even” with him. It's an anthemic rock song that declares, “1 and 1 makes 2; 2 and 2 makes 4. But it doesn't add up how you love me, Lord. It's moving. 'Cause I know yo hear, there's no more fear. Yes, you've made it clear you are always near. I'm fearless.”
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Shonlock has exploded onto the scene by showing his versatility, his street cred, and his unshakable devotion to Jesus. NEVERODDOREVEN delivers positive, God-centered jams in a number of different styles and genres that can please a wide audience. Shonlock has been there and did that in the secular world, and it's clear that he has a strong sense of his divine mission on this earth, and it involves an uncompromisingly powerful musical expression of his faith. It's rare to find an artist who can express pop, rock, rap and R&B with such command. NEVERODDOREVEN is such a great album because it takes you on such a roller coaster, thematically, dynamically, musically and lyrically. You can be dancing crazily to “Something in Your Eyes” one moment, and then sitting, motionless, pondering the powerful words of “Never Odd or Even” the next. It takes a special artist to take the deep themes of faith and struggle and communicate them in language secular radio could appreciate. Well done, Shonlock; you're that artist.
MarcusHathcock_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
