Confessions
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Pillar Confessions is a well-made album, and one that only Pillar could do.
Let me start of by saying that I was deeply saddened at the news of Pillar's dummer and bassist being replaced for this album. It...
The Long Fall Back To Earth
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Jars Of Clay I have never heard a Jars of Clay album I didn't like. The have been consistently good, yet no two albums are alike. The fact that they have so many sounds and that all of them are good should tell you...
Travel II - EP
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Future Of Forestry I love the work that Future of Forestry (and Something Like Silas) has done in the past. I happened to be out of the loop as far as new music goes for a full year, so I was unaware that FoF had released...
Something New | Posted September-25-2009
I love the work that Future of Forestry (and Something Like Silas) has done in the past. I happened to be out of the loop as far as new music goes for a full year, so I was unaware that FoF had released Travel and Travel II. I first say Travel II on the shelf, so I bought it right off the bat. I normally don't do that without sampling it first, but just knowing that FoF made it was good enough for me. Well, as soon as I started playing this CD, I thought, "What the heck is this?" I was expecting something along the lines of Twilight, but this was completely different. The first track of Travel II starts with some unusual percussion sounds. The rest of the music, including the vocals, were something I had never heard nor would ever expect from FoF. In fact, if someone else had played the EP for me, I would not have guessed it was Future of Forestry, even if Owyoung's voice did sound familiar to me. The first song is the weirdest, but still, the whole album is nothing like what I expected.
I still don't know in what genre to classify Travel II.
Anyway, the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. It helped me to further appreciate the artistic abilities of Future of Forestry. Within a week of getting this EP, I also bought the first EP of the Travel series, which kind of lies in-between Twilight and Travel II.
Anyway, both albums are great. I would recommend listening to them a number of times through before you decide whether or not to get them, but I really enjoy both. I look forward to what sound Future of Forestry may offer with Travel III.
Jars of Clay: True Art | Posted September-25-2009
I have never heard a Jars of Clay album I didn't like. The have been consistently good, yet no two albums are alike. The fact that they have so many sounds and that all of them are good should tell you that they are incredible musicians.
From the moment I first heard Long Fall, I thought it was great. But the more I listen to it, the more I love it. It is definitely one of their best.
I see that there are already a number of reviews for this album, so I just want to comment on their artistic quality (I assume that everything else you want to know has already been provided for you).
Jars has an amazing talent of fitting their sound with their lyrics.
Take for example "Closer". When it starts out Haseltine's voice sounds like it is coming in over a walkie-talkie (but with better quality). Half-way through the first verse, it switches to sound like he's right next to you. As they near the chorus, the background vocals join in. You can tell just by the title that the theme of the lyrics is reflected in the vocal progression.
"Scenic Route" is a great song. You can just close your eyes to picture driving down the road with someone in your passenger seat. Then you can feel the connection between you two, as well as the emotions. Jars creates a great mood with the mandolin, which I love.
"Hero" sounds like a call out for a savior - not a man wearing tights and a cape, but a savior nonetheless. Yet the cry is not one of desperation, which is fitting since we are not only the victims, but the "villians" as well. Instead the music and the vocals give you a sense of realization that we are in need of assistance, as well as a sense that we've run out of options - that we can't do this on our own. It tells us the same things that the lyrics do.
My favorite song is "Headphones". When you hear the music during the verses, you can tell that the musicians are trying to push matters aside. When the chorus comes, that music is overlayed with a new sound, a sound which gives you the feeling of contentment, of being in your own world.
Trust me, the lyrics are amazing. I just think it's even more amazing that you could take the lyrics out and I would still be able to tell what each song is about. That takes skill, and Jars has skill.
Same old Pillar | Posted September-25-2009
Confessions is a well-made album, and one that only Pillar could do.
Let me start of by saying that I was deeply saddened at the news of Pillar's dummer and bassist being replaced for this album. It so happened that the previous drummer is my favorite of all time. That being said, my view of this album may be somewhat clouded.
One of the things I appreciate most about Pillar is that in the first half of their career, every album had a different sound. Recently, however, the band has not given us much of anything new.
Let's take the music of Where Do We Go From Here, the vocals of The Reckoning, and the emotion of For the Love of the Game, and you have Confessions. In other words, the over all sound is new (but still similar to past sounds), but the various elements that it incorporates are elements we have heard before.
If you want to know whether or not to get this album, I would say it comes down to what you expect. Are you a Pillar fan who wants to hear the good ol' stuff fit into new songs? You've got to get this CD. Are you looking for the band to reinvent themselves again? Perhaps it would be better to pass on this one. If you are not familiar with any of their old stuff, then this would be a good album with which to sample their style, but I'd recommend Where Do We Go From Here as their best release.
Allow me to return to my statement that Pillar "has not given us MUCH of anything new." There is ONE thing that Confessions offers that is new: In their ballads "Better Off Now" and "Will You Be There", Pillar pulls out their seldom-heard acoustic guitars. In addition to that, they've thrown in some orchestral strings, which I love. Musically, this is probably their best album as far as ballads go (although they can't beat the lyrics of past ballads, especially "Rewind").
Another great part of the album is Pillar's cover of Collective Soul's "Shine". Pillar does a great job of making it their own while still keeping the spirit of the original. Plus, it's just a fun song to sing along with.
Confessions offers a great rock sound. It is not like the energetic rock of For the Love of the Game, which feels like it should be played in stadiums or commercials for sports, but it has a nice, steady, and powerful feel.
If you liked Pillar in the past, this CD surely will not disappoint.
Still Alive, But Not Quite Livin' | Posted July-02-2008
Kutless's latest release has a decent sound, accompanied by good lyrics. There's no doubt about it: they rock. I'd recommend this album for newer Kutless fans. If you enjoyed Hearts of the Innocent, then you'll love this.
Many of us older fans, however, will be disappointed. The album lacks the creativity of the first two albums. Kutless had an inventive sound, but it has now blended with the stereotypical Rock. Why would I want to hear a sound that a thousand other bands have? It's a good sound, it's just not special.
So what are you looking for? If you want a band that rocks hard in worshiping God, then buy the CD. If you want a unique sound with raw talent, check out Sea of Faces or their self-entitles debut instead.
Earthen Vessels | Posted April-01-2008
The greatest part about this album is that one can hear how Jars of Clay has changed throughout the years. The album moves from their early acoustic sound to their current alternative style.
Of course you can only fit so many songs on an album, but this could have easily been a two-Cd set, as JOC has so many hits that it's fans love to listen to.
There is really no need for a true long-time fan to by this Cd, as with any greatest hits album, for those fans should already have most of these songs. The new song resembles the sound heard in Good Monsters, so fans of their newer stuff will enjoy it.
I recommend this album for newer fans of Jars of Clay.
We Need Each Other | Posted March-01-2008
The CD has a decent sound, but nothing truly stands out. In general, the lyrics are quite good, but not really moving.
It's a good CD. Unfortunately, I can't help to compare it to the very successful "Fight The Tide". I'm still waiting for them to top that. It would be close to impossible, and sadly I don't expect them to live up to it again.
Back to the Good Stuff | Posted March-01-2008
Pillar still knows how to rock. The style is about 70% "Where Do We Go From Here" and 30% "The Reckoning". The band experimented a bit with their sound for their last album, "The Reckoning", giving it quite a different feel from previous releases. Now, they've kept what they did right and discarded the unpopular, giving "For the Love of the Game" a sound similar to the true Rock their fans know and love.
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