Born Again, with a new direction
Posted July 06, 2010
By taylorwwjd,
So the Newsboys have a new lead singer, and a new album. But is it any good? Well, in addition, there’s some more rock overtones, enough to change the Newsboys from a pop band to pop/rock. Those could affect your enjoyment of the album, I suppose, but there’s something for everyone on this CD, and most of it is done well. Check out my track-by-track review, with a conclusion and rating at the end.
1. Born Again – The first single off the CD. It’s fitting for the new band, sets the tone for the new release, and is overall a very solid song. 4/5
2. One Shot – I love this song… it’s absolutely infectious! It feels like something which would’ve been released in the Peter Furler years, it’s just so much fun. 4.5/5
3. Way Beyond Myself – I suspect a subtle use of Auto-Tune on this song, but that’s okay. Overall it gives off an 80s-synthpop-ish sound, but stays true to the Newsboys’ totally Christian lyrics. It’s a pretty good combination, but probably not an album highlight. 3.5/5
4. Impossible – ‘Impossible’ is the first ballad on the album. I can see this becoming absolutely massive on Christian radio, as it’s absolutely worshipful and something everyone can appreciate. This song also takes advantage of the 80s-synthpop sound on the previous track, ‘Way Beyond Myself’, which neatly makes it sound distinct and not like a CCM copycat (I’m looking at you, ‘I’ll Be’!). The female vocals are a nice touch, too. 4.5/5
5. When the Boys Light Up – After Impossible, this song does a nice job of lightening the mood, although the lyrics come close to being too shallow at some points. It’s not that it’s a bad song – the beats are totally catchy and fun – but the lyrics seem very clichéd, grabbing a bunch of different Christian-sounding phrases and fitting them into the song, until it’s difficult to tell what the point of the song is. The verses seem to focus on (maybe?) victory in Christ or the light vs. the dark, while the chorus focuses on God giving them power… it’s mostly redeemed by its great beats, but it’s still disappointing that they couldn’t nail the lyrics. 4/5
6. Build Us Back – I predict that this will become the album’s second single. This sounds like a very mainstream CCM single… which is a good thing and a bad thing. On the good side, it’s solid lyrics-wise and Michael Tait can show off his great vocals. On the bad side, it’s not original. In fact, by the time you reach the end of the song, we’re in full K-LOVE power ballad mode, with violins, soaring vocals, and the works. This distinct lack of originality is disappointing considering how they managed to pull off original, radio-friendly worship in ‘Impossible’ with such ease. However, people will download this song en masse. Count on it. 3/5
7. Escape – This is the Newsboys song I thought I’d never hear. This breaks away from the album’s pop/rock mold to embrace full-on rock and roll. Some won’t care for it, but it’s great to hear something new from the Newsboys. The guitar solo, while short, is amazing. I give them huge props for trying something new and nailing it… but I love rock anyway, so I’m biased. :) 4.5/5
8. Miracles – I wish that this would be a single, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. The rock tones are lesser than Escape, but the guitar riffs following the chorus are enough to keep it off K-LOVE, I fear. The lyrics are great, the hook (Tait shouting “I believe in miracles!”) is the most memorable on the entire album, and they even carry the 80s-synthpop into the bridge, which gives it some connection to the rest of the album. The best song on the album, period. 5/5
9. Running to You – I feel bad for this song. The song has a great buildup, but not a very strong chorus. Rather, the chorus becomes a K-LOVE soundalike. It could do well as a single, but I don’t know that it’d do as well as the albeit-lesser ‘Build Us Back’. Sadly, despite a valiant effort, this song just doesn’t come together in any meaningful way. 3/5
10. On Your Knees – If ‘Build Us Back’ is the second single, ‘On Your Knees’ will be the third. And for good reason… this song has great, meaningful lyrics. What’s more, both Tait’s restraint (in not soaring his vocals) and the differently-styled bridge give this song differentiation from standard mainstream fare. I like this song, even though it’s not my typical style. 4/5
11. Mighty to Save – A straightforward worship song, done in straightforward style. The intermittent guitar parts are cool, and the chorus-in-harmony is kind of neat, but other than that there is nothing original about this song. It’s done well, but it’s also been done a million times before. 3/5
12. Jesus Freak (featuring KJ-52) – As a huge fan of the original ‘Jesus Freak’, this was the song I was most psyched for. Tait hasn’t changed the song too drastically, but it has it’s own distinct style from the original… you won’t mistake the two songs for each other. I’m sure some ‘purist’ DC Talk fans will despise this song, but I think it’s fun and I enjoy it. KJ-52, I expect, will be the most controversial addition, as his rapping style is very different than tobyMac’s… the pre-chorus rap segments are the biggest change in the song. However, I like it a little different, and it was certainly a better idea to bring in KJ-52 than to make the Newsboys rap. Besides, it takes guts to cover a classic, and skill beyond that to cover it well, which is what the Newsboys and KJ-52 do here. 5/5
Overall, the Newsboys, under the new direction of Michael Tait, have put together a very good album. It won’t become an all-time classic, but it is strong enough to get people used to Michael Tait as the new lead singer. Some people may not like the genre change from pop to pop/rock, as guitars are more prevalent here than previously, but it’s not so different. On some songs, like ‘One Shot’, you can practically imagine Peter Furler singing the lyrics. It’s not a total change, just an evolution. I for one am looking forward to the ‘Tait era’ of the Newsboys. I give ‘Born Again’ 4 stars out of 5, as well as my wholehearted recommendation.
For those who don’t want to buy the full album, I would recommend ‘Miracles’ (if you could only buy one), ‘Escape’, ‘One Shot’, and ‘Impossible’.
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