Disciple [Southern Hospitality]
Posted October 31, 2008
By christianmusicreview,
[MAIN REVIEW]
Sounds like: old school POD, Incubus.
“Southern Hospitality,” also the name of the first track of the album, reminds me of POD’s “I feel so Alive.” “Take my time, it doesn’t matter if the sky is gray I’m gonna *(Matthew 7:24-25) / Take my time, and live like it’s my last day (Psalm 90:12) / Oh Yeah, feel the high / Alright, I feel alive tonight / Oh yeah, rain or shine / It’s a great day to be alive (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).” There is nothing dull about Disciple. The hard rock keeps your head nodding and energy high throughout the whole album. The songs are full of meaning and spiritual inspiration.
The band put it better than I could when they say in a note after the song “Liar,” “Regarding our lyrics, we try to write songs that are passionate, genuine, and from the heart. We like to write songs about real situations that people face in everyday life. We also understand that we are role-models and we want our music to point to our faith in Jesus. With that being said, I felt it would be good to add a note on the subject of forgiveness. When I wrote this song [Liar] I was struggling with forgiveness and wrote the line, “I will forgive you, but it’s gonna take some time.” This was an honest evaluation of where my heart was at the time. But it is God’s will for us to forgive. Sometimes it is hard to do that. As followers of Christ we are called to forgive at all costs. In light of Matthew 18:21-35, it is very clear that God has forgiven all of us of a multitude of sins, and that He expects us to forgive just as He has forgiven us.”
“Liar” is an awesome song about standing up for Christ, and not being ashamed of your faith. It also speaks about how difficult forgiveness is when you’ve been hurt. It’s an honest look at the process it takes to forgive. Forgiving is not something you can do without Christ backing you up. “You tell me not to speak, but you don’t understand / That He’s ashamed of me when I’m ashamed of Him (Mark 8:38) / What good is the next level if we gain the world, but then we lose our soul (Mark 8:36)/ I’m not saying you’re a liar / It’s just that none of us believe a word you say / They say the tongue is like a fire (James 3:6) / Nothing but empty promises around your flame.”
“Whatever Reason” and “Lay my Burdens” both have a very “prodigal son” theme to the lyrics. Christ will always welcome back anyone who has gone astray, no matter how far you’ve gone or what lies in the past.
Here’s some interesting band news: according to a press release, one of the original band members of Disciple, Brad Noah has decided to step down from touring because of a long-term health issue. However, he is still involved in song writing and production, so his style is still very much a part of “Southern Hospitality.” Disciple has also added three new members: guitarist Andrew Welch, guitarist Micah Sannon, and Israel Beachy on bass.
As far as the album goes, a few of the songs sounded the same. It’s nice to have some more diversity in the music. But over-all, the message is positive, the lyrics are creative, and it is obvious these guys worked hard to put out a quality project. I say it’s definitely a go for all Disciple fans. If you’ve never had a disciple CD before, this is a good one to start with. It’s new and fresh, and really speaks to the heart.
* Please note that the scripture references in parenthesis are not actually in the lyrics. Disciple chose to include them so listeners can see where they are drawing their material from. This feature really enhances the musical experience on a spiritual level.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Disciple has truly demonstrated a deep desire to point their fans in the direction of God. Almost all the lines in their songs are followed by a Biblical reference so the audience can see where they are getting their meaning from. When a group works not only to make good music, but to bring glory to God through what they do, God will certainly bless them, and He has blessed Disciple. This group has been together for more than 15 years has now released 10 projects. I’m sure more hit albums will be on the way in the future.
Rating: 8.3 out of 10 (83%, B-)
Review written by: Liz Zelinski | Review can also be found here.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today! View All Music And Book Reviews By christianmusicreview | View christianmusicreview's Profile
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