Formed in 2004 and hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, The Wedding is a crew of dudes who are no strangers to the music scene. Having been on tour with the likes of Anberlin, Project 86, The O.C. Supertones, Disciple, and many others, The Wedding have become known for their innovative songwriting and live performances, and that does not end with this record. The addition of frontman Matt Shelton (former lead singer of Letter Kills) pushed the band to new heights and helped them actualize their vision like never before. Fans who have come to know and love them over the years will not be disappointed with No Direction.
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The Wedding: Reclaiming Rock and Roll| Posted September 24, 2012
After a stint as an independent band, some lineup changes, and plenty of touring, The Wedding is back--and refusing to be ignored.
No Direction is the 5-piece rock outfit's first album release since signing with Tooth & Nail Records. The eclectic blend of sounds and styles from the past two albums is still present, drawing heavily on the band's Arkansas roots as well as some more unlikely elements (it's not often that a hard rock band boasts a track titled in Latin).
The album opens with the infectiously catchy title track, a rock cut with enough of a pop vibe that it could easily hold its own in radio play. The song introduces the theme of seeking for life direction in a world constantly sending mixed messages. "In The End" leans on the adrenaline-laced scorching style of southern rock and roll, exploring the way humanity pursues the wrong things, and where it lands us: "we get what we want in the end, the blood is on our hands."
"The Lesser Worth" declares the lack of satisfaction found in the things the world tries to sell us. The song features a beautiful breakdown and dual-guitar build up in the bridge, backing the band's edgy, intense lyrics with musical precision. "The Raconteur" is a rowdy adventure song, showcasing Matt Shelton's strong, raucous vocals.
"Hang On Love" is the first in a set of more weighty selections. The introduction here pays tribute to punk bands of a decade ago, notably through the way Cody Drigger's rich bass work lays the foundation for the rest of the song. This is a song of encouragement, declaring: "If you're tired, love, rest your head. If you're lonely, dear, I'll be a friend."
Although the band can clearly pull off the scalding guitar riffs and in-your-face vocals with a solid mastery that has been rare in recent years, they also have mastered a vulnerable side. "The Wildest Ocean" and "Mors Tua Nos Vita" demonstrate the band's softer side beautifully. "The Wildest Ocean" is a fragile plea for hope in the face of the storm. The lyrics soften along with the musical tone, speaking in a more poetic voice. "Mors Tua Nos Vita" is a hymn-like selection, building up to crescendo over raw acoustic guitar.
"Kill Any Excuse" kicks back in with a driving arena-rock sound. The track skillfully achieves the balance between a feel-good vibe and lyrics with depth. "Heartbreak in Melody" is a more edgy track exploring the way melody can become like an emotional drug. Here the gritty, driving guitar work of guitarists Trevor Sarver and Adam Thron shines.
"Don't Let Me Down" traces a conversation in a relationship trying to hold itself together through honesty. This is one of the more widely accessible tracks on the record, pulling again on more of a pop-styled influence. "Young and Dangerous" is essentially an anthem for the social rejects and underdogs who tend to gather on the floor at rock shows, nostalgic somehow despite the no-holds-barred musical approach. "Distance and Resolution" is the album's conclusion, seeking to close the gap between man and God, looking to Him as the only possible direction. They blend some beautiful soaring choral vocals towards the end, adding to the haunting tone of the closing track.
Closing Thoughts:
The Wedding has broken their silence in the best way possible. The songs are honest, raw anthems for the seeker of truth, flavored with refreshing intentionality and some classic raucous rock and roll. The band explores some of the questions and struggles that arise in a directionless society while still pointing towards the hope found beyond our broken reality, balancing the heavy themes with the light. Christian hard rock continues to be a precarious place to stand, but The Wedding seems to balance there fearlessly.
The Wedding: No Direction| Posted September 24, 2012 The Wedding have a long and seemingly complicated history. About four years ago I found their EP The Sound and the Steel and was blown away, but then I never really heard anything about them again until two months ago when I saw they were coming near me for a show. Apparently they released one other EP since The Sound and the Steel, called Distance, which I do not think was released digitally, because I cannot find it anywhere online. Now, the band, with new vocalist, Matt Shelton, is releasing their new album and debut with Tooth & Nail Records, No Direction. As I mentioned, they came to a two day festival back in August and played both days. I had the privilege to see them both times, and I was honestly really surprised about how amazing they are live. I have never seen a band have that much energy on stage, and I was extremely excited to hear some new tunes from them to see if that energy translates to a recording.
It does not. Whenever I think back to when I saw them play about a month ago I kind of wonder if this is the same band that played then. They played two songs off No Direction, the title track and "In the End," and both songs were melt-your-face-off songs live, but listening to them recorded it is more soft rock than melt-your-face. I can tell, especially on "In the End," they tried to translate the energy over onto the album, but it is just not the same as seeing them live. You have to see these guys live in order to get the full effect; these songs are so much more intense live, and definitely a lot better in concert.
With that said, I still really like this album, even if does not exactly have the same amount of energy as they do live. I have listened to this record probably about 15 times since I received it, and it does not get old. I try not to let anything bias my opinion of an album, so when thinking about the quality of this album I try to eliminate how great they are live and how intense their shows are. After eliminating that thought from my head, it made it a lot easier to look at this album objectively and realize how good it actually is. No Direction is catchy. Every song on the album has gotten stuck in my head at some point or another. The Wedding did a fantastic job of creating a great rock album (even if it does not quite measure up to their potential intensity level).
The title track opens up the album with one of the catchiest songs on the album, but probably also one of the softer song songs on the record. The first time I heard the song recorded I was really surprised at the lack of energy on the song, especially after hearing how it sounds live. Nonetheless, the track is solid, and one of my favorites on the album thus far. "In the End" ups the intensity notch just a little bit with a song that talks about how we will get what we want in the end; what we sow we will reap. I think "The Lesser Worth" may be the climax of the intensity on the album, with some of the best instrumentals and in-your-face gang vocals highlighting the song. "The Raconteur" is another one of the more soft songs on the record, but it is very lyrically intense. The song is a message to all the boys out there to stand firm in their convictions and not waiver on their beliefs; as Shelton sings you can really hear the seriousness in his voice, which adds a little more intensity to the song.
"Hang on Love" somewhat reminds me of Falling Up, especially their album, Captiva (my personal favorite). As far as the softer songs go on this record, this may be Shelton's best vocally. "The Wildest Ocean" really slows it down and "Mors Tua Nos Vita" does not exactly pick up the pace either. "Kill Any Excuse," however, brings the intensity back to the album with one of the best guitar tracks on the album, but not one of the best vocally, in my opinion. "Heartbreak in Melody" is easily my favorite song in the later portion of the album; it embodies the best parts of the band, which are Shelton's great vocals as well as a mixture of intense and melodic rock. The album finishes up with "Don't Let Me Down," "Young and Dangerous," and "Distance and Resolution," with "Young and Dangerous" being the highlight of the three.
No Direction is not exactly one of the most deep in terms of lyrics and it is not exactly the most intense, or best, rock album of the year; but, it is a pretty good rock album nonetheless. I feel a little cheated with this record, because they are so intense live, but this album is nowhere near their intensity level on stage. The thing that made them so amazing to me is conspicuously missing from this record, and that automatically knocked it down a notch for me. The Wedding created a pretty good album, especially considering this is their first full-length album in five years, but I definitely can see some improvement that can be made for next time. The Wedding may be the most promising band in Christian rock right now, and I feel like they are still on their way up. Hopefully their next album will better represent how amazing they are live, but for now, No Direction is still a pretty solid album and one definitely worth your time and money.
Favorite Song: In the End
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from The Christian Music Review Blog. Click here to visit today!
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