Mainstay returns this fall with a brand new record, an amazing tour an inspired vision. After the success of Well Meaning Fiction, the band went back into the studio and focused on creating a new album inspired by the Greatness of who God is in their lives and how much He has graciously given them. They have delivered an album full of soaring melody and amazing lyrics.
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Great album, very emotional songs| Posted May 13, 2008
Mainstay is a great new alternative rock Christian band who I've liked since I heard "These Pages" and "Take Away" from "Well Meaning Fiction". Mainstay has managed to take it up a notch in my opinion with "Become Who You Are" as the title track, "Where Your Heart Belongs" and my favorite song on the album "Believe" all reflect emotional themes that resonate with me as they are in essence daily reminders of who we are meant to be in Christ. This is a great album that fans of The Afters, Ruth or Leeland will enjoy.
Mainstay is becoming who they are| Posted June 09, 2008
Coming off their debut, Well Meaning Fiction, and a hit single (“take away”) the alternative light rock band Mainstay is geared up for their sophomore project. Aside from their sometimes solemn rock sound, Mainstay, is more interested in writing powerful lyrics. “Lyrically we want to write lyrics that challenge believers and unbelievers alike” says front man Justin Anderson. Now with more recognition, the pressure is on for Mainstay to maintain and improve on their reputation.
Mainly light rock, Mainstays music has some alternative, and a surprising amount of praise and worship, but the albums opener and title track, “become who you are”, is a tremendous alternative medium rock tune where Justin Anderson’s vocals shine. “Stars are singing” has a pretty good up tempo sound, but it has a worship tune at heart, and “away from you” has a solid sound especially at the end of the refrain. The single “where my heart belongs” is soft rock, but its radio friendly. “Am I keeping you away” picks up as the song goes along and “when you came down” is an upbeat song, but neither are particularly impressive.
A fan favorite “believe” has a more melancholy rock approach to the tune which turns out well. The music in the verses in “only one” set up well for the light and emotional refrain. The light alternative solemn sounding “island” is a solid song where more emotion comes out. One of the harder songs on the album, “roads” has a heavy intro and continues to present a medium upbeat rock tune. The refrain of “don’t I look the same” over arches a solid solemn sounding song but the importance of “story” is low on the album. The ending song “hang on” doesn’t flatter the album a whole lot.
Anderson is very passionate about not selling out or dumbing down the lyrics and getting back to sin and repentance. But alas, much is the same with Mainstay’s lyrics as they fall into more than enough cliché’s and leave too many song unengaging. The best bits of song writing are some of the more indirect, but clear mentions of faith on “island” and “away from you”. “Roads” is a solid song and so is “become who you are” (‘and I’m finding each time that you fall, /You’re just becoming who you are’). “Where my heart belongs” is all about redemption after making bad decisions (‘You gave yourself to those /Who never cared about your soul’), but most the album is simply solemn sounding praise and worship that has been going around (“when you come down”, “only one”, and “hang on”).
Mainstay’s music is solid, as there is just enough verity to stay above cheesy reproduction of the modern Christian music light rock/praise and worship scene. But sadly despite a handful of songs on Become who you Are is pretty much that: praise and worship. And it won’t attract the type of audience that the band was hoping for.
With the release of their sophomore album, BEC artist Mainstay is out to prove that they are aptly named. Become Who You Are, the band's second release in as many years, avoids any hint of a sophomore slump and gives notice that this band is here to stay. In fact, it confirms the band's growth since the release of 2006's Well Meaning Fiction, and further reinforces the band's talent for creating mature, superbly-fashioned, melodic pop/rock.
The tracks of Become Who You Are are a study in dichotomy: they examine the fragility of life and faith; but instead of being brooding or anguished, the music reinforces the child-like expression of hopefulness in Justin Anderson's vocals. It could be argued that this is a concept album because each song seems to echo the progression indicated by the title. But it seems more serendipitous to believe that the songs are intimate glimpses of the band's soul. From the self-indicting title track to the intimate confession of "Hang On", each song of Become Who You Are acts as honest testimonies of faith and expectation.
Honestly| Posted May 20, 2008
Honestly....I didn't think that Mainstay would ever come out with an album that would beat Well Meaning Fiction...But they did it! The message on this album is all about finding who we are and where we belong. This album is a very good album with very inspirational lyrics. A must have for any music collection.
Simply Amazing| Posted April 10, 2008
This cd is great I bought it for the song I believe and simply fell in love with the rest of it. There arre great songs to sing with and just something that can be put on and listned to when ever you think you have nothing else to listen too.
Typical christian radio rock| Posted October 11, 2007
For their second album Mainstay have left behind their artsy lyrics and indie tinged alternative rock sound for more generic music and cliched lyrics. This album is similar to music by artists like Jeremy Camp and Kutless. Typical cliched worshipful lyrics and standard riffs combined with piano melodies and strings for radio friendly tunes. If anything is good about the album it's the fact that the lyrica are more open and worshipful inspite of being cliched and that the music itself although typical is bound to please the ears of those who love radio friendly pop and rock and are looking for ear candy.
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