The message in question comes to full flower both sonically and lyrically on Who Can Know It?: the band’s most sincere and developed sounding effort to date. Teaming once again with long-time production collaborators Sylvia Massy (Prince, Tool, Johnny Cash) and Rich Veltrop (Phantom Planet, Slayer), familiar listeners have come to expect the unexpected, but will they expect a record this unexpected?
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Who Can Know It?| Posted March 09, 2011
There are a lot of unique bands out there. But saying Showbread is unique is a gross understatement. They're in a league of their own. If you ever thought you had this band's style down then allow Who Can Know It? to prove you wrong. The band has changed before, but not like this. Here you won't find any of lead singer Josh Dies' trademark screams that I've come to love. So what is there? A more gentle rock approach that even features some harmonies and piano driven songs.
The album begins with A Man With a Hammer. This brings me to one of my favorite things about Showbread. The don't skirt around issues. It might make for some controversy and PG-13 songs, but I love the brutal honesty of their lyrics. The verses of this song are filled with horrible scenes of sin. Following is the chorus "Before I could ever love you back/You gave your love to me/Now I see my sentencing reprieve/You offer me your everything/Even though I am still me." The strong contrast between our own wretchedness and God's grace makes for an unforgettable worship song.
Personally, out of all the songs, my favorites are You're Like a Taxi and Myth of a Christian Nation. The first of these is a song that, in all seriousness, I would love to have played at my funeral. It's a moving song thats point is because Christ conquered death we no longer have to fear it. Now it is nothing more than transportation to our permanent home... like a taxi. The second of my favorites, Myth of a Christian Nation, offers a harsh and convicting look at the American church. Musically, it's definitely the song I like most.
As a diehard Showbread fan, I respect the creative leap the band took with Who Can Know It? but I have to be honest: I find the music very hard to get into. A few of the songs seem to blend together and after a while some of the vocals start sounding borderline monotonous. That said, it's still a good album, especially thanks to the amazing lyrics. Plus, it's free. How can you go wrong with that? I'm still a huge Showbread fan and can't wait to see what they do next. I'm sure whatever it is will be just as unexpected as this.
4/5| Posted November 16, 2010
When you press play, you'll notice immediately that this is not the Showbread you remember. Gone is the screaming and the harsh guitars have been toned down. What has changed is everything. Josh Dies sings, the pace is much slower, and the lyrics clearly envoke the band's stance as a Christian band. Even though this album is slower it still showcases the brilliance of the band to a tee. Every song is expertly crafted and produced. The pure emotion coming from Dies is very wonderful to listen too. Longtime fans of the band might not dig this album but I really liked it. And it's free to download legally, which is a huge bonus for people who are strapped for cash.
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