The Altar and the Door
by
Casting Crowns The song, "East to the West" is just great Casting Crowns. Slow build up, powerful conclusion, great lyrics, and inspiring music. The rest, I'm afraid, is not as great.
'What This World Needs,'...
Five Score And Seven Years Ago
by
Relient K Relient K's latest album 'Five Score and Seven Years Ago' is easily Relient K's best. Relient K has become a complete band; no longer are they confined to silly songs like 'Hoopes...
Lifesong
by
Casting Crowns Well, you will receive far less of my ramblings on this album than I gave on the last; I got my spiel out, so need to repeat.
Let me start by saying this: 'Lifesong' is, of all...
A Strange Mix of the Old and the New | Posted August-01-2007
'Oh! Gravity', Switchfoot's newest album, came with high expectations; such as creating a whole new genre. Well, maybe it did that, but that's for the listener to decide. For this reviewer, this is an uneasy combination of the old and the new.
Musically, this is pretty new for Switchfoot. In a sense, they are revisiting their quirky side, but these songs are just plain weird - nothing like the intense 'Meant to Live', the powerful 'Dare You to Move', or the monster riff of 'Stars.' Instead we have a goofy intro riff to the song 'Oh! Gravity' that sounds like a commercial tune for a cell phone. Not to say that I don't like it; it's one of the few things that really works here, it's just that...well, it's just not the Switchfoot I've come to love.
Unlike their radical music departure, lyrically, they stay strangely the same. 'Oh!' Gravity' is yet another lament on the depravity of the human race, and the very next song, 'American Dream' is another song against consumerism, followed by 'Dirty Second Hands' which is against the advent of modern technology, the song 'Circles', which is against the culture, and 'Amateur Lovers' against pre-marital sex. Hmm, haven't we already covered this?
Nevertheless, the songs are nice to listen to. The albums' high points are the energetic and (thankfully) optimistic 'Awakening', the wonderfully worded 'Faust, Midas, and Myself', and the opener, the catchy and unique 'Oh! Gravity.' The rest of the album is either 'just nice' or to strange.
I admire Switchfoot's pursuit of something new, but it just doesn't work here. Their song 'Dirty Second Hands' is the perfect example. It's unique all right...a dark country riff played to the background of Jon's droning voice that explodes into a flurry of electric guitars for a few short bursts, with Jon yelling out the chorus. Innovative, and even interesting for the first few listens, but in the end, simply too strange to admire. The same goes for the choppy 'Amateur Lovers.'
Overall, this album is another good album by Switchfoot, with some really good lyrics (just pretend you've never heard the subject before and they work well). Musically, the innovation is nice, but not satisfying. In conclusion though, I'm pleased that Switchfoot is seeking new ground, rather than staying put in a musical rut like, well...almost every other Christian band around.
A Refreshingly Diffrent Sophomore Album | Posted August-01-2007
Two odd things about Kutless come to mind when listening to 'Sea of Faces.' Before, they had sounded exactly like the secular band, 'Creed', but were fairly original in the Christian market. This time around, they sound absolutely nothing like their last previous grunge style, but a lot more like other Christian hard rock bands, such as Seventh Day Slumber and Thousand Foot Krutch. As if taking a cue from Skillet, Kutless appears to have completely changed itself as a band for a different album
But thankfully, they sound better. The tension charged 'Not What You See' opens the album strongly, followed by the piano laced rocker 'All Alone.' Immediately, you realize Kutless has expanded musically. No longer do the songs sound like variations of each other. 'Sea of Faces' a beautiful pop/rock ballad about God's love for us, with its energetic acoustics and clean electrics is a wild departure from the monotonous grungy tracks of the last record, as is the soft worship song, 'All of the Words.'
But Kutless doesn't go soft. 'Let You In', with its catchy intro riff and heavy chorus is return to heavier form, with the unnecessary hardcore screams at the end of each chorus. 'Troubled Heart' and 'Better For You' are hard but decent rockers. 'Passion' has the best lyrics of the album; 'Nail pierced hands run with blood/ a splitting brow forced by the thorns/ Your face is writhing with the pain...'
The song perfectly describes the paradox believers have in viewing the crucifixion; one of horror and of delight.
'Treason', my favorite track, has a heart pounding riff with some witty lyrics ('Tell me a reason why this isn't a treason'). And 'It's Like Me' is the most musically complex song, with different layers of guitars providing the background for Jon Sumrall's vocals to lament his habit of holding back the truth about Christ to unbelievers.
Although most of it has been done musically before, Kutless does it better than most, and doesn't fail in the lyrics area, where they remain honest and strong. Worth the money, and will provide a few good listens, as well as a few very memorable songs.
Good Start - Not a Very Good Album | Posted August-01-2007
I review this album with a few more years of wisdom under my belt than when I first bought it. Before I would have declared this one of the best albums ever, but that's what being fourteen can do to you (no offense to all the fourteen year olds on the site).
Not that this album is bad, as the music is well done...but oddly familiar. They are not very original in the least, with all the songs sounding roughly the same. 'Your Touch' and 'Vow' both very good songs, are almost identical in thier intros.
There are some really stand out songs. 'This Time', is a very powerful song about the prodigal son, and it uses the heavier rock sound to its best effect, earnestly crying out 'no walking away!' 'Your Touch' is very catchy, as is the song about an anexoric, 'Down.' And 'Run' is a very, very, good song, easily the best on the album. I really liked 'Grave and Love', but in light of recent songs of the same type, its not as exceptional, but still a very good song.
The rest of the songs will fade form memory. 'Pride Away' is very mediocore, but stands out because of its long rap bridge, which although unique to the album, is not very interesting. The screams at the end are also not a very nice touch. 'Again' is boring, 'In Me' is ok, and 'Saved' is passable. 'Dry' is pretty good song, and has some of the best electric guitar, but, sad to say, that's not much of a compliment.
Overall, if you're looking for some well done, heavy-grunge rock look no further than Kutless' debut. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself mistaking a few songs for the other.
C.S. Lews Would Be Proud - If He Liked Hard Rock | Posted August-01-2007
When I picked up 'Wavorly' at the nearest Christian Bookstore, the cashier beamed me a blinding smile. 'This is one of the best rocks CD's ever,' she said brightly. 'I highly recommend it.' Obviously, I presumed, this CD must be pretty good.
And it was. From the classical string introduction, I knew this was band that was different from the rest of the metal infused, hard rock, Christian artists - and they weren't as unnecessarily wild as the rest of them. The strings slowly faded into heavy rock guitar, which evolved into the frenzied guitar riff of the band's first rock single 'Madmen.' The whole song was excellent, with well crafted lyrics that spoke out against our culture's obsession with entertainment. The next song, 'Part One', came in with a screeching background guitar and poetic lyrics about a man in the 'Great Divorce' that C.S. Lewis vividly describes in his fictional book. All in all, the combination of first class rock music and excellent, C.S. Lewis inspired intelligent lyrics had me intrigued.
Not every song is on something super deep or super poetic. The song 'Summer's Song' is a quiet acoustic romance song, which I think is better than most, with its catchy chorus and evident call to purity before marriage, without leaving behind its hopelessly romantic lyrics. And then there is the song 'Praise and Adore (Some Live Without It)' which is one of the best songs on the CD, and one of the best worship songs I've heard in a while. The song beautifully proclaims 'So I praise and adore/You made the world beautiful/ And I can't stand and deny/ You created Life/ And some live without it.' The addition of the 'some live without it' makes the song really powerful, as it laments the fact that some people will go through this whole life without recognizing and knowing Jesus as Creator, Lord, and Savior. Very powerful. 'Sleeper' and 'How Have We Come So Far' are not quiet, but not quite that rocky, and both are excellent, earnest, songs.
But that covers the softer songs. 'Endless Day', about a man waiting for heaven is pretty hard, as is 'Twenty-Twenty'. I thought 'Time I Understood' was fantastic with its heavy palm muted intro riff, and energetic verses. 'Forgive and Forget' is one of the hardest songs, and it comes along with one of the album's catchiest choruses: 'How could I choose not to forgive/ With everything you choose to forget?/ And still we will be loved.'
Then there is hardest song (in my opinion), and also the most poetic: The Tale of the Dragon's Defeat. The epic song seems to start as a metaphor for Jesus coming to the world to save His bride, but then evolves into a direct line from Christ to Satan: 'I died so she could have more/ the Life that she now finds in me/ is the tale of the dragon's defeat.'
At the end of the album is short strings composition; their seems to be little classical music performances after the end of many of the songs also which is a nice touch - it adds sophistication and beauty to the bombastic songs with the roaring electric guitars.
Because of the originality of the band, their poetic lyrics, the good message, and their powerful sound, I give them the highest rating. But what is the moral of this review? Trust the cashier at your local Christian Bookstore.
An Excellent (though Depressing) Album | Posted July-31-2007
I'll admit that nostalgia is biasing my judgment here. I remember very fondly the first time I heard 'Stars', and thinking to myself 'my goodness, this band is amazing!' That was what started me on liking Switchfoot. Since then, 'Stars' has remained my favorite song since.
While I gave 'The Beautiful Letdown' five stars because of its continued excellence throughout, I give 'Nothing Is Sound' for its short bursts of even greater excellence. For sure, 'NIS' has some weak spots, but its strong spot are more entertaining, more catchy, and more deep than any of Switchfoot's previous work, and certainly the candy coated Christian contenders around them.
'Nothing Is Sound' opens with a dark, digital guitar effects filled 'Lonely Nation' which is dark, depressing, and maddeningly catchy, setting the tone for the rest of the album. It also contains some of the albums darkest, yet 'oh so true' lyrics, best of which is the line 'we're slaves of what we want.' Switchfoot's laments on our depravity comes full swing on this album.
Following 'Lonely Nation' is, my personal favorite, 'Stars', which comes roaring in with its bombastic riff which runs through out the song. The upbeat verses and catchy choruses make this the surefire single. It also adds to 'Lonely Nations' message. The line 'stars looking at our planet/ watching entropy and pain/ and maybe startin' to wonder how/ the chaos in our lives could pass as sane' echoes the same message of depravity, but the chorus shows forth Switchfoot's hope in Christ, with the intriguing final line 'When I look at the Stars...I see someone' cutting off the 'else' from previous choruses.
'Happy Is a Yuppie Word', 'The Blues', and 'Politicians' are all more masterful songs, with hope injected into their depressiveness. Politicians, though, remains simply depressing, with such lines as 'everything is broken/ every thing is bleeding/ everything is breaking down'. But that will matter little to the people listening for the hyper aggressive guitar the song boasts. 'Easier Than Love' does a great job of decrying our nations lust for sex, and it does so with unshrinking honesty: 'Sex is currency/ she sells cars/ she sells magazines.'
The few songs that don't work our 'The Setting Sun' which is mediocre, 'Golden' which is uplifting, but not very satsifying, and 'Daisy', a song that could have been much more. But fear not, 'The Shadow Proves the Sunshine', decidedly the brightest spot on the album, is strong enough to take away most of the depression, and the song 'We Are One Tonight' (Switchfoot's catchiest song in my humble opinion) adds to the joy, even though the lyrics do seem somewhat depressing. The anthem chorus though, keeps it highly uplifting.
I have only two major complaints with this album. First off, the song 'The Fatal Wound'. Hopelessly dark, dreary, and cryptic, I am disappointed Switchfoot would place this song on here. I'm almost afraid to figure out what it means. The only other quibble is that 'The Shadow Proves the Sunshine' would have made the perfect last song. What better way to end a depressing album on our total depravity without Christ, than by joyfully exclaiming 'all this dark proves one thing; there is light.' Frankly, the song would have been far more powerful in closing than in its original fourth spot, but with iPods, and MP3s, whole album listens are rare these days anyway.
All in all, Switchfoot has moved on with their craft, and I'm happy to say, they've only gotten better.
'The Beautiful Letdown' Is Far From | Posted July-31-2007
If the opening riff of 'Meant to Live' doesn't get your blood going, than you need a check up.
After much success in the Christian market, Switchfoot was recognized by Columbia Records as being a great band and so, hurriedly took them in, which broadened Switchfoot's scope to a secular audience...and gave them the tools they needed to craft their finest record yet.
As the hyper catchy chorus of 'Meant to Live' comes around, its clear that Switchfoot has turned a new page. No previous song from them has been as intense, as original, and as cool as this. And they're not done. 'This Is Your Life' with its heavy effects ladened guitar intro comes next, leading up to the anthem cry of the album: 'Don't waste this life; it was meant for more.' 'Dare You to Move' sounding much better this time around, echoes the sentiment.
The maturity Switchfoot has attained is miraculous. Their lyrics are impeccable, their music first rate, and their message as strong as ever. The acoustic '24' is Jon's cry to God about his depravity ('There's twenty four reasons/to admit that I'm wrong/with all my excuses/ still twenty-four strong'), but ascends into a joyous celebration where Jon assuredly and happily declares 'I am the second man now.' The song 'Redemption' drives home the same point.
Another amazing thing about this album is that every song is a keeper. From the catchy chorus of 'More than Fine', the aggressiveness of 'Ammunition', the fun-loving 'Gone' and 'Adding to the Noise' and the beautiful piano song 'On Fire', every song is just so powerful and varied. Ranging from distorted rock riffs, soft acoutics, rocky acoustics, pianos, 80's riffs, digital effects, sliding octaves...whatever floats your boat, you'll find floating here. The song 'The Beautiful Letdown' comes in quietly, but leaves you convicted to rethink your life, your priorities, and the Church - and it's simply a cool song.
There is no doubt Switchfoot deserves all the praise it has received for this album. Signifying Switchfoot's goal, sound, and message, 'The Beautiful Letdown' is anything but.
Switchfoot Only Gets Better With Age | Posted July-31-2007
If 'Legend of Chin' was Switchfoot's entrance into the Christian Rock scene, and 'New Way to Be Human' was the band declaring itself here to stay, 'Learning to Breathe' is the album that is letting us know Switchfoot has big plans in mind. And as the majority seems to have agree: all for the better.
This is a great album for both Switchfoot fans and average listeners. For the Switchfoot fans, this album is the thin line that separates their next three albums and the previous two. Both sides of Switchfoot are heard prominently on this; the fun loving quirky group, and the more serious, more focused older group. For the average listener, there is just a bunch of excellenty contrived, catchy, tunes.
The album opnes with original form of 'Dare You to Move'. It's a lot more choppy than the 'The Beautiful Letdown' version, but still retains its inspiring and powerful feel. It's Switchfoot's first powerful anthem, a mainstay for Switchfoot from here on out. The highly enjoyable song 'Learning to Breathe' follows in suit, with its lyrics easily describing ourselves walking in the new world of grace: 'I'm learning to breathe, I'm learning to crawl, I'm finding that You, and You alone can break my fall.'
The pure garage rocker, 'You Already Take Me There' is unnervingly catchy, almost as much as it is obnoxious on first listen. 'Love Is a Movement', another epic declaration, has some convicting lyrics that challenge the Church strongly. Love is not an emotion or a passing fancy...it's an action, a movement, it cries out, and does so powerfully. Almost as if to counter Switchfoot's serious and epic anthems, here comes the song 'Paparazzi', a return to earlier goofiness. Nothing but fun in this song.
The excellent 'Innocence Again', the fast paced 'Playing for Keeps' and the quiet tune, 'The Economy of Mercy are masterfully done and are all wildly varied. 'Loser' has an eighties anthem rock feel, and 'Erosion' is a song that, although on a different subject, reminds me a lot of 'New Way to Be Human.'
If you are looking for excellent lyrics and excellent music, look no further than Switchfoot's 'Learning to Breathe.'
Switchfoot Turns Over a 'New' Leaf | Posted July-31-2007
After their first album appeared, Switchfoot began to ascend in the world of Christian rock. This, their follow up album, 'New Way to Be Human', demonstrated they were now a major contender, here to stay.
Unlike the dull opening song of the last album with its soft muted guitar, this one opens up in a radically different way. A very poppy, entertaining, and quirky (remember that word) intro followed by Jon's straining vocals lead into a highly catchy chorus that all provides the backdrop for an excellent message on our need for Christ to truly be human (I belive that's a run-on sentence).
As I've mentioned before, the word 'quirky' becomes a Switchfoot mainstay here. 'Incomplete', 'Company Car.' 'Something More', and even 'Amy's Song' have a little bit of unusual tinges to them. 'Incomplete' with its chorus that greatly resembles the future chorus of 'More than Fine' is a fine song about our incompleteness without Christ (the main message of the album if you haven't noticed). In the fourth song 'Company Car' Switchfoot has laid out there song subject for their next four albums: humanity's depravity without Christ, and the evils of consumerism. But they do it in a way that's delightfully fun. Somehow the opening lines to Company Car ("Mike was right, when he said I'd put up a fight...") just stick with you, no doubt for the quirky music playing, ranging from a bopping guitar to a trumpet.
Switchfoot also shows forth their softer side with gusto. The marvelous 'Let That Be Enough' contains some fantastic lyrics: 'And it all seems so helpless/and I have no plan/I'm a plane in the sunset/with nowhere to land.' The song's earnestness, backed by the quiet, comforting acoustic guitar provides for a powerful song of brokenness. 'Only Hope' counters the brokenness with a song of joy, singing out to God with unashamed joy because He is our 'Only Hope.' The funky 'Amy's Song' is quirkiness to the extreme, but still very powerful. The spooky/catchy song 'Sooner or Later' just adds to the album likableness (wow, that's a word).
Overall, this album stands well on its own. You need not be a Switchfoot fanatic to enjoy the quirky, beautiful, and meaningful songs on this album.
The Beginning of a Legend... | Posted July-31-2007
Switchfoot, quite arguably Christian Rock's most popular band, started off with a somewhat surprising album. Sure it contains lots of evidence as to what Switchfoot would eventually become, but overall, it's a different flavor - although some might argue, it is Switchfoot's true flavor.
Vocals/guitarist Jon Foreman, bassist Tim Foreman, and drummer Chad Butler bring together a set of tunes that contains some excellently crafted songs, but unless you are a Switchfoot fan, there might not be much here for you to enjoy.
The album showcases Jon Foreman's excellent songwriting and quirky humor almost right away. Chem 6A comes bopping in with a hokey riff, witty lyrics, and silly opening. You can almost hear the guys laughing throughout this song - they don't take themselves too seriously, which is good. A few so-so's follow in the form of 'Underwater', 'Edge of my Seat,' and 'Home.' Decent lyrics, decent music, and that undeniably catchy voice make them entertaining but passable. 'Might Have Ben-Hur' is another one of those silly songs that, once again, Switchfoot seems not to take to seriously.
Then comes the three best songs of the album with the catchy melancholy rocker 'Concrete Girl,' the expansive 'Life, Love, and Why?' and the beautiful 'You.' Switchfoot demonstrates their ability with lyrics, their diversity in music, and their seriousness best here. 'Ode to Chin' is somewhat obnoxious but their finale 'Don't Be There', while being cryptic, has a very beautiful chorus, though I've yet to figure out exactly what he's singing so earnestly about. The albums only total down point is the album opener, 'Bomb.' For an album as jumpy and interesting as this one is, I am clueless as to why such a dull, bland, and quiet song would be the opener - Chem 6A would have done much better.
So, if you're a Switchfoot fan, definitely pick this album up; its great to see their evolution from this excellent garage band to superstar band. If you're not, I'd advise you not to spend your money; although it contains some excellent songs, it probably won't be enough to warrant a non-Foot to spend cash this album.
Epilogue's Music and Book Reviews 
