Take The World, But Give Me Jesus
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Ascend the Hill One of the best aspects of music festivals is being exposed to a variety of bands. At Revelation Generation festival last weekend, I was encouraged by a few people to check out a worship band called...
Wait For The Siren
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Project 86 A lot has changed for Project 86 in the three years since the release of “Picket Fence Cartel.” Guitarist Randy Torres and Bassist Steven Dail have officially exited the band leaving lead...
Songs In Secret
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Great Awakening Non-profit organization Come&Live! is home to some of the most unique worship bands, one those bands being Great Awakening. The North Carolina-based quartet is back with their second record Songs In...
Awake | Posted August-18-2009
Christian rock phenom Skillet unleashes one of this year’s highly anticipated albums, Awake. The Grammy-nominated group attained a mass following in both Christian and Mainstream markets with their previous endeavor, Comatose. After experimenting with several genres throughout their thirteen-year career, Skillet stuck close to the sound that worked so well with Comatose, resulting in another accessible, radio-friendly rock record.
The first two singles, “Hero” and “Monster” gave fans a glimpse of what to expect with Awake. “Hero” opens with lead singer, Jon Cooper, trading off vocal lines with drummer Jen Ledger, then leads into an addictively catchy chorus in which Cooper longs for a Hero (referring to Christ) to save him from the darkness of the world. Skillet showcases their harder edge on “Monster” with heavy, distorted guitar riffs complementing Jon Cooper’s rough, powerful vocals. The lyrics cleverly depict man’s internal struggle between good and evil. “I feel it deep within/It’s just beneath the skin/I must confess that I feel like a monster.”
Orchestrated motifs, faint piano licks, and crunchy guitar riffs gives “Awake and Alive”
a strong resemblance to Comatose. The infectious, melodic anthem encourages to not let the world pull you in, stand up for your beliefs, and don’t back down.
Fans of Skillet’s softer side will not be disappointed with Awake; there are several power
ballads and softer pop/rock tunes. “One Day Too Late” encourages listeners to make the most of each moment. Piano-driven “Lucy” mourns the loss of a loved one. Cooper describes “Don’t Wake Me” as an “’80s prom song” about dreaming to be with someone you lost. “Should’ve When You Could’ve” features a catchy melody but the chorus comes off as cliched and cheesy- “You should’ve when you could’ve/You’re gonna miss my love girl/You should, it would have been so good/You should’ve when I would’ve.”
One of the strongest tracks on the album, “Believe,” was added after Awake was thought
to be complete. Lyrically, “Believe” isn’t so different from the rest of the album. What
makes the song stand out is it’s melancholy manner and rawness.
Many tracks on Awake sound like they came straight off of Comatose- “Hero,” “Awake & Alive,” “Forgiven,” “Should’ve When You Could’ve,” “One Day Too Late,” “Don’t Wake Me.” While many will be quick to label Awake as Comatose part 2 (myself included), a good portion of the album features tracks that are more stripped down (“It’s Not Me It’s You,” “Believe,” “Sometimes,” “Never Surrender”) than those found on Comatose. But, the most important aspect remains unchanged - the message.
Closing Thoughts:
Awake wasn’t particularly what I was looking for from Skillet. I’d prefer more of a resemblance to Collide, or even Alien Youth, than Comatose. But I can’t fault the band for sticking with what’s popular. After all, the goal is to bring hope to as many lives as possible, isn’t it?
Blue | Posted August-18-2009
Many talented Christian bands have come out of Canada in recent years- Thousand Foot Krutch, Hawk Nelson, Downhere, etc. Up and coming rock group, Manic Drive, is Canada’s latest offering of talent. Shortly after the group’s sophomore release, Reset & Rewind, Manic Drive returned to the studio to construct their first release for major distribution through Provident/Sony Music. The album, titled Blue, consists of several
new tracks as well as eight tracks that originally appeared on Reset & Rewind.
Manic Drive proved on their previous release that they are not afraid to venture into different genres. So it’s hardly surprising that the two opening songs (“Music” and “Walls”) are dance-infused. “Music” is lighthearted in style and lyrics- “Step aside cause tonight we’re going to feel alive/With the drums and bass pumping by my side.” “Walls” almost sounds like a Family Force 5 track in spots with space-like synth noises and the utilization of a vocoder in the pre-chorus. While “Walls” is stylistically similar to
“Music,” the message goes deeper. Vocalist Shawn Cavallo calls on Christians to stop fighting amongst themselves and unite- “Can we practice what we preach/And turn these fists into hands that reach.”
The title-track “Blue” was re-recorded from Reset & Rewind. The funky, rock anthem features Lu Rubino (Storyside:B) on guest vocals (in place of Kevin Max, featured on the original recording). “Blue” comes to the realization that contentment is only found when following God’s will.
“Closer” slows the pace down opening with a beautiful Latin-influenced piano/guitar motif. The love ballad, written to God, expresses the need to draw closer to Him. “Rain” also displays Manic Drive’s softer side. The melodic chorus equates God’s love and grace to rain. It’s not the most creative or original comparison, but the song is captivating, nonetheless.
Gone are the monotonous nu-metal days of Reason For Motion. Manic Drive mixes it up by blending dance, funk, and hip/hop elements into their rock centered music. Blue’s unique music will no doubt appeal to many and expand the band’s fan base. Shawn Cavallo says the album will “encourage people to get up and make a move, both literally
as well as their faith.” Blue does indeed deliver on both fronts.
Closing Thoughts:
With Manic Drive’s eclectic music palette, it’s hard to pinpoint what direction they will go next. Whatever it will be, I’m looking forward to it.
Best Night Of Our Lives | Posted June-09-2009
After a rather successful release on Inpop Records and a line-up change of every
member but the lead singer, Everyday Sunday presses on with their fourth major release,
Best Night Of Our Lives. Adding a little more rock edge than their previous effort, Best
Night Of Our Lives is a punk/rock record of sing-a-long lyrics and hook-laden melodies.
The album opens with the infectious, energetic title-track, which is perhaps the catchiest
song Everyday Sunday has ever penned. “Best Night Of Our Lives” reminds listeners to
make the most of a moment because change is inevitable.
The three following tracks maintain the same spunk and tempo as the first. However, all
fail to really stand out, offering generic and predictable guitar riffs.
“Where I Ended” slows down the pace, changing it up a bit by incorporating a little
piano. “This song is about seeing God come through, blessing us, and changing our lives
when we don’t deserve it. Everything we have has nothing to do with us or what we’ve
done, but God choosing to save us in spite of all our shortcomings,” says lead vocalist,
Trey Pearson.
“Pity the Man Who Falls And Has No One To Help Him Up” demonstrates the
importance of friendships in the Christian walk. The song title comes straight out of
Ecclesiastes 4:10 – “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who
falls and has no one to help him up!”
“Here With Me” was born out of the book of Job. Although Job was a righteous man, he
endured many trials; his children were killed, he lost his wealth, and he was plagued with
sores covering his body. Through his suffering, Job perseveres and learns how to put his
complete trust in the Lord. The song conveys that we should put our trust in the Lord no
matter what trials we endure.
The final musical venture on the album, “Reprise,” is an instrumental variation of “Where
I Ended.” The instrumental seems to be used as a cop out to extend the skimpy 35-
minute album, which might be excusable if the rest of the album didn’t already contain
several filler tracks.
While Best Night Of Our Lives may lack creativity and the quality production that Ian
Eskelin brought to Wake Up! Wake Up!, the album delves more into spiritual themes than
their previous effort. For those who were hoping for Everyday Sunday to show a little
more maturity in their lyricism, they will not be disappointed.
More Beautiful You | Posted June-09-2009
Recent signee to INO Records, Jonny Diaz releases his latest project More Beautiful You, an album of acoustic pop in the vein of Shawn McDonald, Shane & Shane, and Warren Barfield. “Instead of focusing solely on the idea of God’s grace, More Beautiful You moves through many different aspects of the Christian faith,” says the singer/songwriter. “One theme that is prevalent throughout the record is truth. We are called to speak and live truth even in a culture that doesn’t agree.”
Our society often sends the message to young girls that they have to look a certain way
and dress a certain way in order to be beautiful. On the title-track, “More Beautiful You,”
Jonny exposes these lies in a similar manner as Jon McLaughlin’s “Beautiful Disaster”
and Chasen’s “Crazy Beautiful,” however; Jonny offers more spiritual substance than his
peers. “He will take your dark distorted view/and with His light He will show you the
truth.”
With an acoustic/hip-hop vibe reminiscent of Brandon Heath’s rhythmic style, “Stand for
You” calls on Christians to take a stand for their faith. “In a world that tries to water
You down/Where beliefs cannot be spoken too loud/I’ll stand for the truth.”
The reggae-influenced “Love Like You Loved” is simply about loving others like Jesus
loves us. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Jonny’s past efforts have often been likened to that of Bebo Norman. This comparison
doesn’t become fully apparent on the album until the last few tracks. “Waiting Room,”
“Prodigal Like Me,” and “See the Wind” all incorporate pop choruses sonically similar to
Bebo Norman’s music.
The closing track, “The Opening Act,” is a rather humorous, tongue-in-cheek tune giving
listeners a glimpse of what it’s like to be a relatively unknown concert opener. “Cause I’
m the opening act/Don’t get much time/Maybe four tracks or five at best… And if you
buy a CD well you’re enabling me to put bread on my plate/Take my wife on a date/Well
I better start now before you tune me out/But don’t forget about my myspace.”
Jonny Diaz has already experienced success, particularly on the radio, with his previous
independent endeavors. Now, with the backing of a major label, the singer/songwriter
will be able to reach out to more people with his music and the message of truth.
Christian music fans seem to be enjoying Jonny’s latest single “More Beautiful You;” the
song is steadily climbing up R&R’s Christian AC charts. I imagine that Jonny’s early
radio success is indicative of how his album will be received.
Abandon EP | Posted April-28-2009
Texas pop/rock act Abandon enters the Christian music scene with its self-titled debut
EP on Forefront Records (Rebecca St. James, tobyMac). Fervent lyrics and a biblical
message coupled with fresh, highly energetic music will surely grab your attention.
The members of Abandon began their ministry as a worship band. Upon cutting their
first demo, the band felt in need of a purpose. While touring throughout the Northwest,
Abandon became involved with Seven Project, an outreach program that coordinates
school events to discuss the current issues that teens face. This outreach helped the band to define its purpose: giving hope to young people.
When I first listened to Abandon, I immediately thought of After Edmund. The guitar
work and rhythms sound quite similar, most notably in “Providence” and “Hold On”.
However, their music lacks some of the creative chord progressions that After Edmund
incorporates into their music.
"Providence” is the perfect opener. A driving rhythm and punchy guitars in the verse lead
into a catchy chorus in which frontman, Josh Engler, vocalizes the story of Peter’s
denial of Jesus. “Three times were all he had to say yes, say yes/Say, yeah/But denial
seemed so beautiful.”
The album then takes a turn toward the pop genre with “Be Alive in Me”. The song talks
about feeling defeated from failures and longing for God’s renewal.
“Hold On” conveys the group’s purpose. The song brings a message of hope to those
who feel lost and alone. “Hold on, hold on, someone will find you / Hold on, hold on,
somebody loves you.”
“All Because of You” is a beautiful worship anthem simply about praising the Lord
through song. The melody is straightforward enough that it could possibly be used for
congregational worship.
“Here Waiting”, written from God’s perspective, is a reminder that the Lord waits for us
to come to Him. Isaiah 30:18 comes to mind: “The Lord waits for you to come to Him
so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God…”
The final track “Atmosphere” has an airy feel to it (as the name suggests), utilizing synth
pads and dreamy guitars. “It’s all about the atmosphere of God, the electricity of His
presence,” explains Josh. “I must decrease; He must increase. Healing happens when
you’re in the atmosphere of God.” From a musical standpoint, this is the weakest track
on the album. The song feels like it is trying to be something epic, but unfortunately,
“Atmosphere” ends up sounding uninteresting and mundane.
This six song release is just a taste of what’s to come from Abandon. Be on the lookout
for their full-length album Searchlights releasing September 8th.
Abandon is off to a great start with a solid debut. While they don’t necessarily re-invent
the wheel, they certainly have the potential to become a frontrunner in Christian music. I
am interested to see what their full-length release will bring.
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