Beauty Will Rise
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Steven Curtis Wow, Steven Curtis Chapman's newest album (Beauty Will Rise) is a challenge to us all. After the loss of his youngest daughter he still continues to praise the Lord with all he has. He even continues to...
The Real Thing
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pureNRG Pure energy is an amazing group with a passion for God. Who would think that tweens so young would be able to make such a statement for God with such an amazing talent. I definitely applaud all they have...
Nothing Is Sound
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Switchfoot I love switchfoot. They are an amazing band that have the ability to create songs that I have heard not only on christian radio stations, but in Home Depot and in Wal-Mart. People, christian or non-christian,...
So Touching | Posted November-02-2009
Wow, Steven Curtis Chapman's newest album (Beauty Will Rise) is a challenge to us all. After the loss of his youngest daughter he still continues to praise the Lord with all he has. He even continues to make music and testify to the good that God has done in his life through the horrible accident. My hat is off to you Mr. Chapman. Your words is still as thought provoking as ever and your voice still rings out praises to our King.
Wow | Posted June-30-2009
Pure energy is an amazing group with a passion for God. Who would think that tweens so young would be able to make such a statement for God with such an amazing talent. I definitely applaud all they have done in creating all of their albums with the energy and fire they have...and also how fun and relevant they make their music for their age group.
Something to Say | Posted June-18-2009
Just when it seemed like Christian music couldn't make any more room for another radio darling, singer/songwriter Matthew West came from out of nowhere and scored one of the most played songs of 2004 with his debut single "More." His odds of becoming so popular on the airwaves seemed slim with veterans like Steven Curtis Chapman and Third Day still dominating radio at the time, while up-and-comers Casting Crowns and Chris Tomlin were just beginning their rise to superstardom.
West still beat the odds and "More" became a huge hit. By comparison, his first two albums—Happy and History—didn't leave quite the same mark, but West toiled dutifully and gradually rose among the Christian pop ranks, charting more radio singles ("The Next Thing You Know," "Only Grace"), while continuing to lend his pen to the likes of Rascal Flatts, Natalie Grant, and Mandisa.
Yet just as West got done signing a new record deal with Sparrow Records—the same label that distributed his first two albums on Universal South—and prepped for the recording of his third project, things grew awfully quiet for him … literally. He was diagnosed with vocal cord polyps, a condition that forced doctors to recommend surgery and a period of complete silence for the singer.
It was a trying experience, and one that could have provided great spiritual insight and perspective for a new album. Curiously, none of it is specifically reflected in Something to Say. West says the material was already written before he was ordered to keep silent, but it's still somewhat disappointing that this trial didn't spur additional material to relay his experience and tie in with the theme of the album title. Instead, a good chunk of Something to Say hinges on general anthems about God and the Christian walk, plus a few left-of-center surprises.
The first of those surprises is "Life Inside of You," a story song about a young pregnant girl and a boy with addictions who are about to make tough choices about their future. Sounds like a heady subject matter, but West avoids taking Mark Schultz's power ballad route, instead setting his characters against a bouncy, pop/rock arrangement. It's an interesting juxtaposition of style and substance, but one that totally makes sense in the grand scheme of West's repertoire—he's a pop songwriter at heart.
The other bright spot is the downbeat, slightly Beatle-esque "Moment of Truth," a stark piano-driven ballad where West goes one-on-one with a couple about to give up on marriage. The song is pop music with a heartbeat, reminiscent of some of the best moments in the singer/songwriter's decorated History album.
By comparison, the remainder of Something to Say is much more light-hearted and run-of-the-mill. The first single resonating with radio is the soaring "You Are Everything," a song about God's … well, you know. This theme of the all-encompassing nature of God is one that nearly everybody in the spectrum of Christian music have explored: Avalon, Brian Doerksen, and Lifehouse all come to mind. Not that West's take isn't likable—it just isn't particularly remarkable.
The songs are fine from a compositional standpoint. West knows how to play by the pop rulebook, especially as it relates to melodies, structures, and length (only two songs break the four-minute mark). But while he pushes all the right buttons, he's somewhat generic here in terms of lyrical content, abiding by generalities about surrender ("All the Broken Pieces"), complacency ("The Motions"), and aloneness with God ("Stop the World"). And is it just me, or does "The Center" sound a lot like Michael W. Smith's "Missing Person"?
West does have an identity of his own, and that's whenever he talk-raps his way through a series of fast-paced, semi-comical lines about everyday life and one's purpose in it, all over an ultra-catchy pop/rock sound. Think of it as an AC-friendly hip-hop version of tobyMac, an artist whom West namedrops in the endearing "Friend in the World."
Though likable and leisurely, Something to Say isn't the most challenging listen. That's the risk of writing with radio in mind. In attempting to be all things to all people, accessibility gets in the way of personality. It works if you're measuring a career by charting singles, but then the rest of the album becomes disposable pop. That's a fine line for an artist to tread, and perhaps that's OK for a pop songwriter like West, but there's still a nagging feeling that this album doesn't quite live up to its title or potential.
Christianitytoday.com)
My Fav | Posted June-18-2009
I love switchfoot. They are an amazing band that have the ability to create songs that I have heard not only on christian radio stations, but in Home Depot and in Wal-Mart. People, christian or non-christian, listen to switchfoot and enjoy them. Because of this they are making an impact in the secular world. Their album "nothing is sound" is a reflection of that with songs talking about the lives we live everyday and the things in politics, our relationships, and on the TV that we need to take into consideration and maybe rethink. Congrats guys...yet another great album.
Hillsong United: I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One | Posted June-17-2008
With this project, Hillsong United hasn't deviated much from their usual formula of taking church worship songs and giving them a rock edge. Of course, that's what they excel at. The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One is a bit of a mixed bag, with some very satisfying songs and some not-so-exciting recordings. Actually, it's on the more energetic tracks that they shine, with the band doing full justice to the potential of the songs. When it rolls around to the quieter tracks, however, it's a bit reminiscent of any given Hillsong Live album.
New for United, The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One is a two-disc project, with thirty tracks in total. Interestingly, the songs have been recorded from many of the different countries where they have performed, making this the major differentiating factor from their other releases. Only one of those songs is actually new-"You'll Come"-making this a global re-recording of relatively well-known Hillsong anthems; some of these are quite good, with the enthusiasm that United are well-known for clearly evident in these recordings, as well as the crowd's excitement. A major downer, though, is that most of the album's tracks just sound like the usual contemporary Christian worship music, with very little standing out. Another problem is that you sometimes can't hear the lyrics over the sound of the crowd, which pretty much nullifies the use of this record for something like worship band practice. Of course, with the crowd being mixed in louder than usual, it does admittedly make for a more accurate representation of their concerts, and in its own way is stimulating (albeit forced), though it's a poor substitute for actually being there.
Granted, there are some excellent tracks on this album, but if you already own one of their previous live projects, or their studio record All of the Above, then there is probably no need to purchase With Hearts As One. Still, Hillsong United does put in a solid performance for their louder songs, which is only accentuated by the fervour of the crowd; in the end, this may be the project's saving grace.
Jars of Clay - Greatest Hits | Posted June-17-2008
Multi-platinum selling band Jars of Clay has recorded many hits over the years, epitomised by their first, "Flood;" a hit on both mainstream and Christian radio stations. Never content to stick to one style, they constantly evolved their sound over the years, always presenting their fans with something different with every release. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they haven't faded into obscurity, with their risky but apparently successful tendency to suddenly take a left turn with each new album, leaving you with a delicious feeling of expectation for what they'll do with their next release. For the most part, this "Greatest Hits" collection highlights the various stylistic evolutions the band has gone through, displaying some of the best from each iteration of their music.
An obvious and logical choice to kick off the album is "Flood," the song that sent them hurtling into the spotlight. Even with this, their first single, a sound refreshingly different to most is already clearly evident, with guitar, synth and violin all interweaving together. In fact, three other tracks from their self-titled début are present here: the beautifully executed "Love Song for a Saviour," "Like a Child," and "Worlds Apart." Taking one of the first aforementioned left turns, "Crazy Times' (from their sophomore release, Much Afraid) displays a more edgy, rock-centric sound, with wailing electric guitars and catchy riffs that show that you just can't put the band in a stylistic box. When the album moves on to "Frail," however, it is evident that Jars of Clay weren't planning on abandoning their acoustic roots, and instead polished and matured them. "Frail" was actually the very first song they composed as a group, but though the title track of their original demo CD, it never appeared on their first album. Instead, it was finally re-recorded for Much Afraid.
One of the issues I have with this compilation though, is the particularly weak coverage given to If I Left the Zoo, The Eleventh Hour and Redemption Songs. While their début was given four track slots, those three are left with only one each. Surely the provision for another track could've been added to the disc, and two of the début tracks removed? Whatever misgivings may be felt at this obvious omission, the three tracks provided to represent these albums are unquestionably worthy of inclusion. "Unforgetful You" is chosen to represent If I Left the Zoo, and is undeniably the best choice for the compilation. "I Need You" gives a small idea of why The Eleventh Hour won a Grammy, with its beguiling chorus and clever mixture of folk, rock and synth. Quite a few of the songs from Redemption Songs would have fitted nicely in the single slot available, but perhaps "God Will Lift Up Your Head" was the best choice under the circumstances, and unarguably an excellent song in itself.
However, not all of the group's more recent albums have been so badly overlooked. A notable change in direction for them stylistically, Who We Are Instead displayed a more folk, country feel from the band, which they managed to accomplish remarkably well. It would have been an act of near-sacrilege to omit "Show You Love" from the track listing; I'm glad they remembered to include it, as it is unarguably one of the best songs from the album. "Amazing Grace," though not as memorable, is an interesting throwback to the heyday of Johnny Cash's country-gospel songs, and as such, is an acceptable choice. Still, I would've preferred "Trouble Is," "Faith Enough" or "Only Alive" in the place of "Amazing Grace," but that's just me.
Finally, we're brought up to what could have been Jars of Clay's most edgy and hard-hitting album yet, with a more aggressive feel overall. Good Monsters was a complete and utter left-fielder, preceded as it was by two of their softest and most reflective releases to date; nevertheless, the band shifted their style effortlessly, while still maintaining their unique touch. The two tracks included on the compilation from this release are examples of their auditory deviation, and also the best choices. "Dead Man (Carry Me)" is an infectious rock anthem; although the lyrics are sober, the song itself maintains a light and bouncy tone all the way through. On the other hand, "Work" carries the desperate and dark overtones into the music itself, but without a feeling of depression. Both are stellar rock songs, musically and perhaps more notably, lyrically as well.
Tacked on to the end of Greatest Hits is a new track the band specially recorded for this compilation. Displaying yet another side of their musical diversity, "Love Is The Protest" is an active and positive ending to the album. In a way, it's reminiscent of something that U2 could have come up with. It would've been more satisfying if we were treated to more than just one new track, to offset the disappointingly slim 14-track listing. Third Day's Chronology albums were full of goodies, from re-recordings of their classics to rare and hard-to-find songs, as well as a bonus DVD with music videos, footage of live performances, bootleg videos, and even a band documentary. Compared to all that, the addition of one new song is pathetic; surely Jars of Clay could have pulled something out of their archives, like acoustic versions of some of their more upbeat songs, or perhaps a couple of tracks from their rare b-sides album, The White Elephant Sessions?
Summing it all up, Jars of Clay - Greatest Hits is a fine introduction to an even finer band, with a collection of some of the best songs ever composed by the group. However, if you're looking for something as comprehensive as the Third Day Chronology collections, or even The Essential Jars of Clay, forget it-you won't find it here. Really, most dedicated fans will want to pass this one over; still, as a gift to convert your friend who is utterly clueless about them, it delivers.
Superchic[k] - The Beauty From The Pain | Posted June-17-2008
As their fourth release with Inpop Records, Beauty From Pain focuses on the hope that one finds in those times when you're down and out, at the bottom of life. The purpose of the band Superchick itself was to encourage this generation to not succumb to peer pressure; Beauty From Pain seems to make use of this rationale while also showing people that when they're at a low point that they're not alone. As the fourth track on the album, "Stories" touches this aspect deeply with lyrics like:
Cause we've been down to the bottom
Stories we've got 'em, when we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
Of course, being Superchick, they can't start an album without that one girl revolution song that marks the album. So, opening Beauty From Pain is "Anthem," a strong pop/punk song that takes a stand for girls with their own goals in the world and does the said job extremely well. This catchy, call for reform was an excellent choice to kick off the album.
Natalie Grant - Believe | Posted June-17-2008
Christian music star Natalie Grant has incredible pipes, a voice so flexible and explosive that she blows off the roof on Believe, a rock-solid holiday release with a double personality. On the one hand, this album is fabulous for those who favor robust gospel/pop with a big-band production feel; the first three tracks will have you hopping! "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is especially lively, with Grant contributing some cute asides. On the other hand, those you prefer more introspective, slower-paced numbers will love cuts like "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and the "Silver Bells/Savior Came for Me/O Holy Night (Medley)." Believe genuinely has something for everyone!
The album's ten pieces nicely blend the old and new. The title track "I Believe" is Grant's own creation, a precious piece with limited accompaniment, starkly beautiful in its simplicity and heartfelt message. The "Silver Bells/Savior Came for Me/O Holy Night (Medley)" is a fascinating and seamless mix of the secular and the sacred, and Grant pulls it off with artistic aplomb. The offering ends on a terrific note with a talented chamber choir providing support for Grant's emotive gospel presentation on "Sweet Little Jesus Boy."
Believe may make believers of you this holiday season. Thank you, Natalie Grant, for a vocal dynamic that is sweet dynamite!
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