Addison Road
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Addison Road When Addison Road's INO debut album came out earlier in the year(2008) I was somewhat skeptical and didn't even bother checking it out at all. Well through various plays on the radio and internet they...
Make Some Noise
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Krystal Krystal Meyers definitely knows how to make some noise with her newest album. Whether good or bad noise I will leave up to you.
This album musically is very well put together. Everything flows really...
Something To Say
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Matthew Matthew West's newest album has a lot to say, but West almost didn't have a chance to say it. He lost his voice. And well, he's fine now and his voice is in great shape, but his two months of silence really...
On The Right Road | Posted December-05-2008
When Addison Road's INO debut album came out earlier in the year(2008) I was somewhat skeptical and didn't even bother checking it out at all. Well through various plays on the radio and internet they have caught my attention and I have come to like them. How much? Well, just read on and see ;).
The album starts off with a nice tune called "This Could Be Our Day." While not the best song on the album, I think it's a pretty decent contribution talking about how we are given one minute to use for God and challenging us to use it.
Next up is a fun song going by the title of "All That Matters" don't be fooled, this song also has a great message. This song talks about how God has set us free and He is all that matters(or should matter) to us.
Musically this next song is my favorite on the album :). "Sticking With You" is kind of a conversation. You can either put yourself as the person speaking or God. I think it works but either way the core message is that the speaker is going to be there for this person no matter what. I think either way you look at the song it's a great message. Either God is going to stick with us till the end, or as believers we're sticking with each other even when we may not want help. That all being said I think that the song leans towards more of a friend to friend viewpoint.
"Hope Now" is a great song reminding us that we are God's even when we forget and that his love has set us free. I think this song is a big contender for my favorite song on the album lyrically. It has a very strong message.
While "Start Over Again's" song concept is definitely not a new one ("Starting Over" by Audio Adrenaline, etc). I think Addison Road has done a good job repackaging the song concept and does a good job reminding us that even when we fall away, God is willing to let us Start Over Again.
"It Just Takes One" is a fun song challenging us to be the one person to share our faith and make a difference in the world. Not amazing, but a good song.
These next three songs are the weakest on the album in my opinion. They're ok, but I don't think anyone would say "Wow!" about them. "Always Love" challenges us to do just that, Always Love. And "Casualties" talks about us being "Casualties of the American dream." The song isn't bad lyrically, but something just doesn't feel right musically. "Run" is a good song, just not amazing. And is probably strongest of these three.
"What Do I Know Of Holy" is an amazing way to finish off the album in my humble opinion. I hadn't heard the song before going into this review, but it's the slowest song and the most powerful. Here's some of the lyrics "I made You promises a thousand times/ I tried to hear from Heaven, but I talked the whole time./ I think I made You too small. I never feared You at all. No./ If You touched my face, would I know You?/ Looked into my eyes, could I behold You?" And that's just the first verse I would have to post the whole song to be happy, so needless to say, check that song out.
Well if you've made it this far you can obviously tell I like them. I think this is a great debut album and I can't wait for the Sophomore release. The main thing I think is a drawback to this album is the fact that some of the songs have a similar tone, but I overlooked that fact for most of my review. I would also encourage you to look at some of their indie music if you liked this album. They have several other good songs in addition to this album.
Krystal is making some noise. | Posted September-03-2008
Krystal Meyers definitely knows how to make some noise with her newest album. Whether good or bad noise I will leave up to you.
This album musically is very well put together. Everything flows really well and has a great vibe to it. It's more of a techno sound, but she mixes pop-rock into it very well. I have to say musically this could be an album of the year, but I think we need to take an in-depth look at the lyrics in the songs.
But before I do that there is something I would like to address. While Krystal was writing and recording this album she was having a rough time in life, and she wasn't in-tune with God like she wanted to be. Therefore I think that is the main reason several of her songs suffer and if you look at the lyrics that they can be a little more dreary than her previous work.
Krystal starts the album off with the very catchy song "Make Some Noise." I do like this song, but Krystal doesn't really point to God as the source of empowerment. So it's more of a secular song in that sense.
"Love It Away" Is a great song talking about how God will love you through the problems and help them to go away.
"Shine" is another song dealing with empowerment. Even though Krystal doesn't really talk about God in this song I prefer it over "Make Some Noise" because I can equate it with the fact that we are the light of the world and need to Shine for Christ. In this way it has already been encouraging to me. But it still does not have much depth to it.
"S.O.S." is probably my favorite song on this album. Krystal directly talks about God here, and calls out for God to rescue her/us.
"Feels So Right" is the first song I question on this album. It seems to be talking directly about relationships, but I don't find it to be a good song to equate with a relationship. It seems to put the focus on the person too much and the high you get. I think this song could be a bad song for Christians and Non-Christians alike. We need to remember to honor God with our relationships, and if we're in a dating relationship with someone I don't see this as a profitable song.
"My Freedom" is my second favorite song on the album. It doesn't talk directly about God, but it is highly emotional and hard to think a person could equate with what Krystal is saying: "Can you hear this soul is crying/ my soul is crying
Calling out to You/ will You come wash over me/ Like only You can do/ will You be my freedom?" It's easy to see her lack of closeness through this song and I can identify with that, so it's a very encouraging song in that aspect for myself.
"Up To You" is the second song on the album I do not like outright. It's dealing with a failed relationship(To me it seems like a marriage. It starts: "You gave me your hand so long ago/ But now our house is burning/ You're never home" But that is easy to look over.) Krystal seems to take the stance of "I'll leave it up to you." Which if it's a marriage I would hope she wouldn't take that stance. And even if it's a dating relationship, not caring never does anything.
"You'll Never Know" is the third song I don't like. It seems too depressing, talking about how you'll never know how it feels to "be let go" which I assume is a relationship. And I think it has depressing possibilities if someone has recently gone through a break-up or whatnot.
"In Your Hands" is a good song. It talks about trusting God even though you don't know what he has planned. Krystal doesn't directly say God, but as a believer it's obvious what she is saying.
As you can see, even though this album is great musically, Lyrically it could be better. I think it is up to you to decide what you will listen to from this album and not listen to. Choose wisely.
Score: 6.0
P.S. I did not talk about the song "Beautiful Tonight" because it was for some reason left out of the NRT preview.
This album definitely has something to say. | Posted August-23-2008
Matthew West's newest album has a lot to say, but West almost didn't have a chance to say it. He lost his voice. And well, he's fine now and his voice is in great shape, but his two months of silence really made West think. And although most of the songs on this album were written before West lost his voice. Many of them took on a new definition for him after that silence. West now has a new appreciation for his talent, and I think we can get a lot out of this album too.
One reason I think this album has a lot of potential is West covered quite a bit of ground with his songs. "Life Inside You" talks about Abortions, Addictions, and just Broken people in general. And I think it has a great message. Many of his other songs reach out to people. "The Moment Of Truth" will be a song that relates with people Struggling with Marriage, Addiction, and people doubting their faith. I am sure there are other things people could get out of the songs, but those are just what I saw in them.
My personal favorite song on the album is "The Motions" it's just a song that resonates inside of me a lot because I have a tendency to go through the motions. And this song is a very inspirational song for me. "I don't wanna go through the motions/ I don't wanna go one more day/ Without Your all consuming passion inside of me/ I don't wanna spend my whole life asking/ What if I had given everything/ Instead of going through the motions?"
My second favorite song is probably "Stop the World" which talks a lot about getting away from the world and spending time with God, which is also something I need to do more of. Thirdly I like the song "The Center" a lot. Which talks about being in the center of God's will and living for God no matter what. Which I think is very important to our generation. I also don't want to leave off the single "You Are Everything" which is a great song. I just personally have heard it too much. "Something to Say" and "All The Broken Pieces" are also notable songs.
Not every song will resonate with you, but the magic with this album is it is one you can listen to over and over again, and depending where you are in life different things will pop out to you. Matthew West has a great musical style that feels very personal, and is very enjoyable. I think he is among the top christian songwriters right now. This album is just packed with great songs that really make you think while focusing on God. In my book this is a really special album. I hope you will consider getting it.
Out of this Galaxy! | Posted August-16-2008
I'm going to come right out and say this is one of my favorite albums at the moment. As soon as I popped this album in every song was great! The only song I don't really like is "Conan" which is a song about Conan O'Brian. So it's easy to see why I wouldn't like it :P.
This album has great messages in it and the lyrics are crafted very well. The lyrics aren't run-of-the-mill phrases that don't make you think. Eleventyseven has a great talent in being able to make you think about what they're presenting. If you have a relationship with God their songs paint a clear picture of the hope and love Christ has given us. From the song "Love in Your Arms" to the song "How it Feels (To Be With You)" to "It's Beautiful". I think "It's Beautiful" is an especially cool song. It has a real sense of intimacy, and is a very touching song.
Honestly I just love these guy's lyrics. They're very witty and they like to live outside the social norm. With upbeat, positive, Christ-pointing lyrics.
On top of the lyrics they have a great pop/punk/electro feel that will keep you dancing to it throughout the whole album. I don't own their previous album, but I remember hearing that it needed something to make it stand out. And well I think they definitely found it with the electro sound!
I could keep ranting and raving about this album, but the bottom line is you need to go out and pick it up! You won't regret it :D!
A five star worship endeavor! | Posted July-10-2008
Third Day is one of the most respected and well known names in the Christian music industry. Here is their second stab at a worship album after their very successful first worship album. And I dare say, they don't disappoint. This is personally one of my favorite worship albums I own. All of the songs are great worship songs with great vocals and great lyrics. I would point out the highlights of the album, but I don't think there are any highlights. The album in itself is just great! One song that I enjoyed though was the last song on the album, "Take My Life", which is an older song they re-recorded for this album. It's live so he teaches it to the audience, but once you get past that the song really spoke to me :). That's about all I can say for album. If your wanting a great worship album then look no further: here it is.
Building 429 truely builds up :D | Posted August-16-2008
I first got this album a couple years ago. I was a little iffy on it at first, but it quickly became an album I listened to frequently. I don't listen to it quite as much anymore, but I still have a special place in my heart for this album. This being Building 429's first album it's not perfect, but it's an amazing work of art still.
It starts of with the first track "Glory Defined" which is probably one of their most well known songs, and for good reason. It's an amazing song. Another notable track is "The Space In Between
Us" which talks about bringing us closer to God. This album has it's share of songs dealing with pain and sin too. "No One Else Knows" and "One Time Too Many" deal with these issues and give hope to those hurting. Other notable songs are "Above It All", "Back To Me", "Shadow of Angel", and "Show Me Love". Overall this is a great album, it mixes worship and rock. While it's not overly worship it has that tone throughout the album.
One reason I love this album is the fact that it carries the love and grace of God. No matter where you are God is still there. When you go away he can make you come "Back to Me[Him]". When you feel desperate and "No One Else Knows" how you feel; God is there for you. When you have sinned "One Time Too Many" God will still forgive you. These guys are amazing, and I highly suggest you pick up this album. It has blessed me, and I hope it blesses you too :D.
Prince Caspian | Posted April-26-2008
This is a great book. C. S. Lewis is a master of intertwining Biblical messages into his stories and this book is no exception. I don't want to ruin it for anyone so I'll try to not say anything. But I thought the going 1300 years into the future was a really cool concept. It gave Narnia a unique edge to it. All I have to say is if you haven't read the Narnia series, you really need to. C. S. Lewis is an amazing author.
Definitely better than OK | Posted August-15-2008
I have to admit when I first got this album I was disappointed. I left the cd untouched for a week or so, but then I came back to it and listened to it slowly over time. It's really grown on me since my first listen, and I have to say this is a brilliant album. It starts out with a catchy little tune called "The Secret Parade" ,like others, I admit I wish this was longer; because it stops at the climax. But it's still a fun little intro song. Then it moves on into the albums single, "Never Going Back to OK", which is a great song, very catchy and has a great message. Another notable track is "Myspace Girl". It's about their former bass player who met this girl at a fast-food joint and saw her name, then later looked her up on myspace and they eventually got married.(there's more to the story, I just don't have space for it in this review :P)The song has a more teen-pop feel to it, but that just testifies to the Afters diversity in music and is still a good song. On a whole, this album is well written lyrically and musically. I would list all the songs I like on this album, but it's easier to say the one's I don't like. The only one is "Summer Again" which honestly isn't that bad, just not on as high a level as the rest of the album in my opinion. This album is quickly becoming one of my favorites in my zune. So go pick this one up ASAP, you won't regret buying it!
My rating: 9.4
Edit: I now like the song "Summer Again." It grew on me :P.
great album | Posted April-09-2008
I heard Pillar a couple year ago at a concert with 5 bands, and I didn't like them much then; so I've never looked back into them. That is until now. I thought I'd give them another go(or maybe an actual go :P) So I decided to listen to For The Love Of The Game, and I have to say this album is great.
For The Love Of The Game starts out with the song of the same name and rocks out with a great message. Then it goes to a clever song called "Turn It Up" which is probably one of my favorite songs on the album. It's very smart in the way it uses Christian album titles in the song to create a very good song. Honestly, most of the album's songs seem to be well thought out and promoting great causes. Like "Reckless Youth" which promotes sharing your faith recklessly in the sense of not caring what anyone, but God thinks. And then "State of Emergency" which talks about us needing to take action to reach the world for Christ instead of just sitting back in our distractions. And that's just scratching the surface of this great album.
I think these guys are a little harder than I typically listen to. That's probably why I didn't enjoy them that much several years ago. Therefore that may turn some of you away from this album, but as long as you enjoy harder rock this album should be in your collection. I personally will have to pick this up sometime in the future when I see it on sale. Since other albums are currently ahead of this, but don't let that turn you away from this album. It's still a great album.
Amazing devotional book | Posted March-03-2008
I was at Houston's First Baptist Church on a missions trip last year, and at that time this book was the Pastors "Book of the month" in their book store. So it was on sale, and it looked like a great book, so I picked it up. I haven't been disappointed.
I honestly got off track on using this book, but it's a great devotional book. Each day has a scripture it's based on at the top of the page, a "In Word" part talking about the passage, and then an "In Deed" part talking about how we can apply it to our lives. It also has a little quote having to do with each lesson in the margin. Definitely a very good devotional for quiet times.
(P.S. The built in bookmark is a nice addition too and the imitation leather feels nice. But the contents are definitely the best thing about this book as they should be :P).
carrtoondragon's Music and Book Reviews 
