Brilliant
Posted August 07, 2009
By SarahFine_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Understated would be, well, an understatement to the way that this, dc Talk’s last full studio album, is remembered. Of course, following up ‘Jesus Freak’ would be a huge task, but it was one that Toby, Michael, and Kevin did seamlessly. ‘Supernatural’ came out in 1998, right at the start of the boy-band craze of the late 90’s. but there three guys were far from being another boy band…they were three guys with a heart after God, looking to make music to draw people closer to Jesus.
The album starts off with a short intro that gives you the feel for this what-will-be eerie album. It gets going with the song ‘It’s Killing Me’, and this song just goes to showcase to musical maturity that these three achieved in their ten year carrier as a band. No sign of rap or hip hop anywhere to be seen on this album…
It goes on with ‘Dive’, yet another song that brings the theme of the album back into the lyrics. What is that theme you may ask? Walking on water and supernatural warfare. While it might sound complicated and overwhelming, the lyrics are delivered in a way that will make you want to dive more deeply into the Word of God.
‘Consume Me’ is easily the standout of the album. It was the first time that the guys truly penned a worship song, yet in true dc Talk nature, they wrote it in a very non-conventional way that works beautifully. It will surely lead you into a time of worship that you won’t want to escape. ‘My Friend (So Long)’ is the fifth track and one that will for sure get a laugh out of you. Yet another reminder of how the boys took their message seriously, but when it came down to the root of them…they had no problem being honestly hilarious.
‘Fearless’ and ‘Godsend’ make the next two tracks….amazing lyrics (in true fashion of the band) and music that was unlike anything out there at the time. A modern mainstream sound but with words that would make you want to go deep in your walk with God. ‘The Truth’ is yet another song with the theme of the album in tote. While ‘Since I Met You’ is an upbeat take on becoming a Christian and how our lives instantly change for the better.
‘Into Jesus’ is the most uncanny on the album. Very chilling melodies and words that really make the whole idea of supernatural warfare in your mind come alive…by the end of the song; you know that we are in a battle. The title track ‘Supernatural’ follows up with a rock songs that will sure to get you off your feet with a great and steady message to boot. The haunting ‘Red Letters’ is the last song on the album, running over 6 minutes with words that will hit you hard in the gut, and string arrangements that will leave you in awe of the musicianship of this album. ‘There Is a Treason At Sea’ is the last track on the record, a poem written by Kevin Max that brings the whole album back to the main theme of itself.
With the enormous popularity of ‘Jesus Freak’, I do believe that people might have been to critical on this record for not being the exact same thing. The guys made it very clear that for this album they were shooting for something new, and they did exactly that. Both ‘Jesus Freak’ and ‘Supernatural’ have very deep and intense messages, but both are very different. While ‘Jesus Freak’ focuses on a daily walk of a believer, this album will leave you with a deeper understanding of God and who He is and the battle for souls we are in. This album is a wake up call to believers… and a very relevant message still today. View All Music And Book Reviews By SarahFine_NRT | View SarahFine_NRT's Profile
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