One of the best
Posted July 28, 2010
By gizmodad,
Newsboys return on this album with a new look. Last year, the band’s Aussie lead singer Peter Furler retired from the job, leaving the door open for former DC Talk member, Michael Tait. Tait comes into this album providing the Newsboys with not only a new voice, but a new sound as well. Born Again was definetley an appropriate title for the album. Two super groups have combined, but does this connection produce a super album?
This is clearly not the same Newsboys as we saw on their previous albums. This album is still a traditional Newsboys pop/rock album with a lot of possible radio hits, but one thing that is clearly noticeable is that the DC Talk influence brought in from Michael Tait has made their sound a lot heavier than other albums. Newsboys has explored a whole new world of sound on this album.
Alright now let’s talk about the songs. Right from the start, Born Again hits you in the face with an explosive beginning in the title track, Born Again. This is my favourite and arguably the stand out on the album. This song is a call to take action in this world to believers of Jesus. The song is also obviously about being Born Again as Christians but it is also about the Newsboys being born again as a band. It says that because Jesus has saved us from our sins, we need to give him our best. As Christians we all need to be “born again” in Christ and celebrate what God means to us. This is the stand out song on the album and I recommend you check it out.
Another song that I found myself enjoying was Track 8, called “Miracles”. This song is all about believing in miracles and faith and that if you believe you will receive. This is another one of Newsboys’ heavier rock songs that Tait has influenced and it’s a great song. “Miracles” along with Track 7 “Escape” are the highlights of the middle section of the album.
Newsboys aren’t all just edgy rock songs. They also have a few softer, reflective songs to keep the balance. These songs include Track 6, “Build Us Back”, Track 9 “Running To You” and Track 10 “On Your Knees”. My favourite out of the softer songs is “On Your Knees”. This song quotes that when you lose hope, your heart is breaking and your dreams are out of reach all you have to do is get back on your knees again and pray. This song is the perfect conclusion to what is an extraordinary first 10 songs.
I say first 10 songs because there was a actually a part of this album that I was disappointed in, There are actually 12 songs on this album and I was disappointed with the last two songs. Newsboys do another cover of a worship song in “Mighty To Save” and also do a cover of a DC Talk hit, “Jesus Freak”. First let’s talk about “Mighty To Save”. This is one of my favourite worship songs and Newsboys does an excellent cover of it, but it just seemed unnecessary to put it in the track listing when another original song such as “I’ll Be” could’ve gone there. I don’t know, maybe Newsboys were trying to continue the tradition of putting a worship song on their albums, just like they put “Lead Me To The Cross” on In The Hands Of God.
The other song I was disappointed in was the DC Talk cover of “Jesus Freak”. It was obviously Michael Tait’s idea to do that and I love the song. But one thing that I don’t like about it is the rapping of KJ-52. I just don’t think he can compare to the rapping of tobyMac on the original version.
Leaving the ending aside, Newsboys’ “Born Again” is an excellent album. However, it may have been the biggest release in their history but I still don’t think it was as good as In The Hands Of God. With tonight’s review I’m going to give it a 3.5/5. But don’t panic you die hard Newsboys/ DC Talk fans that is not a bad score. Born Again had a weak ending, it wasn’t as good as other albums and their were also some other weak tracks that didn’t hit the mark. Other than that this is one of the hottest releases of 2010 , 2nd to “Tonight” by tobyMac. I think this is a must have album for this year and I definetley recommend you get it because it’s awesome.
View All Music And Book Reviews By gizmodad | View gizmodad's Profile
|
