A Beautiful and Odd Collision
Posted August 16, 2007
By Epilogue,
David Crowder*Band's newest full album is aptly titled. Not only are the subjects in his album all about a collision between 'divinity' and 'depravity', but the styles of music are so varied, different, and unique, that this album appears to be a collision of styles; both beautiful and odd.
The album has four sections, each strange and unique. The first thing the album does is let you know David Crowder is back with his wacky imagination. The first song is a quick, fuzzy recording of the chorus of a song called 'Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, But No One Wants to Die.' Odd for sure. And David breaks normal album etiquette by following this strange opener with a decidedly slow, worshipful, piano song - the type of song artists usually place at the end of albums. But after these two tracks, more normal Crowder fare comes in, including the three radio hits, 'Here Is Our King', 'Wholly Yours', and 'Foreverandever etc.'
Then the collision begins. Following these songs is the very quick violin track '(A Quiet Interlude)' which leads into the second part of the album which includes title track, 'A Beautiful Collision', which I thought was very well written and catchy. But then David Crowder goes a completely different route. 'Soon I Will Be Done With the Troubles of This World' is strange indeed; the beginning reminds me of something from 'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.' 'Be Lifted or Hope Rising' is strange also. 'I Saw the Light,' is completely and totally, boot stompin' bluegrass. David's voice proves its versatility as it sounds exactly like a bluegrass singer. The ending to the song is so strange and weird it had me replaying it over and over again, and got many laughs from my family. And, to add to the strangeness, 'O God Where Art Thou?' is very melancholy and Psalm-like, despite the 'dah dah dah dah' chorus.
After '(B Quiet Interlude)' the best part of the album comes along. It starts with the weirdest track on the CD, 'Do Not Move' which has an infectious techno opening and I thought the bridge was really cool with its piano. 'Come Awake', my favorite song, demonstrates some excellent lyrics: 'Come awake/ from sleep arise/you were dead/become alive/wake up, wake up/ open your eyes/ climb from your gave/into the light.' And then comes 'You Are My Joy' with its hard opening and ascending chorus that somehow seems to inspire joy just by hearing it. 'Our Happy Home' a 16th century hymn, is redone Crowder style and is very strange (what's new), with an Egyptian tinge.
The 10 second (Repeat/Return), which is just distorted feedback from an electric guitar signals the last part of the album. 'We Win!' is a dance/rock song that is nice, but the following track 'Rescue Is Coming (Be Walk Down Stairs)' is better, with its great songwriting and catchy, powerful, chorus. 'A Conversation' is as it says...a conversation between David and a reporter than leads into the final song, 'The Lark Ascending' (the song is half a conversation).
Somehow the album feels like something massive and epic, and you start getting goose bumps at the end when the phone conversation turns to the subject of the last song on the album, which in turn is slowly rising in volume as they speak. Even with all of this though, I still felt like I was missing something from it all...sort of like I needed David Crowder to explain to me the last song, like he was explaining to the reporter across the phone in 'A Conversation.' Nevertheless, this is a solid album; the vast number of varied songs guarantees you'll find something in here you'll like.
View All Music And Book Reviews By Epilogue | View Epilogue's Profile
|
