Probably My Favorite Audio Adrenaline
Posted August 20, 2015
By ajkclj41112,
For 2001’s Lift, Audio Adrenaline went back to their roots and dug deep. This sound permeated the next record, 2003’s Worldwide as well. Two years later, their final album with Mark Stuart at the head, Until My Heart Caves In was released.
Lift (2001): 13 tracks, 54 minutes
Musically, Lift features guitar riffs and bass licks that define the classic Audio A sound. In this regard, Lift is especially refreshing; songs like the first three tracks, “Rejoice,” “Summertime,” and “Lonely Man.” They get you pumped up and excited, almost like . . . “audio adrenaline.” However, they have some ambient, softer songs that still “Speak to Me,” so to speak. They help to break up the record and add some dynamic. It’s a classic Audio A trick. This also demonstrates another staple of the band; their mature Christian lyrics. You begin to see them on 1997’s Some Kind of Zombie, but they transferred into Underdog and Lift as well.
“I’m Alive” features the trademark quirky lyrics in the verses, “Sometimes I wake up feeling / Like I did back in L.A. / But since I’m from Kentucky / That feeling must have been a mistake . . . Have you ever longed / To take a walk on top of a cloud / If this feeling was a chemical / I don’t think it would be allowed.” “Ocean Floor” is a beautiful song about where our sins really are: “They’re on the bottom / Of the ocean floor.” In “Rejoice” we see Audio A’s passion for the gospel in a fun, upbeat way. Sometimes our words can’t describe the greatness of God, says “Glory.”
This album is definitely clean, but there’s a few things that are worth mentioning. “Speak to Me” says “I’m in a fix / Need something quick,” so “I’ve opened up Your Word to free me,” but the Bible shouldn’t be our last resort in times of hardship. It should be part of our daily time spent with God. The chorus of “Lift” states “And I lift you up so high / I forget about the world I’m living in,” which seems almost like asceticism, something the Bible doesn’t advocate at all.
Despite those minor issues, this record is solid lyrically and fantastic musically. I really enjoy listening to it and any Audio A fan definitely will too. But even if you’re not, this album covers a lot of ground and does it in an upbeat and dynamic way; the Audio Adrenaline way. View All Music And Book Reviews By ajkclj41112 | View ajkclj41112's Profile
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