This Beautiful Republic's "Perceptions": A Review
Posted September 10, 2008
By ChristianManifesto,
by C.E. Moore
Calling This Beautiful Republic a modern rock band is somewhat of a misnomer. I recently spoke of this album during The Christian Manifesto's "Profess" podcast program and mistakenly compared them to bands like Remedy Drive and Switchfoot (who do sound similar). But, TBR’s sophomore effort Perceptions has less in common with those bands and more in common with harder acts like Tooth & Nail’s Since October. In fact, it is quite surprising that these guys are on Forefront Records at all. TBR doesn’t quite fit the Forefront mold, boasting such acts as Rebecca St. James and former acts like Degarmo & Key. Be that as it may, TBR adds great weight to Forefront Records’ sparse artist roster.
So, it’s settled. This Beautiful Republic is one part modern rock, one part hard rock. And “Perceptions” is a step above their debut offering, “Even Heroes Need A Parachute.”
“Pain” is the lead off track and light guitar strums open the album lead singer Ben Olin’s vocals rise to the fore, light yet ever present. Soon though, the guitars begin crunching, the drums star booming, and Olin begins belting the lyrics out. It feels as if you know he could let loose even more vocally, but he’s got great control. “Surrender Saved My Life” ratchets things up a few notches and rocks out. Again, Olin’s vocals are crisp across the grinding instruments and the anthem-ish return of the other band members is cool. I imagine it translates very well from the stage. “Learning To Fall” tells the story of a prodigal and to be honest makes the album stumble after a promising start. Thankfully, songs like “Beautifully Broken,” “My God,” and “Last Second Chance” keep the band from hitting the Christian bookstore bargain bin. They’re all strong offerings tackling important themes such as our view of ourselves versus God’s view of us, the atrocity of personal isolationism, and the question of one’s eternal destination (or the reality of the existence of an eternal destination after death). Each song is delivered over great instrumentation and Ben Olin’s vocal prowess, which vacillates between thoughtfully-pensive and outright screamo. “For The Life Of Me” is a track I like as a fan of the band’s sound. But, as a critic, it is utterly cheesy. The song is predicated on a play on words that is clichéd in Christian music. I like that kind of thing, but the critic in me knows that it’s not going to win anyone but the converted. The light, wistful piece “Say Goodnight” closes out the album.
Overall, there’s a lot I liked about This Beautiful Republic’s “Perceptions.” I can’t say enough about Ben Olin’s vocal performance. He’s not unique by any means, but he certainly knows how to control how he comes across, displaying a very strong range. The theme of “seeing” permeates the album. Hopefully, when the music fades, listeners will see themselves a little better. More importantly, hopefully they’ll see Jesus a little better. I imagine that the members of TBR could think of no higher compliment.
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from The Christian Manifesto. Click here to visit TheChristianManifesto.com today!
View All Music And Book Reviews By ChristianManifesto | View ChristianManifesto's Profile
|
