Good Morning Planetarium

Review – Spring (Jon Foreman)

2009-07-05T21:11:00.002+11:00

I don't know about you, but the end of those harsh winter months always fills me with a sense of hope and exuberance because it signals the gradual rebirth of sunlight, plants and warmth. This in turn lightens my spirit because winter is by tradition the season of death; one only has to look at the swine flu pandemic and the Michael Jackson tragedy to perceive life's fragility and how it is exemplified in winter. The expectations of Spring therefore, were quite high, as I didn't only expect it to lift my spirits, but also to flow nicely as the third in Jon Foreman's 4-part series, offer the same insightful observations into the season and also provide a new angle on the acoustic style that Foreman has perfected in his past 2 releases. While they could be categorised under the theme of "stark loneliness" (with accompanying instrumentation), Spring attempts to up the ante ever so slightly in preparation for summer. Does it succeed? Let's find out.

Track Listing

March (A Prelude To Spring)
Love Isn't Made
In My Arms
Baptize My Mind
Your Love Is Strong
Revenge

As I said above, the previous 2 EPs focussed very much on portraying a subtle sense of melancholy amongst other emotions. Spring and Summer, being the two "happier" seasons in a year, are naturally expected to project happier melodies, instrumentation, and lyrics. The beginning of the EP definitely lives up to his expectation, with the quirky opener "March (A Prelude To Spring)" setting a very light, bouncy tone to open proceedings. The acoustic guitar revels as one of the only instruments on this track, working well with Foreman and guest vocalist Molly Jenson as the harmonies are perfectly balanced. A contrast exists between this track and the next, which is what I think Foreman intended in the first place; "Love Isn't Made" is a much more sombre track, with Foreman's tired vocals singing "An hour ago/ I felt so low/ I almost drowned/ Wandering around". There are also depressing vocal harmonies that sound slightly out of place on the EP, but then again the progression works brilliantly as the end Foreman's wife and her sister (singer-songwriter Sarah Masen) provide uplifting harmonies. It is ironic that this is one of the first tracks in the whole series which encompasses a full drum kit, albeit one played quite softly. "In My Arms" is an extremely passionate love song, perfectly encapsulated in Foreman's scratchy voice. The sound effects work very well, as do the inclusion of percussive instruments like tambourines and muted snares. Like the previous track, it becomes more upbeat as it progresses, and does not take up a significant amount of time at 2:50. The simplicity of the lyrics are what create the song's poignancy; most of it is Foreman repeating the line "I dream to hold you in my arms". Next up is an unashamedly religious track that does not rely on cryptic lyrics but goes for a straightforward repetition ("Baptise My Mind"). I have to say, though, that the quirky melody does feel slightly overworked, not exactly fitting with the very serious theme that it considers. Nevertheless the song adds to the variety in a welcome fashion. Foreman continues the religious motif with what is IMO the best track on the EP ("Your Love Is Strong"). This is the closest thing to epic that I have heard in one of Jon Foreman's solo releases, and this epic nature is apparent from the starting guitar riff, which begs to be built on. Add to this the repetitive chorus and the gradual increase of instrumental density and you have quite simply, a masterpiece. In a sentence, think U2 mixed with Bob Dylan mixed with, well, Jon Foreman. In a sense, though, the song's success is a two-edged sword because of its placing on the EP; it would end the EP perfectly as an epic track (think Planetshakers' "The Anthem"). Sadly, though, the next track feels out of place, no more so because it is merely a Switchfoot B-side from Oh! Gravity. The EP would have been much more potent had these two tracks been switched, because "Revenge" is the song whose lyrics require the most brain power to decipher ("That's when the irony hit me/ This was revenge/ That love had descended and stolen our pain away"). I prefer to look at it from the perspective of the repenting thief hung up with Jesus, but then again this is completely up to you. "Revenge" does feel like more of an epilogue because of its placing, though, and there would have been more power in it being placed before "Your Love Is Strong".

Spring is perhaps the most ambiguous EP so far in the series, simply because it does not exude any particular feel like Fall or Winter. However this arbitrary personality allows for a greater variety of expression through the instrumentation and lyrics; Foreman can be sombre one minute and upbeat the next. Perhaps this is what he had in mind all along; spring is, after all, a season in which the air is still brisk but life is reborn, and in this sense the contrast is portrayed in songs like "Love Isn't Made" and "Baptise My Mind". Spirituality is again apparent in this EP, and we wait in eager anticipation for Summer, to see how Foreman concludes this life journey in the season of the sun.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Winter (Jon Foreman)

2009-06-06T13:41:00.002+11:00

From the golden-brown sunlight of fall to the harsh white snow of winter. Yes, here we are, embarking on the second leg of Jon Foreman's four-part journey. (If it helps, read my review of Fall, the first EP in the collection here: http://www.thirdmile.com/tabId/234/itemId/109/Review--Fall-Jon-Foreman.aspx)With winter being the somber, sorrowful season that it is, there is a question begging to be asked: can Jon Foreman produce the wonderful consistency shown in Fall while reflecting this stage of his personal journey effectively?

Track Listing:

Learning How To Die
Behind Your Eyes
Somebody's Baby
White As Snow
I Am Still Running
In Love

Sequels generally never fare as well as their predecessors. One only has to take a look at the movie industry for evidence: with the exception of The Dark Knight and possibly Shrek 2, most sequels were criticized as (relative) flops (Quantum of Solace, Night at the Museum 2). The 5/5 rating I gave Fall was based on it possessing a remarkable level of consistency while managing to master the acoustic style. Also, it embodied the season extremely well; I could almost see the leaves crunching under my feet as I viewed the dying sun. Winter starts off in fairly melancholy fashion, the song title of "Learning How To Die" giving off a clue to its foreboding nature. Foreman's acoustic guitar sounds resigned, like a man who knows he's about to be fired. The woodwind instrument (can't pick out what it is) adds deep resonating tones full of experience and indicates a lifetime of highs and lows. The slow journey from the cradle to the grave is one which most of us do not want to face, but Foreman manages to be subtle enough in commenting on the inevitability of the end. The next track sounds (at least at the beginning) slightly out of place on a generally melancholy album, an upbeat rhythm and guitar plucking underpinning Foreman's romantic musings. This, however, sets up a frighteningly beautiful contrast with what is undoubtedly the best song on this EP, "Somebody's Baby". A starkly lonely guitar provides the background to Foreman's toughened and weathered voice as he sings about a female drug addict. "She's somebody's baby, somebody's baby girl…" The lost, the destitute and the poor are often overlooked in this capitalist society of ours, and it is refreshing to hear someone attempt to raise awareness for the many social injustices occurring in the world. The violin and strings merely create more poignancy to the track; I have no doubt some would be moved to tears by it. The next few tracks, good as they are, do not quite live up to the first section of the album. "White As Snow" fits the winter theme well, but sounds slightly forced as a worship track. The instrumentation is satisfactory, except for the xylophonic percussion; it doesn't "click" well with the guitar and the strings. Having said that, the track does get better as it progresses, the muffled drum kit adding to the intensity and subsequent drop. "I Am Still Running"
optimistically hopes for a way out, and approaches a more groove-oriented style with hand claps. The end is slightly abstract with the oriental influence on the instrumentation of In Love. This track should polarize opinion; IMO, its intro was a bit draggy and the lyrics repeated themselves too much. Nevertheless, it made me think, and I guess that was Foreman's goal all along.

The lyrics in Winter are, as per usual, alarmingly contemplative. Given that the season is one of disconsolation, they suitably fit the theme. As with Fall, this EP possesses some of the more straightforward Jon Foreman tracks. "White As Snow"
employs references from Psalm 51 as a prayerful worship track, while "Learning How To Die" does not deviate much from its title's insinuations. As I said previously, Somebody's Baby is some of the most potent social commentary I have heard in a while, even more so than Switchfoot's work in Nothing Is Sound, Oh! Gravity and The Beautiful Letdown. It stirred depressing emotions in me, but then again I suppose that is one of the features of winter. Foreman has augmented the seasonal theme as well as he did in Fall, at least with his lyrics.

If Fall was bemoaning the end of summer and the progressive shortening of days, Winter is the soft resignation that the dark, cloudy days are here to stay for at least a few more months. Yet among the ashes there are traces of optimism and the saving grace of God; faith is painted as what can save us from the fate of the girl in "Somebody's Baby". More spiritual, certainly, but it doesn't detract from the overall atmosphere. Winter doesn't live up to Fall in terms of sheer consistency (there are more lows) but certainly possesses its own diamonds in the rough. It will be interesting to see what else Foreman can do in Spring and Summer, and whether he can reproduce the seasonal personifications done so well in these albums.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Fall (Jon Foreman)

2009-05-04T23:13:00.004+11:00

Switchfoot frontmanIt IJon Foreman is one of the great songwriters of modern music. His insightful observations of the human condition have fueled Switchfoot's many hits and albums, bringing to the mainstream a thoughtfulness not often present in radio pop. Yet when compared to Fall, the beginning of Foreman's 4-part series of EPs (thematically categorized according to the seasonal changes in a year), it seems that his best is only now being revealed. The pulsating alternative rock of Switchfoot is completely removed from this EP, replaced with a stripped down, acoustic-folk sound. And I'm glad to say, for the most part, it works.

Track Listing:

The Cure For Pain
Southbound Train
Lord Save Me From Myself
Equally Skilled
The Moon Is A Magnet
My Love Goes Free

Fall is generally associated with the steadily increasing cold; the dying rays of summer painting the dead leaves in different shades of brown and gold. With this in mind, Foreman begins his journey in the beautiful yet brutal honesty of "The Cure For Pain". The repeated acoustic guitar riffs underpin Foreman's impassioned vocals well; the (intentional) tiredness is accentuated by the bareness of the sonic landscape. His lyrics, somewhat surprisingly, are much more pointed than they are in Switchfoot songs. "Oh my Lord, to suffer like you did, it would be a lie to run away" he sings, but his emotion arms the track with a mainstream accessibility. "Southbound Train" opens up with some traditional Americana harmonica and gives way to Foreman's guitar and the occasional violin, and you could almost picture him sitting in a lonely train carriage, head leaning against the window as his seemingly never-ending journey continues. "Lord Save Me From Myself" is probably the most upbeat of the lot; it's also the only one that (sparsely) implements a drum kit. "Equally Skilled" is undoubtedly the pick of the lot, with perhaps a tad more of a layered but nonetheless still acoustic sound. The human ability to do evil and wrong is contrasted against God's ability to do right; "Both of his hands are equally skilled at loving the loveless", sings Foreman near the end of the track. There is, as already has been said, a denser feel to this track which is perhaps what makes it loveable; the drum loops adds some solidity to that already provided by the vocal harmonies and the background violin alongside the guitar. The next two tracks differentiate quite starkly; "The Moon Is A Magnet" is almost an abstract afterthought, a quirky little muse by Foreman on his ever-reliable guitar about what, I can't exactly decipher (I'll leave that up to you, the ever-discerning readers). The most heart-wrenching track is saved till the end; "My Love Goes Free" emotively describes a long range relationship. The end allows for a nice (potential) segue into Winter.

One aspect I had to focus on is Jon Foreman's lyrical aptitude. Filled with poetic imagery and symbolism not that present in Switchfoot's releases, he really has brought his maturation in the last ten years to the fore. Whereas The Legend of Chin (Switchfoot's debut album) contained tracks such as the goofball "Chem 6A" (no offense to that song, I actually enjoy it), all the tracks here have outer references and are rich in honest yet discerning conclusions about the world as a whole. Foreman creates a paradox in this EP; The references to God are explicit, and yet many secular people praise the EP on the internet and by word of mouth. "Lord Save Me From Myself" is possibly the only song in which tired clichés are exposed: "And sex is a grand production, but I'm bored with that as well". That could be inserted into Easier Than Love without much hullabaloo.

The youthful exuberance of people tends to disappear when they reach their 30's. They have to actually consider being role models to others, while working hard to advance themselves on the corporate ladder, all the while progressively realizing that the world isn't the great place they were told it was. Foreman's youthful exuberance has by no means disappeared (anyone who has seen a Switchfoot concert will find it immensely tough to disagree with me), but he has shown the way his perceptions have been altered in Fall. Coupled with his sometimes-raspy-sometimes-smooth vocals and acoustic instrumentation, his songwriting skills shine through and cement him as one of this generation's major creative inspirations. Acoustic fans will find it hard to be displeased, as will hardcore Switchfoot fans. I look forward to consuming Foreman's other offerings as he takes us on his ride, the ride of his seasonal life.

Rating: 5/5

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Review: Hail To The King (Hillsong London)

2009-03-23T21:30:00.001+11:00

Hail To The King, the latest offering from Hillsong Church's U.K. offshoot, is not your average worship album. Call me crazy, but I think nowadays what we have come to expect from a worship release is a couple of charged-up rockers and numerous passionate ballads (don't forget 4 4 timing and the majority of tunes in the keys of G, E or C). Combining the Britpop influences of Snow Patrol, Coldplay and a young U2 with insightful yet clearly worshipful lyrics, the guys from London might just have stumbled onto something.

Track Listing:

Now
Hail To The King
I'm Not Ashamed
Rise
You Brought Me Home
You Are Here (The Same Power)
At Your Feet
I Receive
He Is Greater
Selah (Perfect Love)
Look To The Cross
All To Show
The Call

Don't get me wrong here: this CD is not one of those that come along once a decade and confound all expectations because of its musical foresight and creativity (See The Joshua Tree, Nevermind). Having said that, it is refreshing to listen to CD and not be taken aback by an insidiously catchy opening track. I must admit to some apprehension after my first listen through the disc; it didn't strike me as particularly special, if anything a tryhard attempt at imitating its mother church. However, once I listened to it a couple of times over, it became clear that these songs were crafted this way for a specific purpose. "Now", the opening mid tempo anthem, empowers young people to live their lives for Christ, backed by solid drum beats and auspicious lead guitar work. "I'm Not Ashamed", for me, is the pick of the fast songs. A dance worship track? You're looking right at it. That bass drum keeps kicking in your head along with the muscular riffs backing it. It follows on nicely to "Rise", a run-of-the-mill but nonetheless enjoyable 4 minutes of adrenalin-filled worship. "We will be the revolution!" is sung passionately, and despite the lack of a live audience (this is a studio record) the lead singer's vocals are sufficient to empower the statement. The rest of the album fluctuates between piano ballads ("You Brought Me Home") to swing-pop ("At Your Feet") to bare acoustic + strings ("Look To The Cross") to an upbeat closer ("The Call") Overall, a good contrast and transition between the fast and slow songs.

Musically, there is much more at work than your average guitar-bass-drums-keys band. As already mentioned, the use of strings is extremely tactful, such as in "Look To The Cross" and "He Is Greater". Guitars are crisp, the drum set is not overstated, and the keys add their flourishes to the string section. The bass could have been slightly louder (it is drowned out significantly in the wall of sound effect of some songs here) but the band generally keeps it tight. Vocals are passionate without being cheesy, and the boys hit those high notes nicely. "I Receive" contains the U2-esque effects mentioned earlier, keeping the listener guessing as to what the next song is going to sound like.

There is the question of suitability for congregational worship. Good as this album is, I find it hard to imagine the majority of these tracks being sung In churches around the world. Of the lot, "I'm Not Ashamed" catches on pretty quickly, and fits right in beside energetic anthems like Chris Tomlins's "Sing Sing Sing" and Hillsong's "Run". Other than that, only "He Is Greater" possesses proper suitability for a church congregation (This is very general and you might beg to differ).

This brings me to another aspect: musical innovativeness. The use of stylistic changes such as the aforementioned swing-pop track ("At Your Feet") allow for variation from the usual variation. I've mentioned the lack of suitability for mass congregational worship, but the flipside of the coin is that it allows a creative expression of worship. The sense I got from this album is that the entire group, musicians and singers alike, are passionate worshippers. As they say, it's the thought that counts.

Lyrically, there's not much you can say about a worship album. There are the usual revolutionary ra-ra anthems, the passionate gratefulness for salvation, and in short, nothing I can say that hasn't been said in a million reviews before this one. It's a worship album, so it does not deserve any flack for this.

Overall, the album does exactly what the Hillsong London crew must have had in mind: to create an alternative worship album that has its own unique sound. While there are still elements of contemporary worship, the influences of pop/alternative bands like U2 are more apparent here. Brits will love this one; it's worship with a tinge of Britpop (Need I say more?) For the rest of us, though, it's either a hit or a miss: You'll either love it or won't hit it off with it. I'm betting, though, that the former becomes more prevalent.

Rating: 4/5

Review – M.I.A. (MarkIA)

2009-03-12T21:48:00.001+11:00

Going by the somewhat unusual moniker of Markia, Mark Gooneratne is a man on a mission. That mission is very explicitly stated on the inside of his 2^nd album: Mark believes that he is anointed to win this generation for God. And from his achievements not many would dispute him; at the tender age of 23, he has accomplished more than most people would dream: he has created his own record label, performed with numerous R&B acts in Melbourne, released a solo debut album (Heaven Sent Instrument) and much more besides these. Markia leads worship at St. Kilda Community Church, and is a prominent member of Youth Alive Victoria. With all this taken into context, does his second album live up to expectations?

Track Listing:

M.I.A. Intro
Get Lifted
Can't Lie
Sideline (feat. Tino)
Exchange My Mistakes (feat. Lozza)
Unlucky Luv
Tell Me What It Iz
Give Ur Best Shot
The Call (feat. The El-Shaddai Crew)
That's What I Need
Selfish Ambition (Interlude)
Carry Me Home
Fix Me
Victory (feat. 2-11)
Run 2 U
Send Me (feat. Ry)
Imagine

A first glance at this album shows a long track list. For any album, 17 tracks is lengthy, and by about the 12^th track the reader can become tired of listening. There is sufficient variation on this LP, though, to ensure that boredom is not a possible outcome. The intro begins with a Barack-Obama sound-alike that is exhorting someone to follow God's plan. A semi-acoustic drum kit kicks in soon after, and Markia adds impassioned vocals to create a rock-infused R&B track. "Get Lifted", a lyrically uplifting rapfest gets the blood pumping, while the effects on "Can't Lie" are tastefully added to paint a full musical background. "Sideline" is one of the highlights on this album, aggressively questioning whether the listener is a hypocrite about their beliefs. Throughout the album, the intensity doesn't let up, and "Imagine" is a fitting closer.

Markia is adept at penning his thoughts down and turning them into catchy tunes. As an urban/hip-hop musician, his lyrics are very direct in their "preachiness" as some skeptics might call it. It is this directness, though, that gives the album its uniqueness; in "Can't Lie", the vocal loop at the start sings "No I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ", after which Markia's vocals take centre-stage in a soul-pop track. "That's What I Need" starts off with Markia talking about a woman who "got a love for the Lord that can't be replaced by the things of the world", and most of the other tracks offer different perspectives into his relationship with God, as opposed to the usual generic worship track. While it may not be accepted readily by the secular market, Christians will be overjoyed at this seamless fusion of Godly lyrics and classy R&B.

Stylistically, Markia sticks to the tried and true formula of rap and R&B, mixing the two in different tracks to create sufficient variation. Throwbacks to funk and 90's stalwart R. Kelly are apparent "Sideline", and "Run 2 U", while more hardcore rap elements are brought in by guest stars (The El-Shaddai Crew, Lozza, etc. most on Markia's record label). Electro rap-pop is also present in the form of "Send Me". Effects are used well, with little flourishes such as the chimes intro in "Fix Me". There is also a good use of guitar plucking on songs like "That's What I Need" and "Victory", while the drum loops are varied and not monotonous.

O.K. here's where I usually rant on about an album's shortcomings, and how it failed in this area and that, and that, and that, and oh, did I mention that? But I am pleasantly surprised to inform you, the reader, that this album does not have any explicit flaws. If there is anything wrong with it, it is that Markia has not broken any new ground with this release, but let's be honest, how many albums nowadays do that? (And please, for the love of everything good do NOT say Panic at the Disco) Markia strikes the perfect balance between rap, R&B and gospel, with a touch of funky soul-pop thrown in. It is unfortunate that the mainstream audience are unlikely to lap this up (on the basis of lyrical directness), but that should be viewed as a positive because Markia has not diluted his message in any way, as so many other Christian artists have (*cough* The Fray *cough*). To condense this review into one word: Class.

Rating: 4.9/5

Review – Something You Should Have (Fido)

2009-02-25T22:04:00.001+11:00

8 years is a long time for any band to stay together, especially these days. Sure, you still have the stalwarts like Metallica, AC/DC and of course, The Rolling Stones (will those guys ever stop rocking?), but nowadays it is less common to see a music group that is dedicated to playing together for a long period of time. Debut and sophomore albums are usually released quickly, with a fair majority starting brightly but fading out as time passes. It is therefore surprising to come across a band who, after 8 years of playing together, have finally recorded and released their debut album. Something You Should Have represents the culmination of years of touring the country, and the band have even played in Malaysia (my home country, incidentally). Will this release springboard them onto the mainstream music scene?

Track Listing:

Something You Should Know
What I'd Do For You
On The Road Again
Disciple
Again and Again
Be A Light
Between Two
Sleepless Nights
Grace
My Story
Reach
Too Late
Lift Me Up(Acoustic)

The band, consisting of Pete Seamons, Jesse Chatelier, Alex DesForges and Daniel Kelaart, do not fit the typical punk rock stereotype. In fact, they acknowledge their music as "heavy pop" on their Myspace page, and this is a fairly accurate description. "Something You Should Know" kick starts the album off with a bouncy beat reminiscent of pop bands such as Mcfly, but becomes a rock anthem fairly quickly. The driving guitars complement the impassioned lead vocals well, a trend that continues into the next track, which in my opinion should be the first single off the album. Catchy, short, and with lyrics destined to hit teenage girls head-on, watch this space. It may not be the next "Fall For You", but it certainly is no slouch on its own. "On The Road Again" and "Disciple" carry the progression of the album well, as they are both solid rockers, not outstanding, but getting the job done. Track 6 is the highlight of the album for me. "Be A Light" is epic in every way except the length of the song, which when compared to other epic songs such as Anberlin's "*fin" is considerably shorter. Nevertheless, the technical and musical nous displayed in this track is some of the highest I have seen in local bands. Sadly, the rest of the album is not of this standard, although the tracks are decent in their own right. "Be A Light" would have been that much more poignant had it been placed at the end of the album, but nevertheless is a standout.

I have mentioned the difference in style that Fido personify, and that they are capable of an outstanding track like "Be A Light". Having said that, none of the four band members exhibit any sort of interest in individual limelight, but rather are extremely tight rhythmically. The drums and bass work well, emphasized further by the fact that a significant majority of the songs comprise constant bass drum beats. Another thing that I noticed was the fact that there are considerably more intensity changes in these tracks than I have noticed in other albums. The band may be going full blast, when suddenly they will drop to a 60% intensity level or lower. Examples include "Something You Should Know" and "Disciple", but there are many more.

I'll be crystal clear: there is nothing new lyrically in this album. No brand-spanking new insight into the corrupted world in which we reside, no genius philosophical musings, and no epiphanies. However, there is a collection of solid, faith-based lyrics that don't go screaming "Believe in God or you will burn, BURN I TELL YOU!!" in your face. In fact, around half of the album comprises love songs (On a CHRISTIAN album? The HORROR!!!), while the other half are inspired by God's goodness and mercy (I won't go into details, save for the fact that these are the most solid Christian lyrics I have heard in a while. Listen to them and judge for yourself, though).

I can't fault the album production-wise. The number of debut albums recorded in bedrooms is quite remarkable, but Fido have gone for the safe method and recorded it at Graffiti Studios, stopping short of getting a dedicated production team and proceeding to produce the album in its entirety by themselves. It is a hugely impressive effort, as the guitars do not sound washy or over-crisp, the bass is not too deep and the drums are not too resonant. The backup vocals have also been implemented very nicely underneath the lead vocals, and do a good job of filling the musical landscape when the other instruments drop out or lower their intensity.

Despite what I've said so far, this LP is far from perfect. It has its share of flaws, some of which should ideally be rectified before the band's next release. The lead vocals sound a bit too unrefined for me, going off key in songs like "On The Road Again" and "Reach". This might have been an intended effect, but if it was it did not come off that well. Some of the experimentations with rhythm changes could have been accomplished in a slightly better fashion, but then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no?

Fido show promise, there is no question about that. 8 years may be a rather long gestation period for a debut album, but It certainly is worth the wait if they can produce something of this quality. Expect greater stuff in the future, and they might just take the mantle of the new Antiskeptic before too long.

Rating 3.5/5

Review – Amped (116 Clique)

2009-01-22T21:36:00.001+11:00

116 Clique, for those of you who don't know, is a hip hop group that is comprised of Reach Records artists. While not a completely individual music group, they have released a few compilations to notable acclaim in the Christian rap world. This acclaim is not unjustified, as they manage to churn out exquisite rap tracks that rise above the usual muck in the mainstream market. Amped takes a noticeable departure from the usual generated-beat focussed rap to include more of a rock element, with electric guitars, bass and semi-acoustic drums. A lot of the music on this rather short album or EP can be likened to Toby Mac, although there is more hardcore rap than the latter implements.

Track Listing:

Send Me/Represent (Lecrae)
Red Revolution (Tedashii ft. Sho Baraka)
Beyond Belief (Lecrae)
Cash Or Christ/Fanatics (Trip Lee ft. Lecrae)
No More (Tedashii)
Amped (Trip Lee)

I've been ever so slightly apprehensive about the rap-rock genre. Ever since Linkin Park burst onto the scene with their albums Hybrid Theory and Meteora, youngsters everywhere have been grabbing guitars and attempting to sound like black guys (no racism there, black guys are better at rap than white guys). The thing is, though, that rap-rock, or nu-metal as some people like to call it, requires a very fine balance of the two styles. There must not be too much of a rock influence, nor there too much rap. Most of the bands that have successfully experimented with rap-rock (Linkin Park, Korn, etc.) have managed to find that balance. Sadly, these bands are a very small minority. 116 Clique has somehow laid rock instrumentation on top of a hip hop base, so that it sounds like a hip hop album but with a different flavour. Most rap-rock albums incorporate singing at some point, but this is non-existent on Amped. So essentially you've got Flo-Rida style vocals on top of a full rock band, something that would not normally work but does on this album. The opening track "Send Me/Represent" has heavily distorted guitars and a constant groove on the drums, yet is primarily a hip hop track. It is one of the unusual amalgamations I have heard in some time, but is surprisingly pleasing on the ear. Red Revolution continues the mood, as with multi-layered drums and rousing choruses making for a great alternative to 50 Cent. The remaining four tracks are extremely similar, but do not make the album sound monotonous. There is a significant variety in the different artists' voices to ensure that the listener is kept guessing, where Trip Lee's voice is somewhat piercing, Lecrae's voice is deep and powerful.

Hip hop music generally doesn't offer much in the way of musical complexity. More often than not, someone will sit at a mixing board or something similar and pump out repetitive beats, while someone else is assigned the job of atmospheric noise or some sort of melody to accompany the vocals. As has been mentioned before, though, the rap-rock of this album employs (mostly) live instruments, and thus there is a platform on which the effectiveness of the instrumentation can be judged. The guitars are extremely distorted in all the songs, accompanying the bass and the drums in the hard-and-tough approach which is needed for rap rock. This is evident in "Send Me/Represent" (O.K., I'm repeating myself, but seriously, check out the song), where there is a dirty timbre to the instrumentation underneath a melodic keyboard layer. The other tracks are pretty much in the same musical vein. Bass sounds extremely rich, while the beats that have been incorporated into the tracks are a step above your average hip hop beats.

The lyrics are where this EP really shines. Secular rap and hip hop music have very sexualised and violent lyrics (see 50 Cent, Flo Rida, Akon, Eminem, etc.) that can be and are extremely offensive. The lyrics of these songs are very inspirational and encouraging, to say the least. "Send Me/Represent" speaks about being sent by God to do his work, with repetitive vocals rapping "Send Me" in the chorus. "Cash Or Christ/Fanatics" questions our materialistic motivations as opposed to living for Christ, and the former is a hot topic among Christians today. It is extremely refreshing to see a (primarily) rap record delve into clean, philosophical views on life and Christianity. I would pick this over mainstream rap any day, and not just because I am a Christian.

I'm not going to lie to you; this is not EVERYONE's cup of tea. More conservative Christians may find the central use of rapping offensive, but then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no? The division of rap and rock on these songs is certainly quite unusual, but works well on these tracks. I'm impressed with all the vocalists and producers on this album, who really manage to create an ideal listening atmosphere. This album is highly recommended for any fan of rap, Christian or otherwise. Listen to it, admire the rap, and maybe, just maybe, you'll become a rock convert.

Rating:

4.5/5

Review – Dizmas (Dizmas)

2009-01-19T21:01:00.001+11:00

It is somewhat surprising to see a former hard-rock band like Dizmas (emphasis on "former") release a semi-compilation, semi full-length album. Even more surprising is the fact that they have almost completely negated their heavy guitar-driven rock for more radio-friendly pop that bears a painfully striking resemblance to Jeremy Camp, Mark Schultz, Nichole Nordeman and a glut of other Christian pop-rock bands. Oh, Dizmas doesn't play this style badly, but the fact is that if I, or anyone else were listening to Christian radio, we would not be able to distinguish them from any other pop rock band. However, let's give them the benefit of the doubt, shall we?

Track Listing:

Yours
Play It Safe
Save The Day
Redemption, Passion, Glory
Different
Shake It Off
Jealousy Hurts
This Is A Warning
Worth Fighting For
Dance

Being a semi-compilation, there are 4 new songs, "Yours", "Save The Day", "Different" and "Worth Fighting For". The rest of the tracks are "some of Dizmas' most popular" although the fact that there are only 10 tracks hints that it was not that hard to pick them.

"Yours" is the first track off the album, and it is questionable as to why it is the opening track, because it is, to put it bluntly, bland. The cutting edge so apparent on their debut album, On A Search In America is not here, and the song itself is average, both lyrically and musically. The fact that Zach Zegan sings "Oh, I need a saviour" in the prechorus just screams cheesy Christian rock. Now, don't get me wrong here, I have nothing wrong with Christian rock or worshipful lyrics. I myself am a practicing Christian, and am firmly convicted that I do indeed need a saviour. However, this topic has been done SO many times before (I'm not kidding, research it yourself) and one has to wonder why Dizmas have not perhaps put their own spin on the subject matter. The song is not bad, but just too average to be worth listening to. "Play It Safe" ups the ante a little bit, and is thankfully a little bit catchier than its predecessor, experimenting with dance-rock and being driven by the rhythm section of the band. Sadly, in the entire album, the 4 new tracks are not standouts, and it is the old stagers such as "Redemption, Passion, Glory" and the aforementioned "Play It Safe". These two tracks also suffer from the overbearing lack of variety apparent in the album. There is no acoustic ballad at the end, nor is there a variation in the intensity of the songs. All of them are feel-good pop-rockers, which would be decent tunes on their own, but when clumped together have their glaring deficiencies magnified.

As a musical unit, Dizmas have not matured that much, unlike bands such as Mayday Parade and Anberlin. Although this is a semi-compilation, and therefore not a total departure from previous albums, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Dizmas are quite content to sit on their laurels as a band, without striving for improvement. The band, consisting of Zach Zegan on lead vocals, his brother Josh on guitar, Jon Howard on guitar, Nick Aranda on bass and Clayton Hunt on drums, are reasonably proficient musicians, but their music lacks the cutting edge which would take them to the forefront of Christian music. Hunt does not hit the drums with any real conviction, despite the fact that he comes up with some pretty intuitive fills on songs like "Different". This lack of intensity on the drums may also be due to the production crew, spearheaded by Steve Wilson (Hawk Nelson). The crash and ride cymbals do not pierce through the wall of sound, and as a result create a muddy noise. This is also the case with the guitars, which sound muffled and don't carry any bite. The only instrument that does a decent overall job is the bass, which is bouncy on some songs and rich on others. Zach's vocals are not anything different from your usual post-hardcore fare, and overall the musical area of the album does not impress.

The lyrics do not fare much better. Most of the songs deal with fairly shallow subject matter, such as redemption by Jesus, the need for a saviour, celebration because of freedom, etc. These topics should be fine for people who just like to listen to music for the sake of it, but for those who like to delve deeper into it the lyrics are quite disappointing. Granted, deep Christian rock lyrics are not easy to create, but they are by no means impossible. And if the band (or the Zegans, rather) had taken the time to craft slightly less straightforward lyrics, the whole package might have been made more appealing due to the mystery effect. As it is, the lyrical simplicity compounds the plainness of the album. Add into the mix the somewhat monochromatic and rather uncreative front cover design and you have a fairly average album.

Because this is a compilation album, there is still hope for Dizmas. The four new tracks can be used as a platform to build bigger, better songs, because this band really has potential. However, if they continue in this sort of form, it won't be long before they go the way of so many other failed bands before them. In short, buy the 4 new songs on iTunes if you MUST hear them, but otherwise only buy the album if you are a diehard Dizmas fan. If you are just getting into them, you would be better off with
their previous release, Tension, or their debut On a Search in America. All in all, a disappointing effort from a band which really can play much better than this.

Rating :2.5/5

Ultimate Collection: Volume II – Hillsong

2009-01-19T14:08:00.001+11:00

Another year, another compilation. Many seem to regard Hillsong Church's musical endeavours as nothing more than easy cash generating schemes. Especially after what happened with Mike Guglielmucci and his terminal "illness", the after-effect of which was the immediate removal of the song "Healer" from This Is Our God. While the whole driving worship anthem thing has gotten a bit tedious, there is no doubt that this collection represents the crème-de-la-creme of Hillsong's music for the past 5 or so years. Joel Houston and crew have created masterpieces such as "Mighty to Save", "The Stand" and "Salvation is here" over the years, and the compilation is more or less an accurate reflection of the church's musical quality, with a few questionable omissions.

Track Listing:

Salvation Is Here
The Freedom We Know
From The Inside Out
To the Ends Of The Earth
Lord Of All
Let Creation Sing
Hallelujah
Let Us Adore
Came To My Rescue
Take It All
The Stand
For All You've Done
For Who You Are
At The cross
None But Jesus
God He Reigns
Mighty To Save

You can't really look at a compilation album as being an "album" per se, as the tracks weren't created with the idea of flowing together. Nevertheless, the audio editing duo of Tim Whincop and Steve Mcpherson do a decent job of melding the songs together into a sonically pleasing album. The blood starts pumping with the adrenaline rush of "Salvation is here" and "The Freedom We Know" at the start, then passionate renditions of favourites such as "From The Inside Out" and "To The Ends Of The Earth". One factor to note is that this album comprises "the very best live worship" (emphasis on the live). The band is able to draw on the raw power of a live performance while maintaining the tightness and musical cohesion most present on studio albums. Because it is a worship album, all the tracks are very notable for lifting the atmosphere to a very high place. This is evident on tracks like "From The Inside Out" and "Mighty To Save", especially on the penultimate choruses. The passion of the band and singers is evident. Another potent factor in favour of this compilation is the fact that "fast" songs are dispersed throughout the whole album, and not lumped together at the start, as is the case with many worship albums. Rather, they are placed where they are extremely effective, such as in the middle where a lull in passion might take place. "Take It All" and "For All You've Done" make sure that the worshippers keep at it. Overall, the track numbering and placing is efficient and quite smart, because these tracks were not created with the intention of being played sequentially.

The band remains tight throughout all the tracks on the album, exuding a sense of confidence without being overbearing. This is especially important on a worship record, as the focus is not on the performance but rather the atmosphere and how conducive it is to worshipping God. Guitar solos are kept to a minimum but the guitarists are masters at the craft of creating a worshipful atmosphere. Some cynics may argue that there is not much more to worship guitar than strumming repetitive chord progressions, but there is so much more than that. True, most of the chord progressions are rather simplistic, but therein lies the beauty of worship music. The guitarists can worship freely because they have the knowledge that the songs are ingrained in their hands and heads. As a result, they follow the worship leaders' signalling effectively and are able to bring the intensity down to the most minimalistic level, while also knowing when to up the ante and worship God with a passion. The bassist and drummer fill out the low end of the sound level admirably, and the drummer deserves special mention for being efficient but not boring in his choice of fills. He does not draw attention to himself, but complements the band and the vocalists well without overpowering them volume-wise, as drummers are capable of doing. The whole band is one of the best in the worship industry today, as is evidenced on "Mighty To Save", one of the classic worship songs of the past few years.

Lyrically, worship is not a very wide genre by nature. However, there is a relatively decent range of song topics here, ranging from pleas for spiritual change ("From The Inside Out"), celebration of emotional and spiritual freedom ("Salvation Is Here", "The Freedom We Know") adoration of God's creation ("Let Creation Sing") and gratefulness for salvation ("For All You've Done", "Came To My Rescue", etc.) Nothing beyond your usual worship fare, but it's effective for drawing people into the presence of God.

There's not much wrong with this disc. Most of the tracks are tracks that deserve their place in a "best of" Hillsong worship collection. However, it is questionable as to why tracks such as "The Freedom We Know" and "Came To My Rescue" were included, as opposed to "Hosanna", "Saviour King" and others. Many people believe "Hosanna" to be one of the finest tracks in years, but then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Joel Houston is proving to be one of the best worship leaders, on par even with Darlene Zschech. It will not surprise me to see Joel become one of the world's leading consultants on worship music, and I look forward to the future of Hillsong music. My recommendation? Buy it if you are just starting to get into Hillsong, because this is most of the best work of the last 5 years. If you have some of their CDs, though, you'd be better off buying your preferred tracks on iTunes. Of course, you could also just buy the disc if you fancy.

Rating:

4/5

Review - Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Self-Titled)

2008-12-01T21:07:00.004+11:00

Gilbert, Arizona. Sounds like some hick town out in the middle of nowhere, no? That description fits better than you think. Roughly 110,000 people is not a large demographic, but somehow a decent, nay, impressive band has risen up. Scary Kids Scaring Kids, named somewhat curiously after a song on a Cap'n Jazz album, did the hard yards at the start, organising car washes and various fundraisers to finance their debut EP, After Dark. They built a solid fanbase in their home city (bear in mind that they were still in high school when After Dark was released) and signed to Immortal Records, releasing their first full-length, The City Sleeps In Flames. While that album was hailed and the band given "high potential" status, they have unmistakably matured with the release of this self-titled LP. They are signed to RCA Records, after Immortal went belly up in 2007.

Scary Kids Scaring Kids is:

Tyson Stevens - Vocals
Pouyan Afkary - Keyboards
Chad Crawford - Guitar, Vocals
DJ Wilson - Bass
Steve Kirby - Guitar
James Ethridge - Drums

Track Listing:

Prelude
Degenerates
Holding On
The Deep End
Faces
A Pistol To My Temple
Star Crossed
Derailed
Breathe
Set Sail
Free Again
Snake Devil
Watch Me Bleed
Goes Without Saying
Blood Runs Forever
The Power Of Resolution

Opening tracks tread a very delicate line. They can soften the listener up, creating a more favourable impression of the album, or they can make the listener cringe in agony and press the eject button. While there have been several opening tracks that have done the former, there are sadly many more that accomplish the latter all too easily. Prelude, while not being a masterpiece per se (it's only 40 seconds long) does create a dark and foreboding tone. A voice in the background rants about pollution and the like, while in the foreground someone appears to be running and panting heavily, knocking frantically on doors, apparently seeking an escape. This eventually climaxes with the smashing of glass, indicating the conclusion of the matter in a (presumably) grotesque manner. Degenerates takes over, then, and immediately the full aggression of the band is revealed. Vocalist Tyson Stevens showcases his ability to be angry without screaming. An impressive feature throughout this song and the whole album is the tightness of the rhythm section. The bass drum and bass guitar are connected perfectly, particularly when drummer James Ethridge uses his double kick pedal. Holding On is another passionate track, Stevens' voice impassioned as he moans about his attempts to "hold on" to a woman. The rhythm takes a back seat here, leaving the twin guitars to take centre stage. As is the case with many post-hardcore bands, the guitarists have learned to play off each other. There is no lead or rhythm guitarist, as both Chad Crawford and Steven Kirby switch between these roles effectively. The Deep End continues in pretty much the same vein, another passionate power ballad in which the guitars really flourish. The lead single finally arrives in Faces, which is the first real fist-pumping mosh pit song on the album. It is arguably the best choice for a single, with lyrics speaking about revolution and breaking free of restrictions, to put it in a nutshell. The musicality is top-notch, and Pouyan Afkary manages to add intricate keyboard fills on top of the driving sound created by the band. The next track in this "bracket" is A Pistol To My Temple, which involves the first real use of screaming. It retains a resemblance to the other tracks, but is still excellent and catchy. Derailed and Breathe can't really be called "songs", and they appear to be, while pleasant to listen to, merely filler. The remainder of the album continues the high standard set by the first bracket. Standout tracks include "Snake Devil", which verges on glam-metal and is a fun track, and "Free Again", which again speaks about revolution. Special mentions should go to the acoustic ballads, like "Watch Me Bleed" and "Set Sail". They provide a welcome respite from the high-octane rock, but allow for the rock to resume almost immediately.

The band has taken many strides musically since their debut LP. Stevens was criticised for screaming too much on that album, and the instrumentalists were, while impressive, not outstanding. They have completely eradicated those preconceptions with this album. Screaming has very much taken a back seat, although Stevens uses it tactfully in songs such as "Free Again" and "Snake Devil". The band have stepped up in terms of understanding each other. The guitarists switch soloing duty at will, and Afkary inserts the uniqueness of his keyboard skills without ruining the overall chemistry of the sound. Ethridge has developed the wisdom of knowing when and when not to play complicated fills. When he does play them, though, they are quite impressive. As stated above, he clicks extremely well with Wilson on the bass, and they provide the strong undercurrent upon which the rest of the band runs.

Despite the overall success of this album, there are a few niggling issues that prevent it from being a classic. One is the reliance on ¾, 3/8 or related time signatures (i.e. 6/8) in songs, or at least their choruses. "Degenerates", "Holding On', "The Deep End", "A Pistol To My Temple", "Star Crossed" and "Blood Runs Forever" all use the aforementioned time signatures in at least the choruses, and in many cases the complete songs. While the mainstream public may not care or pick up on this, there needs to be more variety in the rhythm. It would have been nice to have more songs like "Snake Devil", for instance. Maybe even a jazz-rock improvisation, who knows? Another issue is lyrical complexity. It is true that the band has become more proficient musically, but lyrically there can be some improvement. It is extremely similar to their previous effort, with a lot of emphasis on revolution ("Faces", "Free Again") and relationships ("Snake Devil", "Holding On", etc.). This does work, but perhaps the inclusion of more social commentary or a broader range of experiences might have been in order. Then again, these are not HUGE issues, merely slight chinks in the armour.

Overall, this is an impressive sophomore effort from SKSK. They manage to find the middle ground between hardcore and melodic, and keep the scales fairly balanced.

Recommended to fans of: Thursday, Thrice, As I Lay Dying, Dance Gavin Dance, Saosin, Chiodos, Silverstein

Rating:

4/5

Review – New Surrender (Anberlin, 2008)

2008-10-26T17:50:00.001+11:00

Well, I wasn't expecting it this quickly. The trend in this digitised era is for bands to wait at least 2 years between releases, leaving fans drooling for more. Not the case with Anberlin, though. New Surrender is released on the back of the band's critically acclaimed 2007 record, Cities. Many fans raised questions over Anberlin's decision to move over to Universal Republic Records and ditch the producer of their last 3 albums, Aaron Sprinkle, for Neal Avron, who's credentials include Yellowcard and Fall Out Boy (Yuck!). The fears were that the signature Anberlin sound would become lost in the muddled chaos that is mainstream rock music. However, while implementing a poppy edge to their music, New Surrender still possesses all the Anberlin characteristics: massive guitars, synthesisers, and soaring vocals. Does it live up to Cities, though?

Track Listing:

The Resistance
Breaking
Blame Me! Blame Me!
Retrace
Feel Good Drag
Disappear
Breathe
Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)
Younglife
Haight St.
Soft Skeletons
Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)

New Surrender forgoes the use of a debut track, as was used in Cities, choosing to dive straight into the guitar-driven composition that is The Resistance. Ambitious and powerful, it is arguably as good an opening track as on any of the Anberlin albums, if not the best. Christian's vocals reach to the skies, infused with passion and raw anger. The next track, Breaking, is sort of a conglomerate of the songs Adelaide and A Whisper and A Clamour from Cities. Bouncy and poppy like Adelaide, but possessing the vast stadium rock sound of Clamour, it is quite likely to be used as the second single. Once again, Christian's voice does not fail, tender and powerful at the same time. The lyrics are also poignant, offering some consolation to the broken-hearted: "You make breaking hearts look so easy, seems like you've done this before". Blame Me! Blame Me! ups the ante with a fun dance-rock beat, sure to get listeners upbeat. Another highlight of this album, sure to impress.

The first single off the album (and some might argue that it was inappropriately chosen) is Feel Good Drag, re-recorded from the band's 2005 release, Never Take Friendship Personal. The band chose this song as the single because they felt that it did not get the attention it deserved originally. (Probably because that album was slightly monotonous, but let that remain a discussion for another time). And I must agree, the re-recorded version possesses much more power and aggression, largely due to the improvements in Christian's voice. Even with the omission of the screaming part in the bridge, Christian manages to make the song more of a hardcore sing-a-long, air guitar style tune. Not a bad technique for a single, I must say. It will be extremely surprising if this single does not at least do moderately well on the Alternative Rock charts.

The rest of the album is very introspective, both in terms of lyrics and musicality. Breathe brings back reminiscent thoughts of a Joshua Tree – style U2, and is sure to be a big hit with fans. Soft Skeletons is no doubt one of the darkest songs Anberlin has every written, Christian at his most vulnerable as he croons about a girl caught in the hold of drugs. Younglife and Haight Street are the two weakest songs on the album, and could even be considered filler. However, by today's standards they are still decent songs, certainly not bad like some of the stuff on the radio. (Lady GaGa, anyone?) However, the magnum opus of this album has to be the epic ending song, Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum). Translating literally as "Evil from a wretched sight (Good out of Evil)", it is apocalyptic, bombastic, grand and..... well, epic. Littered with Biblical references to the apocalypse, this is sure to provoke study from the curious intellectuals out there. A sample of the lyrics is as follows : "Before the red priest took his last breath, he told me child now don't forget, the sky will turn dark very soon, your days are numbered when there's blood on the moon". Dark and brooding, the song is enveloped (for the first two verses, at least) by an eerie atmospheric guitar effect, a testimony to the skill of Avron in production (much as I hate to admit it) and Milligan on his guitar. As the song enters the 2^nd chorus, though, the band kicks into top gear, creating a powerful arena sound that adds to the epic feeling. One of the great Anberlin songs, and one I would ask you to listen to if you were to listen to one track on this album. Bonum will never live up to the closing track from Cities, *fin, as that was one of the masterpieces of 21^st century alternative rock. However, it does not seem apparent that Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum) tries to go that way. It forges its own path, and the same could be said of the whole album.

The band remains as tight and as musically proficient as ever before, with new guitarist Christian McAlhaney slotting perfectly into his role as partner to lead guitarist Joseph Milligan. Rexroat is the quiet achiever on his bass, pounding out those bass lines without being flamboyant or flashy. Meanwhile, Nathan Young has tweaked his impressive drumming style, hitting the skins with muscle and aggression, while adding to the atmosphere on more emotional songs. As has been mentioned, Stephen Christian's voice is one of the most unique in the market today, and he utilises it brilliantly to complement Anberlin's style. One thing noticeable about Anberlin is the way that they work as a unit. Sure, there are guitar solos, but these do not glorify Milligan or McAlhaney, but present more opportunities for the rest of the band to work together. No one member towers over the other in their songs, and everyone is content to play as one, rather than individually. The term "A champion team will beat a team of champions" comes to mind, no?

Poppy? A bit. Poignant? Yes. Brilliantly constructed? Yes. Anberlin were never going to make another Cities (I can imagine the disappointed grunts, but that's the truth). What it has done is construct its most sonically diverse record yet, and this is not a bad thing at all. In my opinion, this album is every bit as good as Cities, if not the same stylistically. It will not create such a splash, on account of the fact that expectations are sky high (as they should be) and the fact that they have joined Universal Republic. I prefer to look at this as good, because then more people will hear the genius that is Anberlin. Listen to New Surrender. You will not regret it.

4.5/5

Review – The Flame In All Of Us (Thousand Foot Krutch)

2008-09-30T20:55:00.001+11:00

Back after a 2 year absence, Canada-based Thousand Foot Krutch (Trevor McNevan – vocals, Joel Bruyere – bass, Steve Augustine – drums) attempts to relaunch itself into the spotlight with The Flame In All Of Us. Going on the success of 2003's hit album Phenomenon, and to a lesser extent 2005's The Art of Breaking, it seems that the band is poised to break into the mainstream. And that is certainly the impression one gets of the album. Everything about it, from the squeaky clean production to the removal of rap elements and less hardcore stylistic tendencies, and even to the simplistic album artwork, screams major label intrusion. Nevertheless, the band is still signed to Tooth & Nail, which is a fantastic label in my opinion, in terms of discovering and nurturing new talent in the rock scene. Getting down to business, The Flame In All Of Us is a solid album, with heavy rock riffs and tender ballads that will no doubt hit home with the mainstream rock audience.

Track Listing

The Flame In All Of Us
Falls Apart
New Drug
What Do We Know?
Favourite Disease
My Home
My Own Enemy
Learn To Breathe
Inhuman
Broken Wing
The Safest Place
Wish You Well

I've seen a variety of bands which use the title track of the album as a single. To me, the whole notion of a title track is distorted, because the title of the album should reflect the overall theme, not just a single track (while that may not be the case with a lot of albums, a title track immediately draws unnecessary attention to itself while not necessarily being better than the other tracks on the album). Naturally, this is a single opinion, and should not be taken as fact, but evidence is found in numerous albums. Anyway, back to the album. Despite being the title track and the first single, The Flame In All Of Us manages to rock out with a riff that will immediately insinuate itself into your brain. Strings are used in the chorus and contrast decently with the hard rocking verse. This is one song that you will either love or hate, and it will either seem repetitive or strike you as a piece of rocking genius. The title track leads immediately into the first single, "Falls Apart". Hard-hitting and fairly poignant in terms of lyrics, it is a bouncy, head-banging song that you will also either love or hate for its repetitive chorus and heavy guitars. The good work of both these tracks is undone to a degree by "New Drug", which tries hard to be a metal-sounding track but ultimately fails. "What Do We Know", the second single, redeems the album somewhat, showcasing the band's softer side and its ability to commentate on the social status of the planet. It is probably the single that will be the most successful on the radio, because of its ballad style and the use of the children's choir, which will be lapped up by listeners. The rest of the album throws up notable highlights such as the string-heavy rocker "Learn to Breathe" and the bass-driven nu-metal of "The Safest Place", which is in my opinion one of, if not the best track on the album. "Wish You Well" is a fitting end to the album, and the added bonus of the hidden track "The Last Song" is one that will pull in listeners.

I cannot fault the band musically. They sound extremely tight together, even with the lack of a permanent guitarist (Phil X recorded the guitar parts for the entire album). This is probably due to the fact that the producer encouraged the band to record with each other, infusing the tracks with more energy than would be the case if the parts had been recorded separately. The bass fills out the low end well, and the drums are simple yet effective. In the mix of the rock goodness, though, I kept having the nagging feeling of "Haven't I heard this before?". Don't get me wrong, the album is good, but it sacrifices the limp traces of originality that were present on the band's previous albums. TFK would have done better to insert more rap and cut back on the mainstream rock style, maybe sacrificing album sales but in the process sanctifying and fine-tuning their style. The Flame In All Of Us will sell copies, and sell them by the bucket load. However, I just sense that if McNevan, Bruyere and Augustine want to make a bigger impact, they will have to come up with something more unique with their follow-up, or revert back to Phenomenon-style nu-metal.

The lyrics are solid and spiritually refreshing, without being too oppressive and in-your-face. Even the aggressive songs manage to strike a reasonably decent balance between raw passion and angst ("The Safest Place" and "Learn To Breathe" come to mind). Also, this album is accessible by both Christian and secular audiences alike, despite the labelling of TFK as a "Christian band", a label which so many bands try to shrug (And I totally support them). TFK do not refer directly to "God" in any of their songs, although there are veiled religious and spiritual references. None of these should deter any listeners away, though.

There are one or two songs that are major flops on this album. "Inhuman" is a failure in every sense of the word. McNevan tries to market the song as "a crunchy rawk anthem", but really it the only sound it remotely resembles is a cacophony of screeching, painful guitar and crackling, unclear bass. Even the lyrics are not able to save the song. "I'm alive because you touched me" is so ridiculously cliched that all it does is make me want to manually delete the track from the disc. Oh, sure, some TFK fans may wail at me for being narrow-minded and not open to TFK's alternative style, but the truth is that "Inhuman" simply fails to complement the other decent rock tunes on the album. "My Own Enemy" succeeds more in this aspect, as it sounds a lot tighter than "Inhuman". However, it still seems to be lacking in the "it" factor that so often separates good bands from great bands, diamonds in the rough from run-of-the-mill albums.

I could say that about the whole album, as a matter of fact. Satisfying as it felt, there was nothing that the band has done a whole lot better than other bands of the same genre (Nickelback, Korn, Creed). I would have liked to see them go for broke and try to reinvent the wheel (figuratively speaking), rather than create hard-rock tunes reminiscent of other bands before them. Regardless, this is an improvement over The Art Of Breaking, and I look forward to the next installment in the Thousand Foot Krutch story.

Rating :3.5/5

-Josh Yuvaraj

Review – Oh! Gravity (Switchfoot)

2008-09-22T13:10:00.001+11:00

Since forming as the three-piece indie rock band Chin Up in 1997, Switchfoot have gone from strength to strength. Initially consisting of Jonathan Foreman on guitar/vocals, his brother Tim on bass and their friend Chad Butler on the drums, the band released three independent albums, in chronological order : The Legend of Chin (1997), New Way To Be Human (1999), and Learning To Breathe (2000). All three were praised for managing to produce catchy pop tunes, while maintaining a sense of spirituality and nobility about them in terms of lyrics. Of course, the critical reception of these albums paled quite significantly in comparison to the sort received by their 2003 mainstream debut, The Beautiful Letdown. Poignant, poppy ear candy, it was exactly what was needed in the mainstream music market. Propelled by the smash hits "Meant to Live" and "Dare You To Move", Switchfoot quickly became a household name, with their follow-up Nothing Is Sound debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in 2005. Needless to say, it was never going to live up to Letdown in terms of hit singles, but was a decent record in its own. And so here we are, looking back at the latter end of 2006, when Switchfoot released Oh! Gravity. Let's dive in, shall we?

Track Listing:

Oh! Gravity
American Dream
Dirty Second Hands
Awakening
Circles
Amateur Lovers
Faust, Midas & Myself
Head Over Heels (In This Life)
Yesterdays
Burn Out Bright
4:12
Let Your Love Be Strong

While it certainly isn't fair to call Nothing Is Sound a flop, by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly didn't have the impact many thought it would. With Oh! Gravity, Switchfoot seeks to go back to their more raw, indie roots. The distinction between this album and the previous two is certainly significant, because on the whole Gravity sounds a lot rougher and less polished than The Beautiful Letdown or Nothing Is Sound. The first song, which is also the title track and the first single off the album, is a frenzied mélange of driving guitars, a thumping bass line and frenetic pounding on the drums courtesy of Butler. While it may not appease the mainstream audience as much as "Meant To Live" or "Dare You To Move", it is certainly a fun, bouncy track to begin the album with and an indication of the stylistic departure initiated by Foreman. The next track, "American Dream", continues the mood, with a solid rock verse backed by a fist pumping chorus (It is nigh impossible to refrain from shouting "This ain't my American Dream!" when hearing it). Listeners hoping for more of the same will be somewhat disappointed, though, because "Dirty Second Hands" certainly catches everyone by surprise. Starting off with an alt-country guitar riff, the rest of the band clicks in, albeit in a slightly eerie manner. The fact that this was chosen as the second single also underlines the point that Switchfoot want to broaden their sonic wingspan. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it actually is a decent enough song in terms of technicality and catchiness. Normality is slightly restored with the passionate anthem "Awakening", which is unsurprisingly the next single. This song is probably the most likely tune to score on mainstream radio, and has already reached upwards of 2 million hits on YouTube. The rest of the album also produces notable highlights, such as the enthralling tale of "Faust, Midas & Myself", in which a man debates the devil's offer of material gain in exchange for his soul, and the R.E.M.-esque tone of 4:12 (The song also ends on four minutes and twelve seconds. Coincidence? Who knows?). Stylistic departure has been achieved in this album, and while it will not score highly in terms of pop hits, it certainly does in risk-taking.

All five members of the band – The initial three and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar/keys/vocals) and Drew Shirley (guitar) – are musical adepts. Therefore, the technical ability on this record is of an immensely high level. The three guitarists play simultaneously on a fair number of occasions, and they are quite skilful in layering the sound so as to prevent the "wall of noise" effect. Fontamillas chimes in with keyboard flourishes now and again, which add to the exotic flavour of this album. Meanwhile, Tim Foreman and Butler are reliable as ever on the bass and drums, Tim accenting the guitars well (while chiming in with a few of his own bass licks) and Butler pounding the skins with tight technical ability. One example is "Awakening", with Butler's snare fill in the bridge and Tim's bass being emphasised in the second verse, while in the choruses the guitars sound loud but clean, heavy but not overbearing. In terms of vocals, Foreman soars more than ever before, hitting those high notes with conviction and power while managing to impart a sense of tenderness and vulnerability on softer tunes. Vocal harmonies have taken a back seat on this album, but Tim reliably provides them when needed.

Producers John Fields and Steve Lillywhite have done well in co-operation with Switchfoot, and the collaboration meant that Switchfoot was able to impose more of their ideas on the album. Foreman explicitly stated that he wanted to leave certain mistakes in, and that some songs were full band recordings, rather than individual drum and guitar tracks amalgamated together. This all contributes to the roughness and grungy feel of the album.

Possibly the only aspect of the album which has remained fairly unchanged from previous albums is lyrical themes. Switchfoot always seems to veer onto the track of despising materialism and "wanting more in this life". Their 2003 single "Meant To Live" showcases this, Foreman singing, "We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves". It is essentially the same theme on Oh! Gravity, but with more words coating it. The theme is at its most blatant in "American Dream", when Foreman basically repeats "Gone" off The Beautiful Letdown, singing "This ain't my American dream, I wanna live and die for bigger things". He even goes so far as to reference Lexus cars, in the same vein as "Gone". Other examples include "Dirty Second Hands", which attempts to induce the listener to go against the flow of time and make the most of their lives, and "Burn Out Bright", which essentially says the same thing ("If you've only got one shot, If you've only got one life, If time was never on our side, then before I die I wanna burn out bright"). Foreman should have expanded his lyrical horizon not unlike what he and the band did with the style of this album, and I would have liked to have seen lyrics dealing with topics such as suicide and failed relationships. There are some glimpses of a broadening range on songs such as "Yesterdays", which fondly reminisces about the life of a deceased loved one and "Head Over Heels (In This Life)", a groovy ballad about a lover/friend.

This is a solid album from a great band, and a good follow-up to Nothing Is Sound, which felt just a little overpolished and overproduced. With Oh! Gravity, Switchfoot manages to capture the raw energy which so often encapsulates their live shows but does so with technicality which is decent. The lyrics are the only glaring blemish, but otherwise it is a good album. Not excellent, but good and I hope to see much better in their next album, because this band is one of the successes of the last ten years.

Verdict : 3.75/5

-Josh Yuvaraj

Review – Deliverance (Quietdrive)

2008-09-21T21:57:00.001+11:00

Another band classified as pop punk here. Quietdrive made a minor splash on the charts with their 2006 debut, When All That's Left Is You, although most of their mainstream recognition so far has been due to their cover of Cyndi Lauper's popular 80's pop hit Time After Time (It's actually an alright cover, go check it out sometime). With Deliverance, the band – consisting of Kevin Truckenmiller (vocals), Matt Kirby (guitar, vocals), Justin Bonhiver (guitar), Droo Hastings (bass) and Brandon Lanier (drums) – seeks to expand its stylistic conventions to sound like more than what the average pop-punk band sounds like. And it's fair to say that they actually manage to achieve their goal, because Deliverance ranges from guitar driven hard-rockers to passionate power ballads to Beatle-esque 60's pop and even a bit of doo-wop not unlike Little Red.

Track Listing

Believe
Deliverance
Daddy's Little Girl
Motivation
Birthday
Afterall
Pretend
Hollywood
Kissing Your Lips
Take Me Now
Promise Me Now
Secret
Starbright

When All That's Left Of You was your average pop-punk album, lyrics about girls, two four rhythms, repetitive chord progressions, all the stuff I mentioned in the We The Kings review. I have to say that I started listening to Deliverance with an attitude of "Oh gosh, not another pop-punk album". I also have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the range of styles present on the selection of songs. Album starter "Believe" starts off with a man's muttering voice and Lanier's bouncy drums, followed by the rest of the band kicking into gear and forming into a solid, non-generic rocker (There's even a synth solo in the bridge). The second song is the title track, and probably the first single. Appropriate, because it is arguably the most pop-sounding tune on the album. Not necessarily as heavy as the others, but it is a quality song that should garner a fair bit of airplay on mainstream, or at least alternative radio (Maybe a repeat slot on MTV? Who knows). Other standout tracks include "Daddy's Little Girl", a passionate power ballad tinged with exotic classical guitar flourishes, "Hollywood", which advertises a playful R'n'B styled rhythm, and "Secret", with its Latin-American/Spanish roots and classical guitar.

The musicality of this band was debatable at best on their debut. The drums sounded a bit overused, and when added to the muddy guitar produced a sound that wasn't particularly pleasing to the ear. However, most of the flaws have been eradicated on Deliverance. Bonhiver and Kirby exchange their guitar parts well, and both of them when playing rhythm guitar click in a pleasing fashion with Hastings and Lanier. Speaking of those two, I really have to comment on the communication and understanding between them. Hastings' bass is nearly always accented in just the right spot by Lanier's bass drum, and this is apparent on songs such as "Hollywood" and "Pretend". Obviously skeptics will argue that this communication is always apparent on rock albums because of the need for perfection and the adeptness of producers at eliminating mistakes. However, it is actually very recognisable from the moment the album starts playing, and one has to wonder whether the producer intended for this effect to be created. Regardless, it works well and complements the technique of the band. Vocals-wise, Truckenmiller enhances the uniqueness of his voice to emphasise the band's move away from generic punk into more alternative territory. He goes hard on tracks like "Believe" and "Birthday", while managing to showcase his emotional side on "Daddy's Little Girl" and "Secret". The vocal harmonies are also top-notch, adding to Truckenmiller's voice and complementing the rhythm section of the band.

The album doesn't stray enough from pop-punk conventions to be declared revolutionary (lyrics-wise), but it does go deeper than usual in terms of ambiguity and interpretational value. "Daddy's Little Girl" (I know I've referred to it a lot, but it truly is a great song) could be interpreted from viewpoint of a sugar daddy, and actual father, or a boyfriend, completely up to the listener. Likewise, "Hollywood" can be taken as someone's obsession with the location, or with a girl with the metaphorical name of Hollywood. There are other examples, but I will skip them for the sake of boring you, the readers. There are still traces of the old pop-punk Quietdrive, songs such as "Birthday" - which involves a man moaning about his girlfriend leaving him, possibly because he forgot her birthday – and "Take Me Now" just two examples of songs with average lyrical matter.

One aspect that really caught my eye (or ear, rather) was the inclusion of songs like "Kissing Your Lips" and "Birthday", which veered slightly from rhythmic conventions of punk. Both of these tunes have very bouncy bass lines (when I say bouncy, I mean bouncy. As in, seat-bouncing bouncy) and bring back memories of a time when hair was long, pants had flares and the sunnies were massive. Some may see these two tracks as a hindrance to the progression of the album, but in fact they aid in producing an accomplished palate of sounds and styles. They feel refreshing and add conviction to the point that the band seeks to depart from their pop-punk roots.

There are a few instances in which Truckenmiller's voice sounds a tiny bit forced, as he attempts to belt out the high notes or tries to get some oomph into the choruses. Also, it is apparent that his transition into falsetto sounds a bit whiny and not as smooth as other vocalists on the market. ("Deliverance" showcases this the most, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience of the song). Other flaws include the guitar not piercing through enough, and in some instances ("Take Me Now", etc.) a wall of noise appears in select choruses. Having said that, these flaws are but minor imperfections in what is Quietdrive's best effort yet. The only way to go is up for these guys, and I would be very disappointed if their next album did not live up to the excellence that is Deliverance.

Rating 4/5

-Josh Yuvaraj

We The Kings - Review

2008-09-14T20:34:00.001+11:00

We The Kings - Review

Track Listing:

1.Secret Valentine

2. Skyway Avenue

3. Check Yes Juliet

4. Stay Young

5. Whoa

6. August Is Over

7. The Quiet

8. Don't Speak Liar

9. Headlines Read Out

10. All Again For You

11. This Is Our Town

I won't lie to you. The number of similar sounding pop-punk bands out there simply astound me. I mean, o.k., if the formula was used by about 4 prominent bands I would understand, but for goodness' sake, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of bands that use the same formula of generic pop-punk, lyrics about failed relationships and overused chord progressions (Guys, think of something besides I, IV and V please). And so we arrive at the self-titled debut album for Florida-based four-piece We The Kings. Hooky choruses, upbeat drums, bouncy bass lines... just your average run-of-the-mill punk band, no?

Not quite. (You knew I was going to say that didn't you?). While lacking in lyrical depth, the music certainly does possess way more catchiness than other punk bands... the it factor when it comes to success in the overcrowded pop-punk scene. We the Kings consists of Travis Clark (vocals, guitar), Hunter Thomsen (guitar), Drew Thomsen (bass) and Danny Duncan (drums), and has been dubbed as "the modern day Jimmy Eat World". Big words, indeed, for a band started in middle school. However, they live up to it on the debut album. We the Kings show everyone else that sometimes simplicity is the best method on songs such as the unbelievably catchy first single "Check Yes Juliet". Simple guitar riffs, a simple drum pattern and a thumping bass line make this a shoo-in for one of the best pop-punk singles of the year. However, the album is not just simplicity, though, showing glimpses of Hunter's technical ability on the guitar on tunes such as "Secret Valentine" and "Stay Young"

Indeed, the musical technicality of We The Kings defines their style. While not necessarily groundbreaking, the group seem to have found a formula to create pop songs that are catchy, simple, and yet not generic like every other band out there. There is not much more to say than that. The guitars hit hard without sounding too distorted, while Duncan is a tight drummer in the line of Switchfoot's Chad Butler. Drew Thomsen, the quiet antithesis of the other three flamboyant band members, knocks out bass notes that perfectly complement the guitars of Clark and Hunter, all the while emphasising Duncan's bass drum beats.

Tight as the band is, however, I did begin to feel a slight tediousness as the last quarter of the album began to play. Even for a band like We the Kings, who so skilfully manipulate the style of pop-punk, they are not invulnerable. Songs such as "Whoa", "Headlines Read Out" and "The Quiet" are still generic pop punk, but not as catchy and frankly a bit boring to listen too because there is simply nothing attractive about them. However, these are exceptions to the general excellence and originality with which the music is played.

The lyrics are the real Achilles heel of the album, though. While their music may possess some irresistible charm to it, the lyrics penned by the band are synonymous with pop-punk bands, with most, if not all of those bands crooning about girls, relationships, parties and the like. It is fortunate that We the Kings manage to be catchy in a musical sense, because these lyrics would not survive long in the cut-throat music business. Examples include "I'm crushed, black and blue, but you know I'd do it all again for you" on All Again For You and "Never looking back at what we've done, we'll say, it was love, 'cos I would die for you on Skyway Avenue" on Skyway Avenue. These two songs more or less summarise the lyrical themes towards which the album is geared. One aspect that was quite annoying for me was the fact that most of the songs dealt with the listener in the second person, always talking to "you". It felt very one-dimensional, and I cannot help but wonder how much greater the album might have been if Clark had stopped to think a little deeper into the intricacies of life and write from different perspectives, rather than just belting out aimless "Let's Rock!!" and "You're the most beautiful girl I've met" tunes. Having said that, the large majority of the pop-loving audience do not really appreciate deep, indecipherable lyrics, such as are present on songs from bands such as Saosin and U2, and this may have been a subtle inclination towards the mainstream audience that the band wants to break into.

Overall, the album was an enjoyable 40 minute listen for me, although I had to refrain from pressing the skip button on below-par tracks such as those mentioned above. The strongest tracks are without a doubt the first three, although tunes such as "Stay Young" and the raw, passionate album closer "This is our Town", which speaks about the band's appreciation for their home town of Bradenton, Florida. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys simple, catchy power pop. Watch this band, because they are set to be one of the prominent punk acts of the next few years.

Rating:3.5/5

- Josh Yuvaraj

Saosin – Saosin Review

2008-09-10T21:22:00.001+11:00

Saosin – Saosin Review

Saosin is:

Cove Reber - Vocals
Justin Shekoski – Guitar
Beau Burchell – Guitar
Chris Sorenson – Bass
Alex Rodriguez - Drums

After the highs of 2003's debut EP Translating the Name, Saosin have developed a solid underground following, while subtly tweaking with and refining their sound from the grungy, Anthony Green-esque scream style to a more palatable but no less hard-hitting sonic assault. Many listeners thought that the band would crash and burn after the departure of Green, Saosin's erratic but wonderfully talented lead singer, but Saosin have found a very suitable, if not more established replacement. Cove Reber hits those high notes as well as Anthony did, but has a more cutting lower end than was apparent in Anthony's voice. This difference is personified in the band's new self-titled full-length album. While some critics may condemn the group for having "sold out" to the mainstream, the opposite is indeed quite apparent. The songs are brilliantly constructed despite the fact that they follow a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus pattern, with the musicality and lyrical genius apparent.

From the start, it is apparent that this is a band destined for big things. The album begins with an eerie collection of ambient noise, before a singular guitar pattern paves the way for an almost creepy tom roll on the drums and the subsequent potency of Reber's voice as "It's Far Better to Learn" kicks off. The song ends appropriately, with the guitar riff leading into the next tune, "Sleepers". Avid fans will recognise this song immediately as a variation of "I Wanna Hear Another Fast Song" from their self-titled 2005 EP. "Sleepers" improves on every aspect of the song, though, and is one of the best on this album. Other standout tracks include the adrenalin-packed "Follow and Feel", "Some Sense of Security" and the raw passion and angst of "I Never Wanted To"

Musically, the band more than holds its own against the many other post-hardcore bands flooding the scene nowadays. The two guitarists, Beau Burchell and Justin Shekoski, interchange their parts beautifully throughout the album, the result of which is a melodically and rhythmically stimulating 40 minutes or so. Examples of this are on "Bury Your Head" and "It's Far Better to Learn", to name a few. However, the guitars would count for nothing if not backed up by the solid rhythm section of Chris Sorenson (bass) and Alex Rodriguez (drums). Sorenson is ever-reliable on the low end of the sonic spectrum, while Rodriguez plays some mind-boggling fills on tunes such as "Follow and Feel" and "Sleepers". He has to be one of the most rhythmically and technically sound drummers out there today, and one only has to see him in a video to note the intensity with which he pounds the skins.

The music is only half the story though. Before beginning the writing of a single tune for this album, Reber made it very clear that he was not going to write a melancholy, depressing album like many of his post-hardcore compatriots (Senses Fail, anyone?). As a result, the passion with which the music is played by the band's members is matched by Reber's heartfelt lyrics and soaring vocals. Examples include "Voices", which talks about different voices struggling to be heard in the cacophony, and "Some Sense of Security", a sad reminiscence about the past where the grass was greener.

Howard Benson (Relient K, Seether) produced the album, and with his experience has managed to meld 12 brilliant tracks together in such a way that you do not have to press the skip button urgently at any point. All the songs segue wonderfully into one another, although this could be because of the similar styles of most of the songs. The drum track sounds very tight and deep, producing suitable echoes and rich, warm cymbal sounds. The bass can actually be heard quite distinctly on normal speakers/earphones, a feat not normally achieved with many bands (Hence the origination of many bass guitar jokes).

There is not much wrong with this album, however that is not to say that it cannot be improved. Even though the tracks sound good for the most part, a constant worry is that they all use the same basic formula. And no, I'm not talking about the basic pop structure. Most of the choruses are big and heavy, with lots of crash cymbal sounds and heavy rhythm guitar inputs. Even on "softer" songs such as "You're Not Alone" and "I Never Wanted To", this form is used. In most instances it works, but some songs feel just a tad ordinary, such as "Voices" and "Come Close". Other than this minor flaw, this album is near impossible to fault.

Verdict? Buy it. No, buy two of them. Three, if you have any level of musical appreciation in you. Because this is one of the gems out there in the overcrowded rock market, and Saosin has established itself as the diamond in the rough, bypassing countless mediocre rock bands who aspire to be post-hardcore greats. A word of advice to those bands: Saosin. The way to go, boys.

Introduction

2008-06-12T21:24:00.000+11:00

G'day people,
First blog post! I must say, I've never been interested in blogging. Yet, now it seems an attractive way to vent my frustrations and express my joys. Been experiencing a lot of the former lately.. But then again, there's also been a lot of good things going on.

Will attempt to keep this updated... But I can't say that that'll happen. I'll just have to wait and see what life throws at me. Until then, adios..