Review – Spring (Jon Foreman)

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

1. March (A Prelude To Spring)
   
2. Love Isn't Made
   
3. In My Arms
   
4. Baptize My Mind
   
5. Your Love Is Strong
   
6. 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)

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:

1. Learning How To Die
   
2. Behind Your Eyes
   
3. Somebody's Baby
   
4. White As Snow
   
5. I Am Still Running
   
6. 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)

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:

1. The Cure For Pain
   
2. Southbound Train
   
3. Lord Save Me From Myself
   
4. Equally Skilled
   
5. The Moon Is A Magnet
   
6. 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)

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:

1. Now
   
2. Hail To The King
   
3. I'm Not Ashamed
   
4. Rise
   
5. You Brought Me Home
   
6. You Are Here (The Same Power)
   
7. At Your Feet
   
8. I Receive
   
9. He Is Greater
   
10. Selah (Perfect Love)
    
11. Look To The Cross
    
12. All To Show
    
13. 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)

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:

1. M.I.A. Intro
   
2. Get Lifted
   
3. Can't Lie
   
4. Sideline (feat. Tino)
   
5. Exchange My Mistakes (feat. Lozza)
   
6. Unlucky Luv
   
7. Tell Me What It Iz
   
8. Give Ur Best Shot
   
9. The Call (feat. The El-Shaddai Crew)
   
10. That's What I Need
    
11. Selfish Ambition (Interlude)
    
12. Carry Me Home
    
13. Fix Me
    
14. Victory (feat. 2-11)
    
15. Run 2 U
    
16. Send Me (feat. Ry)
    
17. 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)

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:

1. Something You Should Know
   
2. What I'd Do For You
   
3. On The Road Again
   
4. Disciple
   
5. Again and Again
   
6. Be A Light
   
7. Between Two
   
8. Sleepless Nights
   
9. Grace
   
10. My Story
    
11. Reach
    
12. Too Late
    
13. 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)

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:

1. Send Me/Represent (Lecrae)
   
2. Red Revolution (Tedashii ft. Sho Baraka)
   
3. Beyond Belief (Lecrae)
   
4. Cash Or Christ/Fanatics (Trip Lee ft. Lecrae)
   
5. No More (Tedashii)
   
6. 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)

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:

1. Yours
   
2. Play It Safe
   
3. Save The Day
   
4. Redemption, Passion, Glory
   
5. Different
   
6. Shake It Off
   
7. Jealousy Hurts
   
8. This Is A Warning
   
9. Worth Fighting For
   
10. 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

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:

1. Salvation Is Here
   
2. The Freedom We Know
   
3. From The Inside Out
   
4. To the Ends Of The Earth
   
5. Lord Of All
   
6. Let Creation Sing
   
7. Hallelujah
   
8. Let Us Adore
   
9. Came To My Rescue
   
10. Take It All
    
11. The Stand
    
12. For All You've Done
    
13. For Who You Are
    
14. At The cross
    
15. None But Jesus
    
16. God He Reigns
    
17. 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