It's
always interesting to hear how musicians redefine themselves later in life, and
John Schlitt of ‘80s Petra fame does it with a combination of the fresh and the
former. It's hard to believe a guy who used to make our ears bleed 20 years ago
as a Petra frontman (Okay, not literally, but back then it seemed pretty
extreme) can still belt out melodies, but Schlitt does it as well as ever on
THE GRAFTING. Of course, his vocals are balanced and tempered, focusing on
quality rather than quantity. On many of these songs he sounds like Peter
Furler but with more of an ‘80s metal vocal sound. The acoustic title track is
incredibly personal and touching, "Lord Have Mercy" is a great remake matched
perfectly with Schlitt's tenor vocals and "Only Men" is a soaring worship
ballad. In other words, there's probably something for everyone on this record.
Welcome back, John!
Similar
to the last several Newsboys projects, the latest CD from the "Oi Boys"
features Peter Furler at the helm singing unabashedly Christ-centered
lyrics-while returning to the edgy rock-and-roll music that launched the
Australian band's career in the early 1990s. Between this driving rock music
(with pop sensibilities) and worshipful lyrics, the band has sold over 6
million albums since the early ‘90s, with more than 20 #1 radio hits and five
Grammy Award nominations. Here, the vocals are fresh, the tunes are original
and inspiring, and the messages are comforting. In the future, watch for dc
talk's Michael Tait to supply lead vocals on tour and in recordings, with Peter
Furler providing direction in the background.
It
may be the off season for the Cincinnati Bengals, but NFL tight end Ben Utecht
is keeping busy with his real ministry on earth, which is creating Music for
the Master. The passionate vocals of this guy-who played with the Indianapolis
Colts when they won the Super Bowl a few years back-are matched up with the
likes of Sandi Patty, Mark Harris and Jeremy Camp.
Calculated
and catchy, Brandon Heath's release WHAT IF WE is automatically something
you'll want to listen to over and over again. Maybe the reason is because the
sound on this CD features great mid-America music? Or maybe it's because the
songwriting is the type we can all identify with? Or maybe it's simply because
the pure vocals of this artist are produced with such quality that it sounds
like he's sitting on the coach in our living room, strumming his guitar in our
presence. These songs are straitforward, often accompanied simply with an
acoustic guitar or a keyboard. Whatever it is, it works. About halfway through
listening to this CD, you'll imagine this guy would write a great love ballad,
and that's exactly when Heath gives us on "Love Never Fails," which is based on
the biblical definition of an emotion that is rarely put into practice-at least
not to perfection. Listen for this guy's music to be played on your local
Christian radio station, and prepare to be blessed.
The
keyboards I loved so much during the ‘80s are back with a vengeance, as
exemplified on the track that kicks off this sophomore release from Red
Umbrella. Using minimal production (their debut album was self-produced and
recorded in a studio above a band member's garage), this group focuses instead
on crafty songwriting and quality live-sounding musicianship. The lyrics to
these songs are poetic yet spiritual on a deep, reflective level. "Prison
Slide" tells of the irony of a judgmental person who suddenly realizes God will
judge him too, while "Intervention" explores the idea that we all need to be
held accountable. Yet neither of the aforementioned tunes expressly quote Bible
verses or are preachy. The band does a rocky and harmonic version of Pete
Seger's Ecclesiastical "Turn, Turn, Turn," while the group performs a
song-"Crazy (All Of Me)"-that's based on C.S. Lewis' book ‘Out Of The Silent
Planet.' This is intelligent music, based on the Word and designed to make
people think.
Platinum
worship artist Don Moen says he followed his heart, not his head, while
producing this his latest effort. On I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE, this vocalist and
director features an entire cast of singers and musicians to create a blend of
musical styles-from the choral sounds of "Hail to the King" to the
Celtic-influenced "O God of Abraham" to the gospel-influenced "I'll Say Yes."
Each song is calculated and measured, while on this project Moen has served as
a producer for the first time in his career-and done a lot more creating than
ever before. "This is the first time I've written in a long time," he says,
"and I think I've written my best songs." For contemplative tunes that draw our
attention to the Savior, look no further than this project.
The
hauntingly wonderful vocals of Sarah Reeves launch off this six-song EP with a
prayer for God to "Take these words of mine/Wrapped in melodies and
rhymes/They're clumsy, frail and small." From there the music kicks in to carry
this 19-year-old's message all the way around the bases (Hey, it's baseball
season!), and the result is nothing but clumsy or frail. The distinctive voice
of Reeves, in fact, has a maturity and strength that is mesmerizing upon first
listen, while the tunes are catchy and inspiring. The title track is a breezy,
worship-inducing number, while "Come Save" is a piano-based ballad that pleas
for God to come rescue lost sinners.
Wow!
Between the catchy pop sounds and the gritty female vocals that immediately
capture the imagination, this new project from Sarah Kelly is sure to wow over
listeners everywhere. Instead of dwelling on the stories of abuse relationships
that fill her artist bio, this artist follows what she calls her natural
calling-to be a worship leader-by penning and performing tunes that inspire
others to acknowledge Christ as King and sing Hallelujahs before His throne.
"My first two albums took two years each to write, while this one took me one
month," says Kelly. "This is what I do, and this is who I am. I love choirs,
and I love inspiring people to sing new songs to God that are written in
honesty and truth."
A
desire to see lives transformed and to fight social issues are the driving
purposes behind the music of Press Play, the debut artist for Dream Music
Group. While most of the songs on this CD are not overtly spiritual, the
message and the pop, rock and urban music is surely uplifting. "I Love Who You
Are" is a fun summer-type song with Latin influences, while "Sound of Love"
begins with what sounds like a movie intro and then kicks into techno dance
rhythms. The most religious tune on the project, obviously, is "Praise the
Lord," a worshipful song that calls on the Holy Spirit to fill our lives and to
do Christ's works on earth.
The
cover of this CD reminds me of the days of the great1980s European bands, while
the songs on the disc are equally impressive. Those who learn this band was
originally named Casting Pearls (they changed their name to avoid confusion
with Casting Crowns) might peg them with a certain sound, but they'll be
surprised to learn the group has totally re-defined their music. Indeed, the
band's rock sound now incorporates a fourth member and additional dance
elements. And then, just when the listener might think they again have this
band pegged, in comes a slide guitar or a keyboard groove that mixes things up
entirely. Frontman Bryan Olesen's lead vocals, however, are the most intriguing
thing about this recording, as his voice is strong and comfortable and
intriguing all at the same time. "We really tried to throw the rule book out
the window with these sessions, and we tried to look at each song specifically
and give them what they needed." Says Olesen. "We stretched our limits in every
sense, even down to the way we recorded. A lot of times a band records the drum
tracks, then bass, then guitar and then vocals, but we took it one song at a
time, which made the process more expensive-but artistically, it was great to freshly
move to each element. In the end, all the tracks have a wonderful diversity,
which allows you to listen all the way through and put on a nice iPod shuffle
mix."
It
would be quite easy for acclaimed rock band Jars of Clay to kick back and rest
on their laurels, proud of their previous nine studio CDs and the musical
formula that has won them praise while selling millions of albums worldwide.
But not these guys. Just like their previous efforts, the 14-track THE LONG
FALL BACK TO EARTH is big, lush, confident and gutsy-and with a lyrical quality
that pulls everything together and just seems to fit perfectly. "Two Hands" speaks
to our natural desire to want to help others while struggling to keep our
innate selfishness in check, while the rest of the songs on this CD explore
various matters of relationship and community. Everything's just taken up about
a notch from previous efforts.
The
"Brian Wilson" who plays percussion for the band Atlanta-based Julian Drive is
obviously not the famous musician from the Beach Boys decades, but this drummer
does keep tempo for the Atlanta-based pop/rock group that recently released MY
COMING DAY. The rock is definitely on top of the pop on this recording, though
the upfront harmonic vocals led by Shane Bowers (guitars/vocals) provides a
nice balance. The best way to describe this band's sound? "Southern alt-rock
music," is how one reviewer describes it-though you'd be hard-pressed to find
any country-type rhythms on this disc. Best way to describe their future? Up,
up, all the way, though with humility to boot: "We're not interested in the
rock-star mentality," says Shane. "We are much more interested in how we
connect with the audience. If you come to one of our shows, you'll more likely
find us hanging out with the kids. That's where our heart is."
Music Reviews 
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