Racing acoustic guitars kick off the first track on this
debut from Sidewalk Prophets, THESE SIMPLE TRUTHS, before edgier guitars punch
in and then harmonic vocals captivate the attention of the listeners. Slow to
mid-tempo tunes are par for the course on this project, as the band focuses on
lyrically providing hope for their listeners. “The Words I Would Say” is a
touching testimony, backed by a symphonic wall of backgrounds, with encouraging
words spoken from one friend to another. The worshipful “Moving All The While”
is a slow ballad with praises uplifted to the Father. The most touching tune on
this project would likely be “You Love Me Anyway,” which would be appreciated
most by anyone who realizes the sinfulness of his or her own soul. Sometimes
this band uses a lone piano, sometimes an orchestral layer of sounds, sometimes
a couple acoustic guitars and sometimes something a little more up-tempo, but
throughout the project the focus is always on providing positive God-focused
vibes for the listener.
Grits
is all over the place on their latest, and in this case that’s a wonderful
thing. The breadth of production skills on REITERATE is dazzling, with R&B,
soul, hip-hop, trip-hop, reggae and dance scattered throughout not only the
entire album but most of the individual cuts as well. It’s a mesmerizing mix
one has to hear to believe. Never thought I’d hear fiddles with hip-hop, for
example, though Grits does make it work wonderfully. The only thing I could
find negative about this musical experience is that it comes to an end after
the final song.
It’s
like a flashback to 1980s when listening to this new CD, which contains loads
of electronic music. Satellites & Sirens performs edgy, driving music that
would make for a fun live show, with layers upon layers of synthesizers and
keyboards, Nintendo sounds and Michael Jackson beats—all overlaid with modern
rock guitars. The band says it draws its inspiration from “satellites”—heavenly
bodies that circle the world from above, observing and advising—and “sirens,”
which send out loud warnings and calls to action. “They were both born out of
sound and now live in sound,” the band writes, “using it to communicate with
the people who produce it.” Lyrically, songs on this CD deal with such topics
as broken homes, our society’s glorification of celebrities, and the necessity
of having faith in a Higher Power while living in this turbulent world. And of
course, the band leaves no doubt Who that Higher Power is.
A nice
blend of orchestral strings and pumping mid-tempo pop kicks off the title track
to this CD from Britt Nicole, who then takes things up about 20 notches with
“This is How we Roll”—with a dance beat and a ‘70s organ and energetic lyrics.
Nicole’s European vocals sound like a cross between Leigh Bingham/Nash from
Sixpence and Rebecca St James, while her music is somewhere between Lady GaGa
and a female Newsboy. Yes, this is great party music that will especially
appeal to college and teenage girls. On “Headphones” we hear how much fun this
vocalist can have singing about her fans, while she celebrates a life in Christ
on “Welcome to the Show.” There might not be a lot of deep theological insights
with the lyrics on THE LOST GET FOUND, although Nicole’s throaty vocals really
give meaning to the deeply personal “Have Your Way,” which closes out the CD
with a lone piano and her vocals front-and-center.
Jade
Harrell, who first began performing in church when she was only five years old,
blows us away on her debut project with a combination of R&B, pop, techno
and funk. When I first looked at the back of this CD and saw the song “What a
Fool Believes” listed, I immediately hoped the tune would be a remake of the
classic Doobie Brothers hit—but was prepared to find it to just be a song with
the same name. When I took a listen, however, a huge smile came over my fact as
I began tapping my toes to the big beats that Jade has added to this classic
tune. While R&B and pop and rock artists are a dime a dozen, it’s always
nice to hear a young artist combining numerous genres to create a hugely listenable
project such as CLASS REJECT.
Even
with excellent studio production and all the great musical elements one would
expect of a blues artist, something seems just a little cheesy about a few of
the tunes on this CD. Maybe there’s too much enunciation or lyrics that are a
little too explanatory? It’s like the Rev. is trying too hard vocally on the
first two tracks. Anyway, there are plenty of positives about this project as
well. For example, there’s the great New Orleans jazz on “Green Bananas”—though
the lyrics on that particular cut are a bit “out there”—and there’s the humor
of “Grits Ain’t Groceries.” The artist really does hit his musical stride on
“One Rock,” while “Sell My Soul” is actually very good. “Lord Make Us Funky” is
understandably an instrumental—not sure how one would put that request into
prayerful words—though the sax and organ and guitar are incredible. It’s just that
maybe a blues song about credit card deit might be a little too much?
Pop/rock
band Abandoned, formed after several of these guys performed together on their
church worship band, features Intense vocals, loud and clear over a bed of rock
music, backed up by a catchy chorus of BGVs. Measured and tempered, these songs
have intelligent lyrics featuring a great range in lead vocals. Especially
enjoyable are the several U2 musical elements on the project, with passionate
vocals, a wailing guitar and edgy music.
Controversy
is nothing new when it comes to contemporary Christian music, but it appears to
have hit new levels with the latest solo release from former Caedmon’s Call
lead singer Derek Webb. In addition to containing the words “d*mn” and “sh*t,”
Webb’s song “What Matters Most” criticizes evangelical Christians for spending
so much time condemning homosexuality when about 50,000 people are dying every
day. In the end, the artist and the record label agreed to a compromise, with
the controversial version of the song only being made available on Webb’s
website. What IS new about this latest project, on the other hand, is the
departure Webb has taken from the folksy music for which Caedmon’s Call has
become famous. While Webb refers to his new sound as “intentionally organic,” I
would add that the music on STOCKHOLM SYNDROME as fresh and rich. Without
actually creating tunes that are overtly dance or doo-wop or disco, these tunes
contain elements of each genre that serve to keep the songs unique and
interesting. Then again, given his track record at mixing things up and gaining
notoriety, Derek Webb is SO much more than just “interesting.”
The
first thing I thought when listening to the first track on the latest from
Phillips, Craig & Dean was “Why the heck is this popular Southern Gospel
group attempting to sound like The Newsboys?” Honestly, the first track on
FEARLESS sounds like something Peter Furler should be singing—until the chorus
kicks in and I’m reminded that this is indeed pure PCD. Alternating between
worshipful ballads and rock-inspired praise, this group succeeds once again at
doing what they musically do best, which is providing us with the greatest of
the great. In fact, this one might become a permanent fixture in this
reviewer’s car stereo.
Gritty
vocals and David Crowder Band’s trademark electronic elements fill this new project,
with lots of piano blending nicely with synthesized (‘80s-sounding) music. We
find passionate vocals and lyrics on “All Around Me,” while “How He Loves” is
sure to be a great future worship song. The video game sounds on “Birmingham
(We Are Safe)” reminds me of “You Remind Me” on Grits’ latest effort (see that
review in this issue). Oh yeah, and there’s actually a pretty nice dance beat
going on the title track (“Church Music”), along with an nice inspirational
message to boot, causing me to wonder about the irony of that pairing.
Rap
and rhythms literally explode from this new release from Group One Crew,
featuring a mix of both female R&B and male-led hip-hop. Many of these
grooves seem immediately recognizable—and they really ARE that good, with lots
of dance elements and celebratory lyrics. The group explores the mystery of
loss and loneliness on “Tonight,” though musically this CD is not nearly that
dark. Elements of funk at times make this group sound like a religious version
of Arrested Development, while the horns and jazzy feel of “Critical Emergency”
can be totally mesmerizing. “I Had a Dream” features a female rapper with “attitude,”
the tune “Change” reminds me of the dance hit “Mambo No. 5” and “Contact” is
extremely danceable. The measured raps on “I See You” tell of seeing God in
everything throughout life, and the listener can truly see Him throughout this
album. Overall, ORDINARY DREAMERS is a huge wall of sounds and synthesized
vocals, and that’s no dream!
Music Reviews 
