Copious Notes

rctalk: Jon Foreman's 'Spring' and 'Summer'

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman has just completed a series of four seasonal EPs.

Jon Foreman | Spring and Summer EPs

The Fourth of July week seems to be an appropriate time to to praise a great American songwriter. With his Spring and Summer EPs, Jon Foreman has cemented himself as just that. We should add that the Swithfoot frontman is a brave songwriter, as some of the lyrics on these recordings will land him in Dutch with some of the Christian music community that has made him a star, and an exquisite craftsman.

Like on the first two EPs, Fall and Winter, Foreman is freed from any constraints or obligations the band format holds, and he uses that space to perfectly augment songs with what they need. I do not know if Foreman recorded these six-song sets sequentially, but the last two -- which have just been released on one CD,  same as the first pair -- show growth over the intitial efforts.

The closest thing to Switchfoot is Summer's Resurrect Me, which sounds like Switchfoot gone to seed, in a good way -- a great little cacophony of clangy steely guitars over a steady4-4 beat. Seriously, it could slip into a Switchfoot set with no problem.

But there are numerous songs that couldn't, their string and wind accompaniments perfectly accenting the songs, but also making them distinctively Foreman's.

Foreman is also a much more blunt songwriter on his own. The rap on Switchfoot's songs have often been that they are brilliant, but so couched in metaphor and cleverness that the listener could easily miss the point -- and this is a point of concern to some who question Switchfoot's commitment to Christianity.

There is no missing the point here. Some faith-community listeners may wish Foreman was murkier when they hear Instead of a Show, a tune as incendiary as anything Derek Webb has written. In the song, Foreman lambastes the church for putting on shows while ignoring the hurting world around it.

Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when you're singing 'em
I hate all your show
Instead, let there be a flood of justice

Some will be angry with  Foreman for saying it. Some will say it needed to be said. Either way, Foreman grows as a challenging songwriter. But lest anyone use Show to question Foreman's faith, these EPs have some of his most spiritual writing to date, such as Spring's Your Love is Strong and Summer's House of God, Forever, an interpretation of Psalm 23 that ranks with 24 as one of the loveliest things Foreman has written.

As far as we know, things are good in the Switchfoot camp. They released a track for the Prince Caspian soundtrack last month, and have a tour in the offing with Third Day and Jars of Clay. But this solo voice Foreman has started using is quite compelling. Let's hear more.

Concert alert: Hawk Nelson is in Winchester at 6 p.m. July 5. We'll have more on Hawk later this week, but click here to buy tickets.

rcTalk: Superchick's 'Rock What You Got,' Chapman update

Superchick are (L-R) Max Hsu, Brandon Estelle, Tricia Brock,  Dave Ghazarian, Melissa Brock and Matt Dally. Photo courtesy of inpop records.

Superchick | Rock What You Got

Superchick breaks the silence -- as they often do -- of a quiet couple of months for new releases in the Christian rock market with their fourth studio album, Rock What You Got.

If you've read my reviews before, you know I kind of revere album four as a signpost in the career of a band, where it should be settling into a professional act and revealing a mature voice after having made an initial splash and then having to crank out follow-ups in the midst of hardscrabble touring. It's usually the album that indicates where the act is going to go.

Rock What You Got has some mixed messages.

On the one hand, Superchick, fronted by Hoosier sisters Tricia and Melissa Brock, has definitely refined its sound. In a genre where a lot of sound-alike bands leave you scratching your head and saying, 'Who's that?' when you listen to the radio, the Brocks' vocals over the scrappy distortion of guitarists Dave Ghazarian and Melissa and buoyant, loopy rhythms of their backers is hard to mistake. But under producer, songwriter and keyboardist Max Hsu, that sound has not stagnated. Remaining distinctive, he has slipped in an orchestrated undercurrent that can be as simple as Breathe or grand as Stand in the Rain. And the band as a whole is tight and intriguing. Bassist Matt Dally had a great moment in Pure on the last album, Beauty from Pain, and everyone has moments such as that here.

But in content, Rock sometimes sounds stagnant. The title track, for instance, while catchy, still feels like a retread of Beauty from Pain's Anthem, or several other empowerment sing-alongs in the 'chick catalog. Not that we don't like the anthems, such as Hey Hey, which wins with its tempo and grit. There are several pain ballads that also sound repetitive, particularly Hold and Breathe in the middle of the album. Superchick mines a lot of despair and defiance for its material, but sometimes seems to have tunnel vision.

This is a band that definitely has identified a group it wants to speak to: teens, particularly girls feeling like outcasts and struggling with peer pressure. That's a worthy mission, but heading into album five, hopefully the group will explore a broader range of topics to address. Superchick has a lot going for it. It would be a shame to see the band founder because it's saying the same things over and over again.

Back on the road: Steven Curtis Chapman is set to resume touring next month, with 15 dates scheduled into September, including a string of August baseball game dates with the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros. Chapman and his family suffered a tragedy last month when their 5-year-old adopted daughter Maria was killed in an accident at their home outside Nashville. Chapman has canceled all of his international dates.

New Tomlin: You may already be hearing Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin's new single, on radio, considering its being touted as the most-added multi-format song in Christian radio history. We now have a release date and title for the whole album: Hello Love drops on Sept. 2, and will include several tracks we heard on the latest Passion album, God of This City, including God of This City and Sing, Sing, Sing.

Live Casting Crowns: If you loved Casting Crowns' recent performances at Rupp Arena or Ichthus, you can take the experience home with The Altar and the Door Live CD and DVD, Aug. 19.

Christian music update: Dave Barnes review

Dave Barnes | You + Me + The World

Though Dave Barnes is a somewhat atypical artist in the Christian market, he initially seems easy to categorize. You think of him in that Mat Kearney, Matt Wertz -- maybe he should be a Matt Barnes? -- group of singer-songwriters with a faith base and a mainstream audience, particularly in the college market.

Two successful independent releases have yielded a national label recording contract with Razor & Tie for Barnes. And with that national debut, You + Me + The World, he lays out a saucer of a dozen tunes that show him to be much more than a Christian John Mayer. 

 The initial single, Until You, is a perfect little piece of young adult summer breeze that introduces him as an amiable guy and probably a great catch if he weren't already taken.

But that personality takes us in a number of different directions and addresses global concerns is songs such as Good World Gone Bad as well as personal, committed love in  Since You Said I Do. Barnes is an artist who will frustrate some listeners who believe faith-based musicians should have more explicit, sustained Christian messages in their music. But others will find the mix of faith and temporal topics refreshing, particularly knowing they come from a faith perspective.

Regardless of the message, the music is consistently engaging, maybe drawing the best comparisons to Jonny Lang's 2006 hit Turn Around, as this also makes confident swings through gospel, soul, country and a variety of rhythms and textures, expertly guided by producer and sideman Ed Cash.

Really, the best category for this Dave Barnes album would be good music.

t-mac at the movies: If you're in Central Kentucky and you JUST CAN'T WAIT to see Tobymac play Ichthus on June 13, you can head over to Louisville Monday night and see Tobymac: Alive and Transported at the Showcase Stonybrook. The concert film, a la, a lot of concert films we're seeing lately is showing across the nation Monday night, and the reigning Dove Award winner for artist of the year is the first Christian market act I can recall doing this.

Speaking of Louisville: Southeast Christian Church, the mothership at Exit 17 off I-64, has a release on the new Great Worship Songs label from Brentwood-Benson Publishing, which has the largest Christian music publishing catalog in the world. Holy is the Lord, which drops July 1, will be the third disc on the label, and the first to focus on a specific church. The album features the Louisville church's band and choir presenting songs written in the Southeast Community. Chords and lead sheets of the songs will be available at the Great Worship Songs website.

Where was this?: Yes, we know we have regular visitors to the Christian music update on Tuesday and we were a tad late this week. For the duration of the summer, at least, this post is going to move back to Mondays, because this blog has a few other seasonal staples that make Tuesday a little crowded. And hey, if we preview an album you really like, that gives you time to go home and smash your piggy bank to go get it -- that's if you are still into buying tangible, physical, oh-so-20th Century CDs.

But Saturday, Copious Notes will flip a switch and go all-Ichthus -- with a couple of exceptions -- through the festival. We'll start by chatting with new Gotee artist Stephanie Smith, who will play several times during the fest and also get her hands dirty with some festival goers.

Christian music update: American Idols sing for Jesus

Phil Stacey | Phil Stacey
Chris Sligh | Running Back to You

Like the Chris Daughtreys and Clay Aikens in mainstream pop, an increasing number of American Idol finalists who didn't win the big prize are finding homes on Christian music labels, charts and concert tours. Mandisa, who rolled through here a few months ago as part of Winter Jam is probably the highest profile example, but in the past month, a pair of season six veterans released promising debut discs:  Chris Sligh and Richmond-native Phil Stacey.

Sligh certainly hinted this was a way he might go, singing tunes by dc talk and MuteMath on Idol. Running Back to You certainly is the most Idol of the two albums -- take that as you like. From the opening track, Arise, Sligh is showing his powerful pipes. A lot of the album is like this, very radio-friendly, emotional soaring songs that could be completely plausible in the mouths of future Idol competitors. There's also soul and groove in tunes such as Something Beautiful, the album's best cut. It's a superior debut in performance and production.

Stacey is also very true to his Idol self, which was a whole lot country. His voice is at ease in the country format and, though not as spectacular as Sligh's, just as expressive. The thing that marks this album as indelibly country though is the songwriting. The leadoff track, It's Who You Know, is pure Nashville scene-setting and hook that makes Stacey seem like a legitimate two-genre artist. The songwriting credits include several top Christian and country tunesmiths, and the album was made under the direction of veteran Christian artist and songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick.

Given their Idol notoriety, both artists could cross-over, but for the Christian community, both deliver strong messages of faith. Clearly, the singers are not just seeing the Christian market as a place where they can cash in. They contribute.

Chistianity Today's Christian Music Today website has a great interview with Sligh, Stacey and Mandisa.

Idol Switch: If he doesn't win on Idol tomorrow tonight, could a Christian market contract be in David Cook's future. Last week in on Idol, he uncorked a cover of Switchfoot's Dare You to Move, and got the band a shout out from Randy. Here's the video, if you want to compare Cook to Jon Foreman:

Out today: Warren Barfield offers Worth Fighting For and Tenth Avenue North releases Over and Underneath.

Yahoo!, new Casting Crowns video: Yahoo! Music's video premiers site will be featuring Slow Fade, the new single from Casting Crowns, starting at midnight tonight/tomorrow (May 21).

New FF5: Family Force 5's new EP, Dance or Die, drops on June 3. It will be available at iTunes and at tour dates during the summer,  presumably including the Ichthus Festival , where they play June 14. They're also releasing Blingin' Blogs , Vol. 1 on iTunes with, according to their press release, "12 blogs with over 70 minutes of the world according to Family Force 5." O-K.

Concerts: If you are into the Southern Gospel Music, The Gold City Quartet is playing Tates Creek Christian Church, 3150 Tates Creek Road, at 7:30 p.m. May 30. Admission is free, and an offering will be taken to cover expenses.

And to bring this post full circle, Phil Stacey performs at 7 p.m. May 22 in the Bell County High School gym as part of the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival in Pineville.

Christian pop update: Stephanie Smith review, Narnia and Ichthus

Newcomer Stephanie Smith will be a big presence at the Ichthus Festival in June. Photo courtesy of Gotee Records.

Stephanie Smith | Not Afraid

Christian music is almost a decade removed from an era where it seemed afraid to let women rock. From Jennifer Knapp (Where've you gone?) to Fireflight's Dawn Richardson and the BarlowGirls and Superchicks in between, the Christian market has gotten used to hearing a woman's voice in front of a hail of guitars, to the point that it doesn't make headlines.

So why is Stephanie Smith a headline?

First is the backstory is that she was spotted by Gotee Records impresario Toby McKeehan -- you may know him as TobyMac -- who was actually turned down by Smith when he first offered her a development deal.  In the past, the man has spotted acts such as Knapp, Family Force 5 and Grits, so if he's interested, you want to give it a listen. That would lead to second, which is that when he finally signed Smith, he put a lot of support behind her. At least, that's what her debut, Not Afraid, sounds like.

Jamie Moore's production is a collection of high energy anthems seemingly perfectly tailored to launch Smith into the summer festival season, where she'll be a big presence at events such June's Ichthus Festival in Wilmore. Smith sounds ready for it with a voice warm enough for the Miley Cyrus crowd but strong enough to draw in the fist-pumpers waiting for Skillet.

If there's a weakness here, it's in material. Some of the opening tracks such as Beauty and Superstar feel like they've been done before, both in title and execution. The album starts showing artistic maturity in grittier rockers such Over It and the reflective ballad, What if I Made a Mistake? With a winning first effort and clear label support, Smith should enjoy success this go-round and time to grow.

American Idols: We want to ruminate on Chris Sligh and Phil Stacey's albums one more week, so we'll have those reviews next week.

Also out today: With Arrows With Poise by new MTV stars The Myriad.

Dottie Rambo: Southern Gospel has never been my thing. But I certainly knew about Dottie Rambo (photo, right) and her music. The Queen of Gospel Music died Saturday en route to a concert in Texas and former Herald-Leader religion writer Frank Lockwood has an informative tribute to her at Bible Belt Blogger. And we have a guest book at Kentucky.com if you'd like to share your condolences. Walter Tunis also has an eloquent remembrance at his blog, the Musical Box.

Air1 & Ichthus: California-based Air1, heard locally at WVRB-95.3 FM, is giving away a trip for four to the Ichthus Festival, complete with backstage passes. The contest is kind of cute: You start to qualify by being the correct number caller when they ask you to call in. Then, you get to play That's Greek to Me -- Greek, Ichthus, get it -- a contest in which you are asked to correctly identify a non-English word or phrase. If you do, you qualify for a grand prize drawing of a trip for four, including airfare, to the Ichthus Festival, June 12-14 in Wilmore.

Narnia alert: If you are getting geared up for the opening of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian on Friday, you could run down to the Tates Creek Branch of the Lexington Public Library at 7 tonight for a little preliminary event. Asbury College English professor Devin Brown will be discussing and signing copies of his latest book, Inside Prince Caspian: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia, the follow up to his successful examination of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which came out before the last Narnia film. Brown is an internationally recognized expert on C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series.

Then go home and . . . watch Switchfoot perform This is Home, the band's contribution to the Caspian soundtrack, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35 p.m.

Speaking of faith-based film: You may remember Facing the Giants, a movie about a fledgling football coach who doesn't find success until he finds God, that went on to surprising success in the fall of 2006. It was surprising because the movie was essentially made as a fund-raiser by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. Well, the church's moviemaking ministry -- how many churches have one of those? -- is at it again with Fireproof, the story of a fireman looking to save his faltering marriage, which is due this fall. Fireproof already shows some signs of Sherwood's success with Giants and its predecessor, Flywheel. The trailer, below, shows advanced special effects and camera work, while there's still a down-homeyness about some of the acting. The film also has a Christian pop tie-in with Warren Barfield's Love is Not A Fight, off of his new disc, Worth Fighting For, which is out next week.

Christian music update: Andy Hunter review

Andy Hunter released his second full-length album, Colour, last month.

Andy Hunter | Colour

Christian music has had a tenuous relationship with Moby in the past, but since 2002, the genre has had an amazing electronica talent in its fold with Englishman Andy Hunter.

It's not a talent all the Christian music world's own, since the mainstream has definitely discovered Hunter's gift and utilized it in film (Matrix: Reloaded), TV (Alias) and video games (Need for Speed Underground) -- all of those credits should include the phrase, "to name a few." That's somewhat natural, since in England, faith-based artists are all in the same marketplace with secular pop.

Hunter's new full-length effort, Colour, shows tremendous growth in the years since that debut -- which included a 2005  EP, Life -- as well as connections he's made. Among his collaborators are dance artist Shaz Sparks and former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure. Those and several other collaborations are indicative of Hunter's work becoming more accessible. While there are still moments where the music unfolds like an endless expanse before our ears, there are just as many strong songs and effective mixes of the two. Ure's work on Smile is an example of a strong song, while Technicolour, featuring D'Morgan, is an example something more oriented toward the dance floor. The fun in the words to the latter is how embracing God is equated to a rush of color and sound.

Hunter's message is clear to anyone who cares to listen. Take the closer, the final stament, You:

You are the one.
The one in three.
Three in one.
Infinity.

Electronica and trance music are a bit of a different flavor to Christian audiences. But they are also a more natural fit than we'd assume. By its nature, electronica has an ability to transport the listener to a different and more contemplative plane, like jam band or classical music. Hunter has penned terrific soundtracks to movies, and Colour could be a great addition to the soundtrack of your life.

Out today: Chris Sligh becomes the second American Idol contestant in as many weeks to release a CD in the Christian market with Running Back to You. Phil Stacey was the AI vet last week. Maybe this calls for an Idol two-fer in the review slot next week.

Tween popsters Jump5 always appeared to be built for a season, not built to last. But now that the group has disbanded, it's founding members are carrying on. The founding duo of Brandon and Brittany Hargest (photo, right) made their debut as Guest at Gospel Music Week in Nashville last month. You can sample their EP, Perfect, at Guest's myspace page.

What was the most played song on Christian radio last year? Well, BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) tracks that sort of thing and last month honored writer Ed Cash with song of the year for Made to Worship, which was recorded by Chris Tomlin, and songwriter of the year for work on that and other songs, including Tomlin's How Can I Keep from Singing? Click here for a complete list of the most performed songs on Christian radio, including gospel and Southern gospel outlets.

P.O.D. on TV: With very fond memories of P.O.D.'s Late Show with David Letterman appearance in 2001 to sing Youth of the Nation backed by, I believe, the Harlem Boys Choir, this sounds appealing: The San Diego band will be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday (May 7) performing an acoustic version of Tell Me Why, backed by a string quartet. The song is from When Angels & Serpents Dance, which debuted at No. 9 on Billboard magazine's album chart and was the No. 1 rock album at iTunes during its debut week.

Look out for a post later this week about Ichthus going green.

Christian music update: Dizmas review

Dizmas are (L-R) bassist Nick Aranda, drummer Clayton Hunt, singer Zach Zegan, guitarist and vocalist Josh Zegan and guitarist Jon Howard. Photo by Jared Martin for Forefront Records.

Dizmas | Dizmas

It's always a good sign when you're listening to an album if your fingers drift over to the volume button to turn it up. Something's caught your attention and you want more. Dizmas has several such moments on its new self-titled album, affirming Forefront Records made a smart move bringing the act into its fold.

In the press release announcing the move -- which was inside the EMI family, from Credential Recordings to Forefront -- it was billed as demonstrating Dizmas', "focus and commitment to the Christian marketplace," which makes sense. While Credential is primarily made up of crossover acts, Forefront has long been home to explicitly Christian artists such as dc talk and Audio Adrenaline. It's also worth noting both of those bands are no longer going concerns -- well, there is always talk of a talk reunion -- and  Rebecca St. James is infrequently releasing new music these days, leaving tobyMac and This Beautiful Republic as the label's standard-bearers for the moment. So Forefront could probably use another strong act, and Dizmas shows strength in what the label bought and promise for the future.

The 10-song disc is essentially a best of Dizmas' two Credential releases, 2005's On a Search in America and last year's Tension, plus four new tracks. The quintet of tunes from Tension are the album's primary strength and reason for that wandering finger syndrome we mentioned. The songs from the previous records are billed as "remastered," and while sometimes you have to be a sound engineer to appreciate redone works like that, tunes such as Shake it Off do seem to have a bit more clarity and pop than their previous incarnations. Different is the best of the new bunch, with angular guitar parts showing some adventure in the band. The other three, Save the Day, Worth Fighting For and Yours, are also solid efforts that show a bit of mellowing and thoughtfulness in the band. Overall, the Forefront debut is a good Dizmas primer for folks who haven't tuned them in already. It'll be interesting to watch for the Lancaster, Calif., act's first full effort with the label to see where this move takes Dizmas and whether their music will still make us want to crank it up.

Also out today: Former American Idol conten-dah Phil Stacey joins the Christian music fold with a self-titled debut; newcomer Josh Wilson also debuts with Trying to Fit the Ocean in a Cup; Salvador adds some Latin flavor with Aware and recent Rupp visitors pureNRG drop Here We Go Again.

Top 10: P.O.D.'s When Angels and Serpents Dance became the latest album by a Christian market act to debut in the Top 10 of Billboard's general market album charts. The disc moved 34,000 units to check in at No. 9.

Don't forget . . . to bug invite Air1's morning team of Eric and Coppelia to come to Ichthus. According to Air1 regional manager Mike Mankel, Lexington is one of Air1's largest markets, so there's another reason we should come. Click here for their e-mail . . . to pester ask Insight to add the Gospel Music Channel, so we can see the Dove Awards next year, and all the programming in between.

Christian music update: P.O.D. review

P.O.D. is singer Sonny Sandoval, guitarist Marcos Curiel, drummer Wuv Bernardo and bassist Traa Daniels. Copyrighted photo courtesy of INO Records.

P.O.D. - When Angels & Serpents Dance

What better way for a band to say welcome back to its returning guitar player than to give an entire new album to the guy? After P.O.D, experienced massive success with Satellite in 2001, guitarist Marcos Curiel left the band or was kicked out, depending on who was telling the story. While his replacement, Jason Truby, was interesting and creative, it wasn't the same group. It wasn't the same arresting and immediate music that propelled them to the forefront of the Christian music market and made them significant players in the mainstream as well. The P.O.D. saga  -- and most of the Yankees teams of this century -- is proof that you can have all of the talent in the world, but in a group, you have to work great together.

So, on their new album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, how is the reunited quartet that brought us Satellite -- which I still consider the greatest Christian rock album ever -- and 1998's The Fundamental Elements of Southtown?

Well, it's not exactly 2001 again. Rather than guys in their 20s singing for the "youth of the nation," Sonny, Marcos, Traa and Wuv are guys in their 30s, and their songwriting reflects larger (The End of the World) and more adult concerns (It Can't Rain Everyday). Rain actually sounds a bit like an updating of P.O.D.'s 2001 hit Youth of the Nation, which had a kid skating off to school and into a classmate's gunfire and a girl being sexually abused by older men. In It Can't Rain Everyday, we have a miscariage and a man losing his job. Not quite as dramatic, unless you appreciate the huge mature concerns those situations address. Addicted, the opening cut, is a pretty sober assessment of the grip drugs, alcohol and other vices can have on people, and the pain of an addict's friends and loved ones watching him or her in that grasp.

Roman Empire also throws back to a classic P.O.D. form, the instrumental with just a little vocal touch. It is really a canvas for Curiel to paint, as is much of the album. Most of the tracks on When Angels & Serpents Dance are defined by the six-string colors this creative ax man brings to them, be it the garage band crunch of Kaliforn-Eye-A, the Latin and somewhat classical style of Roman or the gentle acoustic drizzle of Tell Me Why.

No, P.O.D. is not completely back. The bluster of their youth frequently yields to an encroaching maturity, and the band is in the midst of a journey. The good news is Marcos is along for the ride.

Speaking of musical chairs: Delirious?, which we reviewed here a few weeks back, has a new man in the drummer's chair: Paul Evans taking over for the amicably departing Stew Smith.

End of an era: Most subscribers have now received the final print edition of CCM Magazine with CeCe Winans, Steven Curtis Chapman, tobyMac, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Aaron Gillespie and Mark Hall on the cover. Some cool items in it are an essay by original CCM editor John Styll, now president of the Gospel Music Association, on the mag's history; a glance into the crystal ball of contemporary Christian music by Charlie Peacock; and a letters to the editor section with people -- including Addison Road frontwoman Jenny Simmons -- begging the printed magazine not to go.

I have to agree. I don't know what financial pressures were impacting CCM, but strictly from a journalistic standpoint, it is too early for the primary publication about Christian pop music to go web only, and to be blunt, their website is not developed well enough that it can adequately substitute for the print product. The move deprives the genre of a definitive monthly document of its status and its progress, and though I love this cyberforum, I firmly believe the idea that everyone is on the web and gets all of their information from the web at this point in time is vastly oversold. A lot of people do, but not everyone. It was heartening that at a meeting I recently participated in with some of Lexington's brightest teens, a number of them said they still get their information about what to do from our print products. Dealing with Christian music publicists, when I run a review on this blog, they invariably ask if it will run in print. And that Letters to the Editor section and other comments in CCM were evidence that a lot of us eagerly awaited our monthly CCM to see who was being reviewed, what was in the news section and who was on the cover. That's coming to an end too soon.

Christian music update: Addison Road review

Addison Road is drummer Jeff Sutton, bassist Travis Lawrence, lead singer Jenny Simmons, guitarist Ryan Simmons and lead guitarist Ryan Gregg. Photo by Tec Petaja | INO Records.

Funny thing about bands that enjoy head-turning grassroots success before they ink deals with major labels: They usually turn out to be fairly regular folks, and not the kind of people who would impress record company executives as the next rock stars. Look at Hootie and the Blowfish, the Dave Matthews Band or, in the genre of which we currently speak, the David Crowder Band, Caedmon's Call  and Casting Crowns. Not rock stars from central casting, but musicians who have an amiable stage presence and a way with a tune.

Addison Road fits right in with that m-o. The band formed in 2001 when Jenny and Ryan Simmons -- not married then, but married now -- got a gig before they even had a band. So, the then-Baylor students put together a group that has since morphed a bit over the years, dropped three indie releases and now has a major label debut on INO Records -- which brought you more unassuming stars in MercyMe. The self-titled album is a solid effort of pop rock that is at its best when it is speaking in the plainest terms. What Do I Know of Holy is a prime example, with Jenny singing about a relationship with God that often seems difficult, awkward and unreal. It's introspective writing from the Nichole Nordeman school. Casualties is a catchy and thought-provoking piece about people losing their personal and spiritual relationships to our go-go American culture. The current hit single, All That I Know, may a bit misleading giving folks the impression Addison Road is cut from the Krystal Meyers and Fireflight rocker-chic mold. But Ryan Gregg and Ryan Simmons Beatle-esque guitar flourishes hint at the greater picture, which is a real diversity of material for debut album.

Then again, these folks have been working on this record for a while.

Out today: P.O.D.'s When Angels & Serpents Dance is in stores, online, and everyone else seems to be staying away from the week like it was the release of a new Spider-Man movie. We'll have a review of the Boys from the South next week.

Coming soon: The labels are already whetting our appetites for upcoming releases. Third Day's Revelation, the Georgia band's first album since its two-disc greatest hits package, is set to release July 29 with production by Howard Benson, whose credits include Daughtry, P.O.D. and Flyleaf. And some of those acts showed up on Third Day's new saucer, including Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley for two tunes and Chris Daughtry on one. Overall, they're promising a grittier, Southern rock sound. Family Force 5, also hailing from the Atlanta area, is slated for a late summer release also, though we don't have an album name or date yet. It'll be an interesting release for FF5, which was voted artist of the year by CCM Magazine readers and then greeted two months later with a page full of letters to the editor denouncing the band's look and message -- or perceived lack thereof. It'll be interesting to see if a new release offers anything to satiate the band's detractors.

Got VBS crafts?: This isn't Christian pop related, but I figure some of you may have some ideas for this: Our Faith & Values editor is looking for great Vacation Bible School crafts for a feature later this spring. If you have an unusual craft that others might be interested in, please let us know. Briefly describe the project including the materials involved, the age-appropriateness, how long it takes to create and the end-result. You can e-mail that to me, and I'll send it along to the right person. Thanks, and we can't wait to hear about cherry Jello Red Seas and stuff.

Album Review -- Passion: 'God of this City'

Chris Tomlin in the best way to hear him, live, playing to the crowd at sunset at Ichthus 2007. Copyrighted photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.

We don't review many hits discs or live compilations here. Cranking a review a week, it usually seems best to focus on the new albums from individual artists with tunes that may someday end up on hits or live discs. But there is something about the Passion albums, including the latest, God of this City, that merits mentioning.

The Passion CDs have been around for a while, piecing together some of the best musical moments of the annual college-geared Passion conferences around the world. Mainstays of the project include Chris Tomlin and the David Crowder Band, and these CDs showcase what their music was intended for and how it is best heard: in group worship. Yes, many of the tunes such as Crowder's update of O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing sound great on studio CDs. But hearing the break in his voice as he gives the tune to the crowd and they lift the new chorus, "There is one great love," is to really experience the song. Tomlin kicks the disc into high gear by opening with Let God Arise, and there are other rousing group moments such as his Sing, Sing, Sing -- not the Benny Goodman tune. But even when it is not a big group participatory number, you can hear the energy, like in Christy Nockles' Hosanna. (And as a quick aside, thank God the demise of Watermark has not silenced Christy, who has one of the most gorgeous instruments in Christian music.)

The Passion albums really serve as a great record of where modern worship is at, and God of this City is no exception. Even if you have most of these tunes on other albums, this one is worth the investment.

Out today: Delirious's Kingdom of Comfort, Hawk Nelson's Hawk Nelson is my Friend, Sarah Kelly's Born to Worship, Underoath Live and Jars of Clay's Greatest Hits.

~ If you're inclined to go to the Dove Awards, or if you are going to watch it live on the Gospel Music Channel at 8 p.m. April 23, you'll get to see a lineup of performers including Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Switchfoot, Marvin Sapp, Steven Curtis Chapman, David Crowder Band and Third Day's Mac Powell with the Charlie Daniels Band.

~ A few weeks ago we mentioned Lexington's own Kahle Reardon appeared in Fireflight's Unbreakable video. We finally have a link to the video -- caution, it takes a minute or two to load, and I have cable broadband at home. According to the Kahle's mom, she appears about half way through the clip, after the, "bald woman."

~ Toby McKeehan's Gotee Records has bought back its minority stake from EMI Christian Music Group, making it a fully independent label. This is mostly record industry inside baseball, but it is interesting that the label that has brought us acts such as Relient K has been successful enough to part from one of the major majors in the Christian music world and go its own way. The language of the press release puts an emphasis on digital content and, apparently, a steadier stream of new music from label artists. Upcoming projects this year include new albums from Family Force 5 and Ayiesha Woods.

Album review: Delirious' 'Kingdom of Comfort'

Delirious is (L-R) Jon Thatcher (bass), Tim Jupp (keyboards), Martin Smith (lead vocals), Stu G (guitars) and Stew Smith (drums). By David Dobson | EMI Christian Music Group.

Sorry to be a coupla days late with the weekly review. Clooney-mania in Maysville and some other things put us behind. But here goes.

You might feel guilty listening to Kingdom of Comfort on your pricey, high-capacity iPod. That wasn't exactly Delirious' intention with the thought-provoking song about the material and often isolated world we live in and the terrific album of the same name, a collection of new vertical classics from the Brit rockers.

With album cover art featuring a spilled shopping cart, there is an unmistakable indictment of consumer culture, but the lyrics address it as a comfort that keeps Christians from ministry-- from going forth into the world -- and lures them into unwittingly supporting injustice:

I rob myself of innocence
With the poison of indifference
I buy my stuff at any cost
With a couple of clicks I pay the cost
'Cause what I gain is someone else's loss

It is hardly a comfortable place for the band to go in a Christian pop culture that usually takes aim at easier targets to sell and often promotes consumption as conspicuously as Madison Avenue. But the band does it smartly, in a song that can haunt you as you make decisions about how to use money and time.

It's something of an extension of Our God Reigns from 2005's The Mission Bell, Delirious' last album of new material -- recall the lyric about how an order of Chinese take out could pay for an AIDS patient's medicine? The men of Delirious seem to have something on their minds.

One of those things is definitely making some great worship rock, a logical place to go for a band that has blazed the genre's trail. There are definite possibilities for joining Our God, I Could Sing of Your Love Forever, Majesty and pretty much the rest of the Delirious catalog as worship classics.

But Kingdom of Comfort, which releases April 1, really excels when it's at its most challenging, see the title track, or sonically adventurous, see the Radiohead-esque flourish at the end of How Sweet the Name. Delirious is in a good place for an established band, giving fans a lot of what they expect in the soaring, passionate rock, but clearly continuing to incorporate new ideas into its music. They don't let themselves get comfortable, which is good for us.

Out this week: It's another relatively quiet release week with Starfield's I Will Go being the marquee release. Next month, look for new Hawk Nelson, P.O.D. and Run Kid Run, among others.

Concerts:

4Him's Mark Harris at Northeast Christian Church on Friday, March 28. (That would be tomorrow.)

Newsboys at Pikeville's Eastern Kentucky Expo Center at 6 p.m. April 6.

This is a little ways off still, but Hawk Nelson, Run Kid Run and Jeffrey Dean play Winchester's George Rogers Clark High School July 5.

Album review: Shawn McDonald 'Roots'

Seattle based singer and songwriter Shawn McDonald, whose latest album is Roots. Photo courtesy EMI Christian Music Group.

On the first spin, Shawn McDonald's Roots sounds like a nice album.

Listen to it again. Let it sink in. Notice sonic flourishes like the toy piano on the opening track, Clarity, and the liberal and effective use of strings throughout the disc. Listen closely to how much of the album is scripture, and appreciate how McDonald interprets the verses. Shadowlands, on listen six or seven, gives you a ba-da-bing moment: Oh! Psalm 23. I was just grooving to the syncopation and soulful singing.

On previous efforts, McDonald has been known for being a bit more raw and ragged. This album shows a lot of accomplishment -- an ear for what the song needs, an interpretation, and the skills to execute it. McDonald essentially operates from an acoustic palette but finds a wide range of strokes so the album never blends together or loses a listener's interest. Sometimes, it's not obvious what a song will become. Waltz in 3 starts of a clever idea that winds in a classical reinterpretation of the appropriate theme, "Won't you take me, and make me, beautiful." There are several spaces of beauty and loveliness on this disc, including the final tracks, Winter and Hallelujah, which brings back the toy piano so subtly you barely notice, until you've taken time to notice. But you'll find these things, because Roots grows on you.

New today: It's a quiet new release today with only one marquee release, Colour from electronic and ambient artist Andy Hunter. His previous efforts have been amazing, so we'll give it a listen.

Concerts:

4Him's Mark Harris at Northeast Christian Church on Friday, March 28.

Newsboys at Pikeville's Eastern Kentucky Expo Center at 6 p.m. April 6.

Album review: Inhabited's 'Love'

Inhabited are Marcus Acker, Sara Acker and Charlie Harper. Photo by Travis Weerts | Blackpulp.

Inhabited’s Love grabs your attention at first listen with sounds you don’t hear a lot in Christian rock: Marcus Acker’s staccato guitar groove, a little punctuating rap, the throaty alto of frontwoman Sara Acker and a beat that sets your toes tapping, if not your hips swaying. Remember, we’re talking about music directed at a community where some people still consider dancing immoral, no matter what King David did. Inhabited does this a lot on its sophomore album, and that’s when the Houston-based band is at its best. The first single, Hush, is a primo example, a girls’ empowerment tune fueled by a call-and-response rap and a steady beat from drummer Charlie Harper. Even in a more meditative mode, the trio can maintain that clubby composure, such as I Want to Know.

That is not Inhabited’s only sound. The group also offers up some traditional rockers and ballads, and does them well. Song to the Fatherless is a particularly lovely song taken, like many of the bands lyrics, from interactions with fans. The title track has mainstream Christian radio written all over it. But Inhabited’s strength is in its more distinctive voice, and it would be great to see that develop in future projects.

New music today includes: Re:Zound's Abandoned to You, Shawn McDonald's Roots and In Christ Alone: Modern Hymns of Faith & Redemption from Matt Hammitt and Bethany Dillon.

Check out our Winter Jam photo album, if you haven't already.

Selah will be in concert at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church's new Great Commission Center at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 16. Tickets are $15 and available at the door in advance by calling (859) 266-4341.

Don't forget Mark Harris of 4Him fame at Northeast Christian Church on Friday, March 28.

Newsboys will be in concert at Pikeville's Eastern Kentucky Expo Center at 6 p.m. April 6.

If you want the cheap rate for Ichthus, there's not much time left. March 14 is the last day to get an all-weekend ticket for $89. Then it ticks up to $98, and the kids rate goes from $57 to $53 from ages 7-10.

Album review: Fireflight's 'Unbreakable'

Unbreakable is infused with a tremendous sense of drama and such skilled use of the power chord to propel a song that its no wonder NBC licensed it to promote its Bionic Woman series. It's also taken Fireflight to the top of the Christian music charts, again.

But that's one song, and in this iTunes era, most anyone can pick up a great track for 99 cents.

Would Unbreakable, the album, be worth a more substantial investment?

Yes. None of the other nine tunes on the disc, which is out today, grab you quite as quickly as Unbreakable. But Fireflight's sophomore release is full of the same kind of drama, skill and conviction that has made that hit a career single for the Floridians. There are a lot of bands in mainstream and Christian rock that seem to feel like they ought to write about issues such as suicide and depression. Fireflight gives you the feeling the band members have to, that they've either lived through or close enough to these and other situations that they can make authentic statements. The band distinguishes itself by always bringing the conversation back to faith, and the role it plays in perseverance and healing.

Take that title track, which is actually sung from the point of view of the adulteress that was about to be stoned before Jesus intervened, according to the Gospel of John. This isn't one of those cryptic mainstream crossovers. It's pretty easy to tell what lead vocalist Dawn Richardson is singing about. There are some routine tracks on this disc such as Stand Up and Wrapped in Your Arms that it almost seems Fireflight needs to get out of its system. But in that big Bionic hit, and several other tunes such as You Gave Me a Promise, are indications Fireflight is soaring toward a substantial career.

A very sad announcement: Third Day guitarist Brad Avery has left the band. He will not be replaced, the group said in a statement on its website. "We appreciate Brad’s many contributions to the band's career to date, including his work on our forthcoming album, but the time has come for us to follow our separate paths," the statement said.

When Avery joined Third Day, he was key to helping professionalize the then-struggling act, which has now become one of the biggest bands in Christian rock history. With fellow six-stringer Mark Lee, Avery has been part of one Christian music's most creative guitar duos.

According to Billboard magazine's Deborah Evans Price, one of the authorities on Christian music, Avery will be pursuing solo projects.

Left: Brad Avery performs with Third Day at the 2007 Ichthus Festival. Photo by Rich Copley.

In concert: Winter Jam comes to Rupp Arena Thursday night with NewSong, MercyMe, Skillet, BarlowGirl and Mandisa.

~ Mark Harris of 4Him fame will be at Northeast Christian Church on Friday, March 28.

Album review: Pillar's 'For the Love of the Game'

There was a good reason to be excited about Pillar’s new album, For the Love of the Game. That reason was Pillar’s last album, The Reckoning. It was a big step forward, an album that signaled the group was being much more thoughtful and creative about how it approached music and lyrics.

So, what would the next album bring?

Unfortunately, this album is a huge step backward. For the Love of the Game is as big an arena-rock cliche as the title makes it sound. No more nuance. No more reflective songs informed by the lives of the band members and people they’ve met. No more experimentation in styles and tempos. It's just a barrage of 10 tunes that sound like they all want to be the soundtrack for an ESPN Ultimate Highlight reel. Now, a band with a flair for arena-rock anthems, should put a few on a new album. And there are some good fist pumpers here. But there’s no variation and little substance. If  this was Pillar’s first album, we might say, “Good start, you’ve got the basics down. Now let’s see where you take it. And a few notes: Avoid hackneyed song titles like Turn it Up, Get Back and State of Emergency. And you might want to try a little variety beyond one bridled, obligatory power ballad (Smiling Down).”

But this Pillar’s fifth album.

Let’s hope it’s just some sort of band midlife crisis.

One other quibble: I was dumbfounded reading the opening graphs of Pillar's press bio, which is also up on the group's website:

You might not think that a first-century Jewish rabbi-turned-missionary who originally hailed from ancient Turkey, and four guys in a 21st-century rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, would have much in common.

But you’d be wrong.

Likewise, the apostle known as Paul probably never could have imagined that one day, 21 centuries after he lived, a band called Pillar would deliver the very same message of Christ’s love that he did—this time around via the incendiary crunch of distorted power chords paired with roaring vocals, over the cacophony of crashing drums and the bone-rattling thump of the bass.

I was sitting at my desk reading this thinking, "Are these guys seriously comparing themselves to the Apostle Paul?!" Seriously?!

New Music today: Open the floodgates, 'cause in addition to new Pillar, you've got new Leeland with Opposite Way, Stellar Kart's Expect the Impossible, and Avalon's Another Time, Another Place -- Timeless Christian Classics. There are a bunch of others too. Check the GMA website for a complete list.

Passing: Contemporary Christian music pioneer Larry Norman died on Sunday at his home in Oregon. He was 60. Go to his website for more details. Norman started marrying rock and folk music with Christian lyrics in the late 1960s and early '70s, before there even was a genre known as contemporary Christian music. Wikipedia has a fairly thorough and well-sourced page on Norman and his influence in the Jesus Movement of the 1970s and artists he helped and influenced, including Bob Dylan and Daniel Amos. One of his biggest albums was his 1972 release, Only Visiting this Planet. Now, it seems, he's gone home.

Concert: Don't forget, Brandon Heath, Robbie Seay, BASIC and Jason McAnally play Asbury College's Darfur HOPE Concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 29 at Asbury's Hughes Auditorium. You can get tickets online at the Ichthus website.

 

Album review: Sanctus Real + concert alerts

Toldeo-based Sanctus Real are (L-R) Mark Graalman (drums), Dan Gartley (bass), Matt Hammitt (vocals), Chris Rohman (guitar) and Pete Prevost (guitar). Photo courtesy of Sparrow Records.

Every time I listened to Sanctus Real's new album, We Need Each Other, there would come a moment when I had to say to myself, "No, this isn't a Newsboys album." That in and of itself does not make this a bad album, and there are  several strong tracks on this effort and a continuation of Sanctus' enduring themes of faith and connectedness. But it is a little disappointing that a group that's spent three albums developing its own voice has slipped into appropriating another group's sound.

Of course, there are far worse things than saying someone's music sounds like one of the most melodic and popular bands in the history of Christian rock. And that is one of the things that creates such an echo with the boys from Australia. Over three previous albums, that melodic, poppy thing has been the sound Sanctus has been working toward and ultimately achieves on this disc, which should see at least half of its contents arrive on Christian pop charts -- The title track is already there, Sing and Turn Out the Lights are prime candidates. The group also benefits from rousing background vocals and a dual guitar section of Chris Rohman and Pete Prevost that give numerous tracks a rousing, anthemic quality. We Need Each Other has a lot of upside. There are just moments like a choppy guitar part here and there or the way lead singer Matt Hammitt rounds the word "radio" in Turn on the Lights that sound so Peter Furler  . . . With its fourth album, Sanctus Real has achieved the sound its been looking for, it's just not quite an individual sound, yet.

Also out today: Advent, incorporating numerous members of the now defunct Beloved, releases its Solid State Records debut, Remove the Earth; Natalie Grant is out with Relentless and Newworldson's Salvation Station hits the shelves.

CONCERTS THIS WEEK

Two local shows have popped up this week:

~ The Ichthus Festival born-and-raised Ascenxion Band, featuring Shake Anderson, is having a CD release party at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Vineyard Community Church, 817 Winchester Road. Admission is $10, with two canned goods for USA Harvest.

~ Family Force 5, Falling Up, Spoken and This Beautiful Republic play the Eagle Lake Convention Center in Lawrenceburg at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17.  Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.
 

Album review: Stellar Kart's 'Expect the Impossible'

Stellar Kart are Cody Pellerin, Jordan Messer, Adam Agee and Brian Calcara. Photo courtesy of Word Records.

Stellar Kart's  Expect the Impossible is about as pure as power pop gets. The third album from the Phoenix quartet is also a bold, uncompromising album that, along with some other recent and forthcoming efforts, proves the obituary for Christian rock was written prematurely.

Recently, it seemed Christian-market acts were either going the praise and worship route, creating catalogs largely made up of group-participatory tunes, or recording rock songs stronger on metaphors than specific Christian language, to make their music more palatable to secular venues and listeners. You need only look at the track listing for Expect the Impossible, with songs such as Jesus Loves You and Pray, to know Stellar Kart isn't going that route.

And the band hasn't. Through its first two discs, Stellar Kart has been pretty blunt with its message and its music. And that's been received well, including a Dove Award for best rock/contemporary song of the year for Me and Jesus, and a surprise nomination for artist of the year. The new al