FEBRUARY 2013 NEW RELEASES (part 1)

This month is a BIG month for Christian music. There are several major new releases to celebrate. Here are my reviews of the first two: Sanctus Real and Daniel Bashta.

Sanctus Real--"Run"

GRADE:  B+

It feels like it has been forever since Sanctus Real has released a new CD. Because of this, many fans are very excited about their latest project entitled "Run". Overall, the album is excellent, but this new CD is a change of pace for the band. 

Sanctus Real is a remarkably talented band. They have a creative arrangement of sounds that set them apart from other bands in the CCM world. This CD demonstrates that very much in songs like "Pray", "One of those Things", and "You Are God". In addition, the song lyrics are strong and powerful. The band certainly has a grasp on how to express their honest passion toward their relationship with God in a way that everyone can relate to. 

What is different about this CD (and why I am giving it a B+ instead of an A) is the style. One of the things that I believe has always made Sanctus Real so great is their combination of raw, honest lyrics with music that has an edge to it. However, that edge is missing greatly in this new CD. In essence, the band has chosen to go with a more contemporary, mainstream style rather than their own unique rock sound. This, of course is disappointing for those hardcore fans.

Overall, the album is good and I predict it will do well--but Snactus Real has certainly chosen contemporary over rock and to fans like myself that is a shame. 

Daniel Bashta--"The Invisible"

GRADE: A+

I believe Daniel Bashta is one of the most powerful new worship leaders to emerge in recent years. He made his debut with his first CD, "The Sounds"--with his hit song "Like a Lion (God's Not Dead))". Now, he is back with his sophomore project and I believe there is a lot to be excited about on this new release.

Bashta's voice is unique and certainly sets him apart from other worship leaders. He has a raw, passionate sound that is very different than the mainstream, commercialized worship leaders. Because of this, his music seems to resonate in a powerful and honest way. 

The album begins with a bold song entitled, "I Want it All (Just Give Me Jesus)" which is about pushing our faith deeper than just religion and emotions. After this, the next few songs wrestle with the mystery of God and His power in the midst of our weakness. The album then moves into a powerful anthem of worship entitled, "Great is the Lord" which I believe could be his next major single. The rest of the album focuses on God's redemptive work and faithfulness. 

The song "In the Ruins" highlights our brokenness and invites God to save us from all of our failures as a church--the words declare: Come unlock the barricades, every temple we have falsely made, Come and save us from the wars we rage...Come and heal this sick disease, Come and break this apathy...Resurrect these whitewashed tombs...Save us from the idols we build in your name.

Finally, the album ends with a beautiful image of God's sacrifice for us in the song, "Behold the Lamb of God". This song summarizes the heart of the album with its final bridge declaring yours is the kingdom, yours is the power, yours is the glory, forever AMEN.

Overall, the CD is an amazing worship album that has unique sound completely different than anything else in worship music today. Furthermore, the songs on this CD are not as long as the tracks on Bashta's first CD making them much easier to utilize in a church setting. I can't wait to find out where Daniel Bashta's music will take his listeners next!!

SEPTEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS!

Group 1 Crew--Fearless

GRADE: B-

Fearless is the fourth major release from the Christian hip-hop artists Group 1 Crew. Before even beginning the CD, most fans will notice a major change. First of all, the trio has been reduced to a duo. The group now consists only of Bianca and Manny. Because of this, they have definitely taken a different direction musically.

Group 1 Crew has been known for their ability to take rap and hip-hop and mix it up with techno pop. However, with each CD release they have gradually moved away from being a hip-hop group to being more of a techno pop group. Their latest CD has virtually no hip-hop elements. A few songs like "Dangerous" have some elements of rap, but nothing substantial. This CD is much more radio friendly and it is quite clear that they have chosen to go more mainstream in the contemporary market.

On the positive side, Group 1 Crew is amazing at techno pop--so even though some fans may miss the hip-hop influence, the group is still very good at what they do. In addition, the lyrics are much more rooted in their faith and seem to be more mature than some of their older albums. 

On the downside, I think this is one of those CDs that just starts to sound the same after a while. The production quality and arrangements are great--but there is very a little variety of sound on the CD. One track pretty much sounds like the next track.

Some of the best songs on Fearless are "He Said"--which features the amazing Chris August, "Dangerous," and "Dark Valley"--which features Christian rapper, FLAME.

Overall, it is a good album--and I think it will definitely make Group 1 Crew more recognized on Contemporary radio--but unfortunately they may lose some of their more hardcore hip-hop fans.

KEVIN MAX--NEW LEAD SINGER FOR AUDIO ADRENALINE!

After breaking up in 2007 because of lead singer, Mark Stuart's serious vocal issues, Audio Adrenaline is preparing a major return to Christian music in 2013. Unfortunately, the only original member who will be returning to the band is the bass player, Will McGinnis. The other members joining McGinnis will be Dave Ghazarian (from Superchic[k]) on guitar and Jared Byers (from Bleach) on drums. 

Replacing Mark Stuart as lead singer for the band was no doubt a difficult task. Trying to find someone with the stage presence and charisma that Audio Adrenaline is known for is not easy at all. However, the decision came down to former dc Talk member, Kevin Max. Kevin has a recognized reputation in the Christian music world for his incredible vocal range and the unique vibrato he has in his voice. Having Kevin at vocals will definitely be a different sound for the band--but it will also be exciting to hear.

There is no official date as of yet for Audio Adrenaline's new album, but they have announced it will be released sometime in 2013. The Christian music world will be waiting for it in great anticipation! 

AUGUST 2012 NEW RELEASES--ALBUM REVIEWS

Chris August--The Upside of Down

GRADE: A-

DESCRIPTION:

When listening to this CD--I think you will definitely notice a shift from his debut album. I think "The Upside of Down" wrestles with a lot more serious issues than his first release which was more lighthearted (except for 7x70).

The CD opens with the radio single "Center of It" and the title track "Upside of Down"...both of these songs deal with recognizing God's role in the midst of our struggles and pain. No matter what, God is in the center of our problems and drawing closer to Him is the upside to our down times!

The CD then moves into dealing with some of the issues in our society and church...songs like "Restore" deal with the problem of divorce and God's desire to bring healing to broken homes. These songs build up to the moving ballad, "I Believe" which is a strong testament to our faith over signs and wonders...with words like "I don't need a rainbow to know who made the rain, don't need the waters parted to know who made the way, and I don't need a healing to know who is the cure"

The album then picks up again with the fun song "1989" which is about seeing Jesus the way a child does and trusting Him without question. "Unashamed of You" is another fun song which encourages us all to stand up for Jesus regardless of what others think.

The CD slows down again for the song "A Little More Jesus" which deals with our human inconsistencies and how we need more of him and less of us. "Let the Music Play" is the last major upbeat song on the album and pushes for us to keep on trying in the midst of our failures. The last three songs are ballads reinforcing our faith in Christ.

Chris also experiments with a couple different styles on this Cd which make it an enjoyable album. Some of the songs maintain his more contemporary sound like "Center of It" and "Unashamed of You"....however, in the amazing song, "Amen" he drifts over into some gospel complete with a choir behind him toward the end of the song. Finally, there is some funky almost Toby-Mac like style going on in the song "Let the Music Play"

Overall, this album is a superb musical journey of faith and what it really means to trust Jesus completely.

The only "downside" to this album is that I feel like the last three songs are good but a bit overkill....unfortunately because they are three slow songs the end of the CD does seem to drag on a bit...but not enough to ruin the greatness of the CD itself.

Tenth Avenue North--The Struggle

GRADE: C

DESCRIPTION:

I thought Tenth Avenue's first album was good...but nothing special...I felt like they kicked it up a notch in The Light Meets the Dark...and I was so excited for this new album, but was disappointed once I got it and actually listened to it. The band is trying to cover musical territory that to me they are just not suited for. I don't think any of the new songs will be major radio hits like some of their other songs.

The lyrical content is strong. TAN is a great lyricist and has some powerful words on this project. However, musically they experimented way too much and the result is an album in complete disarray. The CD feels unfinished and unbalanced. A couple of the songs like "Losing" have these awkward shifts in style and rhythm (which I usually enjoy) but on this album the shifts seem random and unpolished. 

However, there are a few decent songs on the project: "worn", "Stranger's Here", and "Grace"

In the end, this cd is not Tenth Avenue's best work....but hopefully they will reach their full potential on their next release.