April 14, 2005

Mmhmm by Relient K

Mmhmm
by Relient K
2004

The Ohio punk rockers are back with their fourth album and showing a few signs of maturity—but not too many.

Immature: Lyrically there’s still some of Relient K’s trademark humor like the quirky love ode “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend” and “Maintain Consciousness” which explores ADD. But overall it seems like they've toned it back a notch.

Hear it: The music is tighter and more varied, offering a little more edge on some songs and nice keyboard arrangements. (listen to three songs and download one at purevolume, or score a free download from iTunes)

Best line: "Lately the weather has been so bi-polar / and consquently so have I" from "High of 75," which consequently earns the nod for best song on the disc.

World wide web: relientk.com

Bottom line: This is quite possibly Relient K's best album yet. The pop-punk is solid and worth checking out.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 09:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 12, 2005

How Great is Our God: Live Worship from Passion 05

How Great is Our God: Live Worship from Passion 05
by various
2005

Live worship with an 11,000-member backing choir and some of the biggest names in worship today. But that's not really the point, is it?

Background: Passion is a gathering of 18-25 year olds eager to serve and worship God, which most recently met in Nashville, Tenn. in January.

Three words: Live, raw, loud.

Who's involved: David Crowder Band, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and others.

New song: The album features three brand new songs, including "Here is Our King" by the David Crowder Band, "All Over the World" by Matt Redman (co-written by Martin Smith of Delirious) and "Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall.

Best of the lot: "There is No One Like You," thanks to the total shock of an 11,000-person sing-a-long.

World wide web: 268generation.com

Bottom line: It's loud and vibrant worship, worth turning up and tuning out the distractions.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 07:09 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Everyday People by Nicole C. Mullen

Everyday People
by Nicole C. Mullen
2004

Nicole C. Mullens delivers exactly what you'd expect: an album of pure gospel/R&B funk.

On the cover: The album opens with a cover of Sly & The Family Stone's "Everyday People." That's the "different strokes for different folks" song, and it's a fun throwback to set the theme.

Best line: "I like cute ugly kinda shoes," from the 'it's OK to be yourself' funk anthem "This This."

Honestly: Everyday People lacks a soaring number like "Redeemer" or "Call on Jesus" from her previous albums.

Nod: The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Contemporary Gospel Album, so that's got to be worth something.

World wide web: nicolecmullen.com

Bottom line: Her voice ranges from subtle to sassy to soaring, sometimes within the same song, all with funky beats keeping the pace. It's time to get your groove on.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 06:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 07, 2005

Brace Yourself for the Mediocre by Roper

Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
by Roper
2004

The lead singer of the now defunct ska band Five Iron Frenzy is back. With a band he named after himself? Reese Roper knows, it's stupid, and he apologizes. Repeatedly. If it's any consolation, the band's web site is RoperIsDumb.com.

Hyper: It's straight-up pop-punk, harder than Five Iron, but just as fun. It's packed with catchy choruses and guitar riffs.

Hysterical: The opening track? "Hello Lamewads." Or how about "You're with Stupid"? Or "1985," an ode to the 80s? Roper's trademark wit is all over this album.

Hyperbole: Lyrically, Roper takes a subtle approach to matters of faith, much like Five Iron and Brave Saint Saturn. It's subtle compared to the rest of Christian music, but it's obviously uplifting. And did we mention the goofiness?

Hijack: Head over to purevolume to listen to three full tracks and keep one, on the house.

Hype: If anything the album suffers from a lack of variety. There's no such thing as a slow song and Reese tends to gravitate towards choruses with sustained syllables.

Hypothesis: There's plenty to enjoy. This is a far cry from a second rate band trying to bank off the success of Five Iron Frenzy. Roper deserves a listen, even if their name is mediocre at best.

This review was brought to you by the letter 'H'.

Check out our interview with Reese Roper.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 04:15 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Abandon by Jason Morant

Abandon
by Jason Morant
2004

He's not just another worship leader turned recording artist. This early 20s rocker offers deep and poignant songs of praise with impressive arrangements reminiscent of Coldplay.

Best song: "I Am Yours," which slowly builds to a soaring chorus.

Live jive: He recently toured with Bebo Norman and Bethany Dillon giving a captivating opener backed only by acoustic guitar and keyboards.

Craving kudos: Christianity Today named him among the best new artists of 2004. That's gotta be worth something, right?

World wide web: jasonmorant.com

Bottom line: Worship doesn't have to be stale and repetitive. Check out Jason Morant to discover something fresh.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 29, 2005

Beauty From Pain by Superchick

Beauty From Pain
by Superchick
2005

Skip the opening track. This album really starts with "Pure" and the line, "This is my brand new day." From the second track on Superchick dives into deeper musical territory, exploring hip-hop and harder edged punk rock.

Best line: "You need that boy like a bowling ball / dropped on your head / which means not at all." from the rocker "Bowling Ball."

Over-hype: Their much-talked about collaboration with Toby Mac. "Stories (Down to the Bottom)" is a one-sided effort that should have stayed on Toby's album where it first appeared.

Piano props: "Beauty from Pain" and "Courage" are both piano-happy ballads, though the former is stripped and bare and the latter is built on hip-hop beats.

Bottom line: Musically Superchick is stretching their wings and for the most part it works. Lyrically they're solid, both painfully real and even witty at times.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 08:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 28, 2005

One Moment More by Mindy Smith

One Moment More
by Mindy Smith
Alt-country/Folk
2004

The poignant, emotional song rises to a climax with the understated chorus, "Come to Jesus."

And this on mainstream radio.

Mindy Smith has come out of nowhere as a singer songwriter to watch, appearing on national TV before her debut album even came out. Her music is raw and bare, some parts country, some parts folk, but full of honesty and depth. It’s also laced with open spirituality.

"My father's a minister and I was brought up in that mentality to hold on to it, because sometimes it's the only thing that's going to save you," Mindy Smith said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition. "I think there are times where I fall away, more so than not, I'm not very consistent, like most people, but when I have the struggle I tend to put a prayer out there like everybody else does. A lot of times my songs wind up being the vehicle to do that."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 05:10 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack