Earthsuit
Kaleidoscope Superior
Sparrow Records
2000

In a time when the integrity and originality of Christian music seems to be squelched in pursuit of the formula that creates the hottest new act, the debut album, Kaleidoscope Superior by Earthsuit crashes through any hype and reminds the world what creativity in music truly is. It has been a long time since I have come across such an amazing and powerful debut album from a band that almost seems like an overnight sensation. In reality, they have been together for five years and have released 2 independant EPs. After they landed a spot in the Cornerstone Festival last year they were signed to Sparrow Records.

The sound of Earthsuit is a diverse blend of musical styles including jazz, reggae, hard rock, hip-hop, techno, and more, all with a unique set of vocals added on top. The result sounds something like taking the Newsboys, Bob Marley, the Echoing Green, P. O. D., Project 86, dc Talk, U2, and Soul Coughing and throwing them all into a blender. Even that mix fails to capture Earthsuit's originality.

"We're not simply cramming all these different styles into our music for the sake of proving we can play complex arrangements," says bass player Roy Mitchell. "For us, it's about trying, in some small way, to reflect the creativity of God. That's really how the album title ties in. The 'kaleidoscope superior' is the diversity of God, all the things He's shown us and taught us over a period of five years."

Each song on this album is entrancing and paints a scene for the listener. Songs like 'Whitehorse' capture the story of the book of Revelation in the closest thing to a ballad Earthsuit has recorded. You're reminded of the power and the glory of God in 'Sky Flashings.' 'One Time' seems to be the band having a party for Jesus. My personal favorite song, 'Osmosis Land,' is a chilling song that reminds me of the battle of a Christian.

Throughout this entire album Earthsuit is portraying how small and insignificant humans truly are and how great and glorious our God is. That excites me. Serving such an amazing God helps remind me how to live. Mitchell best expressed the mission of the band when he said, "If nothing else, I hope that when people come away from listening to the album or seeing us play live they get a sense of the passion and excitement there is in serving Him. We feel blessed to be able to pour out this gift." Listening to this CD is truly a humbling experience. (Shawna T.)