I had a tough time choosing my favorite Third Day album. Unlike a lot of people, I didn’t necessarily grow up with them as a child apart from what I heard on the radio. However, I remember one fateful Christmas when I was probably 14 or so I was gifted this album and their 2003 effort “Offerings II”. Like any teenager who was hearing something relatively new I immediately loved the albums and faithfully bought their next three albums as the opportunities arrived (2005’s Wherever You Are, 2006’s Christmas Offerings, and 2008’s Revelation) and at some point in there I also bought their 1996 self-titled debut album. Eventually my fascination with the band began to wean as I discovered other artists but for a time in my life I had a Third Day album and song for a lot of different moments in my life.
Wire was Third Day’s Follow up to one of the best and worst periods of their career. On one hand their 2000 worship album “Offerings” had been a smash hit, going platinum and sending the band into the stratosphere of Christian rock music Stardom. On the other hand, their two follow up albums “2001’s Come Together” and the previously mentioned “Offering II”, while well received, didn’t quite live up to the hype or sales. Beyond that I personally get the feeling these guys wanted to be a real rock band, not just a “Christian rock” band. So, they went into the studio and put together a back to basics rock album with a healthy amount of studio polish that while holding tightly to a lot of Christian ideas and sentiments, could still play nicely on a secular rock station next to the likes of Lifehouse, and Switchfoot. And honestly with Mac Powell’s deep and at times dynamic voice and the rest of the bands very competent musicianship it really is a shame the band never caught on in the mainstream. For me this album was a breath of fresh air that was just edgy enough (well as edgy as a band like Third Day could be) to curb my (very minor) acts of teenage rebellion. With tracks like “Rockstar” (which rocks by the way) and “Billy Brown”(a surprisingly mature meditation on societies obsession with celebrities and maybe slight reflection on how the members of Third Day felt like they fit into all that) not having anything directly related to a Bible scripture I made sure it was something my parents never heard me play. But then the other stuff on the album like the title track which has some of the best post rock U2 guitars of Third day’s career and “San Angelo” with its sad sound and obscure meaning, hinted at a wider potential for music that I was just catching onto. It was the early stages of my musical development, but this album definitely played a part. Suggested Tracks: ‘Til The Day I Die Wire Rockstar I Got a Feeling
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Much could be said about U2, even more could be said about how they influenced countless artists, including many artists that I grew up with. Sadly, many fans and critics alike seem convinced that the band peaked in 1991 with their album Achtung Baby. Even fewer people remember that two short years later in the middle of the massive “Zoo TV Tour” the band took a short break to record another album in the same industrial rock, euro pop vein. That album which became 1993’s Zooropa would become the band’s secret little masterpiece.
The album starts off with an introduction of sorts with the title track and thrusts us into a post-apocalyptic setting where a character wanders from situation to situation trying to find some sort of meaning in life and is also continually let down by the supposed comforts of this world. Now I admit this next thought isn’t completely original to me but the way these tracks tell this tale seems to paint a picture of the nameless son from Jesus’ parable of the prodigal. Going from distraction to distraction (Babyface, Numb) and still finding that nothing is getting better (Dirty Day). Each track seems to scream about the vapidity of pointless and frivolous living and longing for some sort of redemption and re-connection (Stay, The First Time). The prodigal song theme culminates in the final track “The Wanderer” which has Johnny Cash on lead vocals and the lyrics “I went out there in search of experience. To taste and to touch and to feel as much as a man can before he repents”. A sentiment I think anyone can relate to. The music pushes the boundaries of what U2 were doing musically on the aforementioned Achtung Baby with tracks like “Numb, and “Lemon”, but still maintains the fundamental U2ness on tracks like “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” and one of my personal favorites “The First Time”. The swirly electronica definitely give the tracks a bleak cold feeling in places which just feels appropriate for the themes and concepts the band were going for. Overall, this album feels special and holds a unique place in U2’s discography. Overshadowed by the huge achievement that was the previous album (Achtung Baby) and the huge flop that came after (the often misunderstood POP), Zooropa stands as a short breath. A moment in time that is only loved by a select few. But for those willing to dig in, you may find some treasures inside. Suggested Tracks: Zooropa Stay (Faraway, So Close!) The First Time The Wanderer I find it interesting that in an artist’s most desperate hour, they tend to make their breakthrough piece of art. Maybe it’s the underdog in all of us but we can’t seem to help ourselves cheering for those unlikely success stories. Take Underoath for instance, a metal band from Florida, mainly associated with the Christian hardcore scene, who had seen every original member leave the band except their drummer who occasionally sang. Worse yet they threatened to turn their entire fan base against them by inserting (gasp) pop choruses into their metal songs. Yet somehow out of all this came an album that turned the music scene at the time upside down, and turned the little band that could, into cultural icons.
This album is made for teenagers, and I suspect, specifically for uptight Christian kids who were looking for something they could claim as their own. From the opening track “Young And Aspiring” there is a restlessness to this album that makes it connect on an emotional level. For a Christian band however, the album is surprisingly light on Christian themes. Instead, it focuses on teenage angst and emotions like the guilt of premarital sex in “A Boy Brushed Red, Living In Black And White”, or not wanting to let go of someone to the point of being willing to die in a car crash with them in “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” (which it’s worth noting has one of my favorite uses of a backing choir possibly ever). All this angst and turmoil finally climaxes in the final song on the album “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape” (remember when song titles used to be like a hundred words long). This song was how I was introduced to Underoath when it was featured on a sampler. I cannot express how that song, a master class in building tension, hit me. Particularly at the climax of the song when drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie all but whispers “Jesus I’m ready to come” followed by a throat shredding “HOME!” from lead singer Spencer Chamberlain. The catharsis for all the teenage guilt I carried was real. Suggested Tracks: A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black and White Reinventing Your Exit It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape San Diego rock band Switchfoot (made up of brothers Jon and Tim Foreman on lead vocals/guitar and bass respectively, Chad Butler on drums and at the time newcomer Jerome Fontamillas on keys/guitar) had reached a tipping point in 2002. Their record deal with Charlie Peacock’s (a guy who has lurked in the shadows of music for years as a producer extraordinaire and underrated pop/jazz musician) Re:Think records had expired. The band had only minimal success in the CCM market with records like New Way To Be Human and Learning To Breath, and they thought this would be their final chance to record together. So, they did what any good band does in a crisis, went into the studio, and recorded a great album.
The title of the album speaks to the inability of the world to satisfy your soul but may very well stand as statement to their feelings about the music industry as a whole. Because like the world being a “beautiful letdown” when you realize it has nothing for you, the group seemed to realize their true musical potential when they stopped caring about what record labels had to offer them, and instead just made the album they wanted to make (a theme that would be repeated throughout their career). The inclusions here were harder sounding guitars, lots of blippity bloopy keyboards, and a heavy dose of psychedelic that had been missing from their previous records. As for me, growing up, Switchfoot could not be escaped, and this record had a lot to do with that. Though their smash hits “Dare You To Move” and “Meant To Live” (a personal anthem during my teenage years) were what catapulted the album to ubiquitous, it’s the deeper cuts from the album that make it stand the test of time. Cut’s like “The Beautiful Letdown” with it's sprawling aforementioned psychedelia, “This Is Your Life” which is the perfect soundtrack for when your 16 and feeling depressed, and “Gone" with it's post pop punk leanings and commentary on the vapidness of life, are what cemented this album for me. This album made me believe that music could be far more poetic and leave a far larger impact than I had believed up to that point in my life. Switchfoot would continue on past this album, reaching their popularity peak sometime around the end of the record age in the late 2000’s. However, they would never escape the songs from this record (not that I think they ever wanted to) and will probably continue playing them until their last show. Suggest Tracks: Meant to Live This Is Your Life The Beautiful Letdown Twenty-Four Those that are familiar with Audio Adrenaline may be surprised to learn this is my lone Audio A Entry on this list. However, a few things stand out about this album. First, it’s the final album made with what I consider the core four members of Audio Adrenaline that made some of their best work, Lead Vocalist Mark Stewart, Guitarist and second lead vocalist Tyler Burkum, bassist Will McGinniss, and drummer Ben Cissell. Second due to Mark’s failing vocal cords Tyler sings a majority of the lead, and I personally really love Tyler Burkum as an artist. Last but not least this was written as a final album, this was supposed to be it, and the guys knew it going into record.
The songs on this album can be divided up into three categories. First up are the classic Audio A rockers like “Clap Your Hands, and “Undefeated”, upbeat positive rockers these guys could write in their sleep. I particularly remember hearing "Undefeated" on the radio growing up and there is just something about that staccato guitar (really just staccato guitar in general if I'm honest) that made me love it. Second is some of the best worship songs to come out of the early 2000’s such as “Melody (Lost In The Wonder)” and “King” a forgotten classic that deserved to be sung at all the youth group services. By this point we were getting to the place in history where praise and worship as a genre was starting to overtake pop within the Christian music market and I'm personally glad Audio Adrenaline stepped away before they felt the pressure to make an album of nothing but worship music. And last but most pertinent are the going away songs. The songs about coming to grips with the end of everything you’ve ever known and trying to decide where to go next. Songs like “Until My Heart Caves In”, and “Losing Control” give you an inside look to a band and people coming unraveled and choosing to give it all to God. If you want some really good insight into this topic in particular I highly recommend Mark Stewart's memoir "Losing my voice to find it". Every time I listen to this album, I’m reminded of the great art that came out of the often cynical, corporate driven machine that was Contemporary Christian Music. And while not everything about it turned out to be great, a lot of it was like this band. Just four guys being as real and authentic as possible and making music while they were at it. Suggest Tracks: Clap Your Hands, King Undefeated Losing Control I’ve just recently come into the world of Dave Bazan. A world of deconstruction and dark morality tales. A world where all the questions are asked, with precious few answers given. Pedro The Lion is the first of many projects by Dave Bazan with this album featuring him on every instrument recorded. While Pedro albums do have Christian themes, they most certainly are not PG.
This dark morality tale is a concept album, which I gladly admit to having a soft spot for, about two brothers, one the apparent good son and very self-righteous, and the other the apparent bad son full of humility. Throughout the course of the album the question of “what is true righteousness” is explored through the lives and actions of these two brothers. The opening track “Slow and steady wins the race” sets the stage beautifully with a parable of sorts that tells us everything we need to know about both brothers. The plot thickens with “Simple Economics” as we find out the good brother is running for an election of some sort, but in order to win may have to cheat. His actions continue to escalate into higher and higher severity while he continually shows how justified he feels. The “bad” brother in contrast is a messed up drunk as shown in “To protect the family name”, however he gladly admits to his mistakes and expresses a desire to change. Throughout the tracks you are given a lo-fi indie aesthetic that borders into “slow core” territory at times. Guitar and drums are most prominent with some acoustic and a healthy amount of distortion, however these straightforward melodies are just the simple shapes that are given to serve the lyrics and do so nicely. This album does not give easy answers and most definitely not give you a feel good ending. What you will get however is some food for thought, and some interesting indie rock to go along with it. Bazan would go on to make another Pedro The Lion album after this, and then a slew of records recorded under his own name before finally coming back to the Pedro The Lion moniker. Through it all he gives an honest portrait of himself and the things he’s observed. He doesn’t blink an eye at the uncomfortable truths of life, but ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what those truths are. Suggested Tracks: Slow And Steady Wins The Race Simple Economics Never Leave a Job Half Done Confession time, this one may be purely nostalgic. Michael O’Brien is an artist I grew up with, like single digits grew up with. His 1998 album (and last solo album before a stint as frontman for major CCM group Newsong) is a mix between big gospel, soulful soft rock, and very clean production that sometimes include Celtic influences. It’s also the album that I grew up with after my parents saw O’Brien open for comedian/southern gospel singer Mark Lowry. Although a lot of my early love in music has waned to some degree or another, this album has somehow stuck with me and to my surprise, made this list.
The album opens with the triumphant “Let there be light”, which basically preaches of the hope found in Christ. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it at once makes me feel nostalgic and well, hopeful. If the album has any fault, it’s that a lot of the tracks fall into the mid to low tempo category. But the tempo does manage to pick up for tracks like “These Days” and “Give Me Some Room”. A strength that I personally find in the music is its lack of cheap sounding production. Of specific note is a distinct lack of overtly electric sounding keyboards and watered down guitar solos, both of which were very prominent in early 90’s CCM, and made everything sound like cold leftovers from the hair metal power ballads of the 80’s. The lyrics in the album are all very Christian but thankfully don’t feel like someone preaching at you, but rather someone reflecting on their own life and inviting someone to sit down and listen to their story. Of particular note are tracks like “Souvenirs” and the powerful closer “Christ In Me”. Thankfully a lot of these lyrics avoid the “Jesus Is My Boyfriend” or “Everyone’s A Sinner But Me” tropes that tended to mark this type of music during the 90’s. I know I keep reflecting on what this album is not, but don’t let that take away from what this album is. A well-crafted soft rock album performed by a talented singer/songwriter. It’s an album that makes me feel safe, and sometimes that’s all we need. Suggested Tracks: Let There Be Light God Speed Souvenirs Christ In Me Superchick is a fascinating mix of Disney channel esc feel good anthems and vulnerable songs of being young. Contrary to what their name may imply the band is actually mostly guys with the only two “chicks” being sisters Melissa and Tricia Brock. The rest of the band is made up of former members of obscure Hip Hop group “Church of Rhythm” (underrated guitarist Dave Ghazarian, producer extraordinaire Max Hsu) as well as bassist/vocalis Matt Dally and Drummer Brandon Estelle. The result is a pleasant mix of mid-two thousands emo/pop punk mixed with hip hop production.
The album “Beauty From Pain” was originally released on Peter Furler’s (drummer/frontman for newsboys) “INPOP” records but after signing to a bigger mainstream label the band reworked some of the songs and added a new one, resulting in “Beauty From Pain 1.1” the far superior collection of songs. For the previously mentioned feel good anthems we have the upbeat opener “Anthem” as well as “One Girl Revolution” and “It’s on”. If the story ended there, we would have an okay set of songs, but then comes the vulnerability. “We Live” (my introduction to the band) stands as a direct response to dealing with tragedies in life including the death of a loved on. “Courage” gets even more heart wrenching as it centers on someone dealing with an eating disorder, and the lies they tell themselves and everyone else. Even the hilarious “Bowling Ball” carries the dark undertone of pushing back against a toxic relationship. If vulnerability and a couple feel good anthems were all we had this album probably wouldn’t make my list. But then we are hit with the true album showstopper “Stand in the Rain”. A theatrically epic song absolutely drenched in emotion that still hits pretty hard over 15 years later. All these elements work in perfect unity for a collection of songs that speak to the angsty 16 year old in all of us. A smashing collection of songs that acts as both an encouragement, and a catalyst for empathy, both of which are always welcome. Suggested Tracks: Bowling Ball We Live Stand In the Rain Courage This isn’t the first Steven Curtis Chapman record I reach for (sometimes metaphorically in this age of digital music) when I want to listen to one of his albums, I can’t even honestly say it’s the second album I reach for. But what this album does right is answer the three questions I try to ask about any piece of art I’m evaluating.
1. What is this art trying to accomplish, 2. Does it accomplish its goal, and 3. is this a goal worth having. In the case of Beauty Will Rise the album goal is to be a book of psalms about grieving. Written and recorded after the death of Chapman’s daughter in a freak car accident, the album wrestles with grief and questions in an honest and very human way. Yet it manages to be a very hopeful album despite the questions, fears, and longing. It’s an album that explores the feelings anyone would have after the death of a loved one, yet it’s personal enough to feel authentic and very much accomplish its goals of baring Chapman’s heart during this painful time in his life. This is a goal so worth having and something that creates beautiful art when handled honestly. The music itself is mostly soft guitars, piano, and some backing strings. However the simplicity of the music adds the effect of mourning and ultimately a hope that surpasses understanding. It’s also worth noting that by this point SCC had been writing and recording music for some 20 years and his raw skill as a songwriter still shines through even on the simplest of tracks. So, like I said back at the beginning this isn’t my first or second choice in Steven Curtis Chapman records to listen to. However, when I need an album that shows the beauty in heartbreak, when I need to feel like someone can weep with me, this album is exactly what I’m looking for. Suggest Tracks: Heaven Is The Face Beauty Will Rise I will Trust You Spring Is Coming So I'll be honest, writing a review for every one of my top 100 favorite albums was actually the inspiration for starting this website. I love music so much as it's the first piece of art I remember truly inspiring me to want to create something myself. Albums in particular hold a special place in my heart as I've listened to them, read about them, and daydreamed of making them since I was a young teenager. Albums are the pinnacle of storytelling through music for me. Rather the story is thematic, literal, something in between, wrapped up in the story of the artists themselves, or somehow tied to my own personal history matters little.
With all that said I've been working on this project for nearly a year and it's still ongoing so please have mercy if the quality of my reviews varies from album to album. Some of them were the first reviews I wrote and others are second or third drafts, it just depends on what was going on with my life when I happened to be writing that review. Enjoy, and may this inspire you to listen to new music or maybe share some of your own favorite music. |
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