Review – “Seasons” by Nate Hale

Last year, local Nashville artist and acquaintance Nate Hale posted a Kickstarter to record a new full-length.  Because I enjoyed some of his former work, and I know him to be a talented, humble musician, I contributed to get the digital download when the album was complete.  Seasons was released on April 10th, and I promptly got my copy via Bandcamp.

I’ll be the first to admit that the music on Seasons isn’t quite my normal fare, at least stylistically.  The instrumentation ranges from acoustic guitar to ukulele and beyond, and the tracks span several genres, all while remaining distinctly Hale.  There are even some acapella-inspired vocal harmonies.  Perhaps because of the genres I frequent, I wasn’t used to hearing such a diversity of instrumentation and styles all in one place, but it works well.  The best way I can describe the music is this:  imagine if Jon Foreman and Jack Johnson had a baby, or at least collaborated on an album.  The folk sensibilities and deeper perspective of Foreman would meld with the laid-back feel and subtle vocals of Johnson to create something like Seasons.

Thematically, the album takes on a few topics, though it largely focuses on relationships.  Don’t let that description fool you; this is far from a collection of emo tunes or sappy love songs.  The thing I most enjoy about Nate is that he manages to put a more profound twist into songs which the typical songwriter may leave at surface level.  In many cases, he begins exploring familiar topics, for example drawing the listener in with poetic lines about love, before turning to ponder the true meaning of the word.  Most of the songs stay relatively upbeat and happy, meaning there is ample opportunity to gain listeners who enjoy accessible music, but also want something deeper.  At the same time, tracks like “Dear Alcohol” and “Lullaby” take a more down-tempo approach.

The production is nothing short of professional, and as one who funded the Kickstarter, it’s very satisfying to hear how well it turned out.  Hale and co-producer Cheyenne Medders definitely took their time with these songs, paying attention to the smallest detail to get everything just right.  I’m sure Nate is very proud of what he was able to release, and it surely captures the visions he had for these songs.

Overall, this is a great album for summertime with a mix of upbeat and reflective songs.  Fans of Jon Foreman, Jack Johnson, and the like will find lots of things to love in these eleven tracks.

You can find the meticulously-crafted independent songs of Seasons on Bandcamp or Amazon.

Throwback Thursday – “Cities” by Anberlin

I always appreciate an album that has an “epic” feel to it.  That word is so over-used that it may not describe much anymore, but you know it when you feel it.  You understand when music is taking you somewhere, has a destination, and bears profound importance.  Anberlin’s 2007 release Cities fits the bill.

This is my favorite Anberlin album to this day, over six years later.  I still remember being home on spring break, having my wisdom teeth taken out, and going to pick up this album at Best Buy the next day.  I lay on the brown carpet in the upstairs “band room,” taking in the lyrics from the liner notes as I listened for the first time.  From the eerie, noise-laden opening track, the listener can tell this effort will be serious.  As the journey progresses, there are some pop-accessible tracks such as “Adelaide” which balance the weightiness of “Hello, Alone” and “Unwinding Cable Car,” for better or worse. Of course, it is the more sober songs which drew me in.

Throughout the album, the drums stand out much more than in Anberlin’s previous releases.  In addition to a more prominent place in the mix, the licks of Nathan Young require a dose of technicality.  The guitar parts aren’t incredibly complicated, but the tones and effects used add greatly to the feel of each song.  Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the album to me is the dynamic range.  I don’t mean that songs start out quiet and build to a loud finish, but that the band wrote a collection of songs which covers the whole gamut.  Commonly, a band will throw an acoustic ballad in amid a collection of rock tracks, but Anberlin takes it much further.  They go from full-force anthems to mid-tempo synth-rock to delicate acoustic strumming and beyond.  As opposed to feeling disjointed, the songs actually meld wonderfully.  They stand relatively well on their own, too.  All along, Stephen Christian’s strong tenor delivers, even as he dips into falsetto in the more intricate passages.

The other thing I love is how the simplicity of the title gives a cohesive context to the songs.  The word “cities” conjures notions of traveling, listlessness, and disconnection, being far from home.  Many of the lyrics deal in exactly these avenues.  Some of my favorite lines are from “Dismantle.  Repair.”

One last glance from a taxi cab
Images scar my mind
Four weeks felt like years
Since your full attention was all mine
The night was young and so were we
We talked about life, God, death, and your family
Didn’t want any promises
Just my undivided honesty

Many lines speak of lost relationships or the internal struggle of not being anchored, floating from city to city.  While the band may not have intended this interpretation exactly, it’s what pulls everything into focus for me.  Disconnection.  Drifting.  Cities.

Lastly, the closing track, “Fin,” is the definition of epic.  Clocking in at just under nine minutes, it wanders through simple acoustic verses, wall-of-sound choruses, sparse interludes, and choral refrains.  Anticipation builds and bursts into heavy torrents of rock no less than twice as Christian wails melodically, singing of the “patron saint of lost causes.”  Best of all, Young pushes himself to the limits as he thrashes on the drums, hardly repeating a fill or stroke.  The song closes with spacey vocals, interesting percussion, and a huge power chord ringing out, leaving the listener standing at the edge.

Overall, this is an album worth listening to from beginning to end, journeying with the band through highs and lows, light and dark, before finally resolving on a hopeful note.  It inspired me through the latter part of my college years, and it stands as a monument in Anberlin’s career.

You can find the epic rock of Anberlin’s Cities on Spotify or Amazon.

Thoughts on the arrest of Tim Lambesis

It’s been a weird day.  The front-man of my favorite band, who by all accounts has penned some of the most meaningful lyrics I’ve ever read, was arrested.  When I first saw the headline, I assumed he was taken in for protesting an unjust cause, or violating a noise ordinance at the worst.  (Such was his esteem in my eyes.)  No.  He has been charged with trying to hire someone to murder his estranged wife.  And the evidence seems quite damning.  What do we do with this?  What do I do with this?

I could have told you immediately how mainstream culture would deal with it.  They would revel in the chance to call another Christian a phony, a hypocrite.  And they have.  Main-stream outlets would go out of their way to make sure readers knew he identified himself as a follower of Jesus.  Indeed, some would take the chance to tout the message that all of that heavy metal is “scary” and evil, that it’s no surprise he would do something like this.  But how can I  react when a brother I held in such high esteem has instantly fallen so far?  How should I?

The truth is that the fall wasn’t instant.  Nothing of this magnitude is.  My initial reaction is to want details.  Maybe the police are wrong.  Maybe someone set him up.  Give me details.  But why do we ever want details when it comes to someone else’s wrongdoing?  It’s because we want to judge.  We want to assess whether we would be capable of such an act, and often the more information we have, the more we are able to convince ourselves we aren’t.  The news stories cite that his wife had filed for divorce last September.  We want more details to see who was at fault, to judge who is right and who is wrong.  Details.  They distance us from the heinous acts of others.  But we’ve all done things we didn’t think we were capable of, things we hope no one ever finds out about.  It’s just that the earthly consequences are sometimes heavier, both legally and culturally.

In this particular case, Lambesis had long been a shining light in a genre of music notorious for darkness.  While others wrote songs centered on violence and hatred, he poetically expressed of the plight of the poor, of dying to one’s self for the betterment of others, and of struggling against sin.  For years he had been meek and humble in interviews, even as the popularity of the band exploded.  How much this magnifies his downfall.  I probably have more material from Tim than any other lyricist in my music collection.  Does this negate the impact of those albums full of inspirational words?  Can I ever listen to those songs the same way again?  Some, like “Whispering Silence,” almost seem too close to home.  These words from “Upside Down Kingdom” ring with such truth and profundity, but such hollowness at the same time:

For a kingdom is offered
Beyond that of golden streets
We can represent now
What will one day be complete

More than just writing deep and thought-provoking lines, Tim also seemed to walk the walk.  He and his wife had adopted three children from Ethiopia.  He often used his platform to champion charities and humanitarian efforts.  But this…  It stands in such stark contrast to everything I thought I knew about him.

Someone in a comment thread over at Indie Vision Music put things into perspective for me, at least partially.  ”The Lord is my shepherd.  I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He restores my soul.”  Stop and think about who wrote that.  The man who composed those verses did have another man killed.  After he slept with his wife.  King David, the man after God’s own heart, who did things that make our skin crawl, wrote the majority of the Psalms.  We study them in quiet time.  We craft prayers and worship songs from them, the words of an adulterous murderer.  God used someone who broke the biggest commandments to create art that turns our hearts toward Him – not just before, but after his downfall and the consequences that came with it.

It will take me a while to process all of this.  But I have to believe that if God can redeem the life of David, he can redeem Tim’s too.

Throwback Thursday – “Relient K” by Relient K

Sometimes you don’t know you’re looking for something until you find it.  This was what happened to me when I first heart the Relient K single ”My Girlfriend.”  As I was coming of age in 1999, I wanted and needed some music of my own.  I wasn’t interested in the bland offerings the mainstream served up, and most of Christian radio wasn’t up my alley, either.  Enter Relient K.  Their upbeat, youthful sound connected with me, as did their tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

It may be said that this was the band that inspired me to pick up the electric guitar.  They definitely influenced my very first songwriting efforts, to say the least – ironic songs about girls with a few references to spiritual things thrown in.  By the time I was halfway through high school, they had become my favorite band.  It didn’t hurt that they were only a few years older than I was and also Ohio natives, hailing from Canton.

The songs on the album almost all feature their signature pop-punk sound with lots of power chords, straight-forward beats, and a little lead guitar here and there.  The couple of exceptions would be “Softer to Me,” the only song on the album in a minor key, and “Wake Up Call,” which features a little bit of acoustic guitar.  Looking back, the songwriting isn’t really anything I would call impressive now, but it was exactly what a budding teen like myself needed to call his own.  I can safely say that, had Relient K not opened the door to pop-punk for me, I would never have gone down the road of alternative music which led me to where I am today.  And for that, I thank them greatly.

You can find the fun, upbeat sounds of Relient K on Spotify or Amazon.

Review – “The Glory EP” by Animal Giant

When I first heard that John LaRussa of Inhale-Exhale (and formerly Narcissus) was going to release a solo EP, I was pretty excited.  While I’ve only heard his work in Inhale-Exhale, I always thought he had some of the more interesting riffs in the genre, and certainly some of the most unique guitar tones.  I assumed he would recruit other musicians to help record the album, but it turns out he didn’t have to.

All five tracks on The Glory EP were produced and performed entirely by LaRussa.  While one may assume a guitarist knows only part of what it takes to write great songs, his long and intimate relationship with heavy music immediately shines through.  From the opening track and throughout, the songs aren’t simply a backdrop for inventive guitar work, though there is certainly plenty of that.  Some of his signature guitar tones make appearances, and the sounds vary from fast tremolo picking to grungy riffs to thick chugging.  He really does cover the full range of techniques for heavy guitar, including some dissonant squeals here and there.  The drums take a featured spot in the mix, as one would expect from a metal-influenced style, but they don’t steal the show.  Blast beats and punk beats ensure that listeners will be tapping their feet and banging their heads all along the way.  Bass holds it all together and only takes the spotlight for the occasional slide.  One thing which I really appreciate is the way LaRussa uses instrumental breaks in several places to build tension before plunging back into the fury.  That’s something I haven’t heard lately, but it’s very powerful.

Production-wise, the album is truly top-notch.  It’s incredible what one man can create in a studio by himself anymore.  The mixes are well-balanced with powerful drums, a solid bottom end, and plenty of room for the guitar and vocals.  Sonically, this is definitely an album that deserves the full-volume car stereo treatment.  Studio effects are used judiciously, and a couple of longer, noisy intros give the five tracks some room to breathe.  The stereo imaging is very well done, including some well-timed hard panning of guitars.  I applaud him for finding a good balance between raw energy and production.  Some may have preferred less of a tight and clean sound, but I’m glad for the polish he added.

Looking at the album with a critical eye, I can find only a couple of soft spots.  While the vocals are strong and never strained, there isn’t a lot of variety.  John’s throaty scream is at the front of every track with only a couple of sections where toned-down melodic singing is used for effect.  The other point which could have been different in my opinion are the lyrics, though I understand that is highly subjective.  When it comes to heavy music, I’m a fan of themes that are more grand and philosophical.  Many of the lines on The Glory EP are personal and directed at the second person (or possibly one’s self), such as those in the title track:  ”I want to hear your story / Always falling short of glory.”  I would love to know more of the background of the songs to grasp his intent, but sometimes the beauty of art is in the mystery.

In the end, this is a very solid EP if you enjoy heavy music in general and LaRussa’s work in particular.  It is well worth the current asking price of $4 on Bandcamp, and fans can appreciate the fact that they’re paying the artist directly.  This album is a fresh and creative offering in a genre where it is very difficult to sound original.  You can follow Animal Giant on Facebook and download The Glory EP on Bandcamp.

Throwback Thursday – “Crashings” by Falling Up

I think I hit the peak of my love for alternative Christian radio in spring of 2004.  Not coincidentally, this is also when I picked up the album Crashings from Falling Up.  And I loved it. Never mind the obvious parallels with Linkin Park’s electronic-infused rock, there was still something unique about this group of guys from the Northwest.

Like many bands of the era, I think there were roughly fourteen guys on stage at any given time.  I’m exaggerating, but there were at least six, including a dedicated synthesizer player. For a pop-punk kid like myself, this was unfamiliar territory.  Still, the music married hard-hitting rock with infectious hooks, interesting sonic elements, and vaguely faith-based lyrics, so I was sold.  The production was stellar (though I unconsciously expected that of all music at the time), and it was interesting, yet accessible.  When I say the songs are “accessible,” I don’t mean that they are upbeat and happy; on the contrary, they have the weighty, somewhat dark undertone I have grown to truly love in music over the years, acknowledging the broken state of the world and its need for redemption.  At the same time, there is nothing too heavy, and the structures are somewhat straight-forward.

I don’t have a ton of particular memories of this album in my life like I do some others.  I bought the CD for my then-girlfriend for her birthday in 2004.  She was my first serious girlfriend who then left for several weeks in the summer to spend time at a church-based internship, which was crushing for my 18-year-old heart.  I do distinctly remember going to the Sunbury fireworks on the 4th of July, missing her, and sitting in the horrible traffic on the way out as I listened to Crashings in my ’96 Jetta.  I probably even keyed in on the one love song, which is a worship song depending who you ask.

I’m taking a few jabs here, but I honestly do consider Crashings a great album.  The sound is consistent yet diverse throughout the twelve tracks which speak largely of grace and redemption.  While there are some lyrical passages that are cryptic, the general message comes into focus if the listener knows the worldview of the band.  Guitar riffs and drum parts remain interesting, while electronic and keyboard elements surface just long enough to remind you that Falling Up is not a traditional rock band.  The few missteps on the album are when rap vocals suddenly burst into the otherwise melodic landscape.  To me, it comes across as trying too hard to cater to a wide audience, possibly for that radio appeal I mentioned early.  I skip those tracks altogether, especially “Jackson Five.”  On the flip side, the few places where muted, distorted screams arise in the background are awesome, even if the intent was the same.  Aside from a few places, it’s a great album full of good songs.

Over the summer, my infatuation with Falling Up waned as I discovered new music (namely UnderOath), but my college band played “Broken Heart” at our first show the following spring.  Such was the impact this album had on my musical outlook.  I think I loved that it was hard-rock enough to satisfy my need for energy, but mellow enough that the average person couldn’t complain.  For a while, Falling Up was the band I could use to find common ground with almost anyone.  Once their contract with BEC Recordings expired, they branched out into more of an experimental sound, and it’s hard to use that as common ground.

In the end, I give the band credit for blazing new trails in the Christian music scene, even as they took a somewhat popular phenomenon and made it their own.  You can find the hard-hitting, digitized sound of Crashings on Spotify and Amazon.

20,000 Scrobbles on Last.fm

I’m a geek.  I like music.  Therefore, I love Last.fm.  If you’re not familiar with the site, it serves a couple of functions.  It is a music discovery service similar to Pandora, but it also keeps track of everything you listen to.  This wouldn’t mean much if it only tracked your activity on the site, but they provide plug-ins to “scrobble” your digital music listens in virtually any setting – desktop media players, mobile apps, and even competing music services like Spotify.  Thanks to this nifty feature, I have been tracking almost all of my music listening activity since October of 2010, and I recently hit the milestone of 20,000 scrobbles (or listens).

This is where it gets geeky.  Last.fm provides some pages to let you pore through the rich data of your listening behavior, including your top artists, top tracks, listening trends, and more.  It is bliss for a numbers nerd like myself, and it’s fun to have hard data for what you actually listen to, not just what you perceive it to be.  It’s fun for me, anyway.

Without further adieu, stats on my first 20,000 Last.fm scrobbles (or the last two and a half years of my life):

• Began scrobbling on October 29, 2010
• Average of 22.3 listens per day
• Top 10 bands (in order)
  1. As I Lay Dying (1,307 plays)
  2. August Burns Red (1,053 plays)
  3. Thrice (968 plays)
  4. Emery (899 plays)
  5. UnderOath (833 plays)
  6. My Epic (645 plays)
  7. Norma Jean (615 Plays)
  8. City and Colour (569 plays)
  9. The Devil Wears Prada (567 plays)
  10. Explosions in the Sky (451 plays)
• Top 10 songs (in order)
  1. “Anodyne Sea” by As I Lay Dying
  2. “Condemned” by As I Lay Dying
  3. “Parallels” by As I Lay Dying
  4. “Perfector” by My Epic
  5. “The Darkest Nights” by As I Lay Dying
  6. “Nothing Left” by As I Lay Dying
  7. “Dreaming in the Face of Disaster” by Deadhorse
  8. “Without Conclusion” by As I Lay Dying
  9. “Pour” by My Epic
  10. “Exiles” by Deadhorse
• 20,000th scrobble – “Colorblind” by TwoThirtyeight

I could dig into more specific stats, but I mostly find it interesting how, apparently, I am a metalhead.  I wouldn’t have given myself that label a couple of years ago, but you can’t argue with statistics.  My top two bands are far and away heavy metal with a third (The Devil Wears Prada) rounding out the top ten.  The rest, of course, paints an accurate picture of the kind of music I listen to – nothing too cheery.  I thought other styles may feature more prominently, but it’s likely because they don’t have only a couple of artists which dominate the genre in my library.  If you dig a little deeper beyond the top ten, instrumental and alternative rock make a good showing.  Full charts of my data captured at the momentous occasion can be found here:  overview, artists, songs.

If you’re a music geek like me, be sure to check out Last.fm and its various plugins to keep track of your listening habits.  It’s a great conversation starter and a mostly effortless way to get a good picture of what exactly you listen to.