Casting Crowns – The Altar And The Door

Casting Crowns have been going since 1999, but from what I’ve read on the internet, their first, self-titled album “Casting Crowns" came out in 2003 followed by "Lifesong" in 2005 and now "The Alter And The Door". The first time I had the honour of hearing Casting Crowns was when my friend Rhys Gronow forced me to listen to them. I will admit that I enjoyed parts of the album "Lifesong", but wouldn’t say I loved it. Could this new album "The Altar And The Door" change my view?

The album starts with a driving drum and a very much U2 style lead guitar. The track "What This World Needs" talks of what this world doesn't need, but puts the answer in the chorus. (The answer being Jesus, in case you were wondering). With such honest lyrics this first opening track has everything for a great start to the album. (Including a fantastic guitar solo in the middle!) This then leads onto one of the most interestingly musical & creative tracks of the album "Every Man". With it's distorted piano to lead the track off, sounding like something that would fit in on the latest Oasis album, this track surprised me. The next three tracks are of a soft more original ‘Casting Crowns’ style and feel. "Slow Fare", "East to West" and "The World Is Alive" are all great tracks, but not that different and could have easily been on there last album "Lifesong"

The album jumps back into rock life during the title track "The Altar And The Door" with its driven guitar and a mix of female and male vocals. It’s a beautiful track but when it got to the chorus I was expecting and wanting it to burst into life. Sadly though, it doesn’t take that step up from being a great start of a song to an even better, full rock song. So, in my opinion, much more could have been done with this track and it's chorus.

Another song that I really want to bring to your attention is "Prayer for a Friend". It’s a personal prayer song to God about a friend with worldly issues. Such an honest, lyrical song which I’m sure we can all relate to, and pray for someone we know who has been sucked into the word and, as the lyrics point out, become "a puppet of the world".

Over all this album has taken a step up in it's musical creativity since the last one. Every track is refreshingly different and only a few songs could have fitted in on “Lifesong”, which to me is a good thing, as it helps the band not get stuck into a rut of the same style.Saying all that, it's not like they have totally gone away from what they do best. Vocally both singers are at there best, perfectly picking which songs/parts fit with each other. A top quality album that really surprised me, perfect for every age group.

review by Jono Davies

Jono’s rating – 4 out of 5
Stand out tracks
Every Man,
Prayer For A Friend,
What The World Needs

Delirious - DVD - My Soul Sings

Review by Dave Wood

Over the 15 or so years that Delirious? have been together there has been no shortage of live albums and DVDs, but there is a special poignancy about My Soul Sings. The band traveled half way around the world to the perhaps unlikely setting of Colombia's capital city Bogota especially to record this live CD and DVD, in front of an adoring crowd of more than 12,000 fans. The Latin American spirit is very much in evidence throughout the 75 minutes of the DVD, but even more evident is the realisation that this is a farewell to the legion of Delirious? fans around the world. Paying tribute to their remarkable career, My Soul Sings dips into the even more remarkable catalogue of songs Delirious? have become famous for over the year. Whilst heavily leaning towards their most recent studio album Kingdom Of Comfort, older favourites from the likes of their ground breaking King Of Fools, Mezzamorphis and Mission Bell albums are also included.

Starting with a gently soaring camera shot over the wide expanse of crowd, upon whose outstretched arms a sea of digital cameras and phones points stagewards, the DVD quickly see Delirious? appearing out of the blue mist, with the gently strummed opening notes of Rain Down gradually leading into the more frenzied pogo-stick opening. There are plenty of smiles from the band, who are dressed in matching grey suits. The big, open stage with an enormous crowd stretching far into the distance, bouncing, jumping and singing excitedly, makes for an impressive sight. The excellently timed visual edits, switching from band member to band member, sliding into view in time to the beat, looks slick and professional.

One slight complaint is that the stage seems slightly too dark, none more so than during God Is Smiling, where just the occasional yellow beams of light highlight Martin as he shows off a few words of Spanish. Bliss comes next with its roaring flurry of camera shots, starting with Martin in black and white singing through a megaphone, before bursting into colour with pulsating pink and green lights for the chorus as Martin and StuG crazily thrash around the stage with their instruments.

With its stunning keyboards and sparkling visual effects in the background, Love Will Find A Way is superb. By now Martin's face is dripping with sweat, but things calm down a little as they move on to All Gods Children. A translator echoes Martins words in Spanish as he introduces a choir of young children, all dressed in white, who join the band on stage for the duration of the song. Martin is then seen moving to a smaller stage to one side, switching on a lamp, and sitting at the keyboard to sing the beautiful ballad How Sweet The Name on his own, until the rest of the band join in towards the end.

History Maker features some slightly strange on-screen writing, showing a series of phrases: I want to be. me. surprised by hope. different today. an influential nobody. Some might consider this slightly distracting, but before long we see the pulsating crowd almost absorb Martin as he stands on their shoulders to read from his bible. The superb anthems Break The Silence and Deeper keep the concert burning, before Majesty arrives with its chorus sung in Spanish by Martin, brilliantly accompanied by the appreciative crowd. Returning to the more conventional English lyrics for the verse, Delirious? again leave the crowd to sing the chorus in their native tongue. Paint The Town Red is given a visual overlay of static and distortion, and then the band are seen walking off stage into their dressing room, reappearing shortly afterwards, this time dressed in matching white suits. They return to the stage for the encore, beginning with Kingdom Of Comfort as Martin sits on a mock throne, wearing a mock crown and robe.

During Stare The Monster Down a split screen is used to great effect, showing multiple images of the band. Flames appear on the video screens at the back of the stage for the guitar bridge as Martin introduces the band members to the crowd. All to soon the last song arrives. Finishing with the stunning My Soul Sings, Stu's echoing guitar riff builds to a climatic finale that highlights just why Delirious? will be missed so much once they call it a day later this year. The band link arms and take a final bow center stage, bringing this intensely passionate performance to a close. Both visually and musically this is a magnificent package. Superb camera shots flow perfectly with a great mix of close ups and long shots, emphasising the size of the huge crowd gathered to watch the show. You can't help but be touched by the music and the deeply impressive feel of this DVD. A worthy representation of the exquisite live Delirious? experience.

Davie Wood rating 4out of 5 stars
Stand Out Tracks
Stare The Monster Done
Love Will Find A Way
My Soul Sings

Building 429 - Building 429

“Building 429”. Heard the name, heard the music, but I have to admit I didn’t know much about them as a band. So, after a quick search for them on the world wide web I found out this: Building 429 are a Christian rock band signed to Ino Records. They were the “Gospel Music Association 2005 New Artist of the Year”. Their name is derived from Ephesians 4:29 which says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”.

The band members originated from Snyder Memorial Baptist Church and other various areas in North Carolina and Texas. They are a three-piece band with Jason Roy as lead singer and guitarist, Michael Anderson on the drums and Jesse Garcia on keyboards and guitar. On their journey, however, they’ve had three different drummers, two different bass player and two different guitarists. That’s a lot of in and outs! So, that’s the small history lesson over, now let’s get down to business.

With an album cover of top quality which would not be missed in any mainstream record shop, Building 429 are back with their self-titled album, filled with beautiful and powerful songs. They are a brilliant band who seem to have written different styles of music, from the heavy American rock sounds of “Erase” to the anthem rock song “Not Gonna Let You Down”. Even to the beautiful power ballad (well maybe not a power ballad as we know them, but it’s certainly a beautiful tune) “Oxygen (Bringing Me To Life)”.

I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting to like this album and to be honest, it took a good few listens to be able to appreciate it’s creativity in the songs and lyrics. It doesn’t flow as well as good albums do, yet each track is very good. But in this download music world we now live in a album full of singles isnt a bad idea at all. Sadly people don't buy albums like they used to, when you would run down to the shop buy a cd run back home and listen from Start to Finish to enjoy the experience(which is a shame). Over all I don't think I have been overly positive or negative about this album, It's just a great album with all the tracks worthy of a few listens.

Jono’s rating 4 out of 5 stars
Stand out tracks
Oxygen,
Never Gonna Let You Down,
Bring Me Back

Parachute Band - Technicolor

Review By Jono Davies
Parachute Band - a name I’d heard for years, yet never really given a good listening too. Until I got this album. Their latest album Technicolor has a very funky sound, yet there is something different about it.The album starts with two anthemic tracks “Come To The River” and “Shout It Out”. If I were to put these tracks into a box – something I don’t like to do – I’d put them in the same box as The Klaxons, The Killers and maybe even The Libertines. But lyrically these two opening songs have an uplifting praise feel to them. “Your Word” the next track on the album its dance beats and funky, fast-paced rifts again sounds more and more like The Klaxons. There’s something nice about a band trying to keep up with the sounds of now. After these tracks the albums takes a soft and thoughtful turn. Which is fine, but not for the next 5 tracks. Maybe the album would benefit from mixing up the track-listing slightly. But so far this is a beautiful album with great tracks to lift and provoke your thoughts. Well, until the last three tracks that is.

“Glorious God” strikes me as being an album filler that wouldn’t even make it onto a single’s B-side (if you’re old enough to remember B-sides). “No Eye Has Seen” just doesn’t seem to fit on the album and sounds like it was recorded by another band, and the lack of a catchy chorus really lets it down. And the backing vocals in the final track “Everlasting” aren’t needed.This album is a top album, and a bold new direction for the band, who in the past have made some nice, safe, middle-of-the-road albums that your mum would like. This album however, your Mum probably won’t like. With a great new direction and up-to-date sounds, this album had the potential for being rated 4 out of 5 stars, but unfortunately, those last three tracks brought it down.

Jono’s rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Stand out Tracks
Shout it Out
Grace
Your Word

Jimmy Needham - Not Without Love

Review by Jono Davies I could review this album very easily and use a few lines to sum up the sound, but that would make me a poor, yet honest, reviewer. If you’re as busy as me and only checking out this review because you’ve never seen a Christian album cover with a man wearing a cool funky hat before(above), then here it is.Are you into American pop/rock/funk which sounds a bit like Maroon 5 or James Morrison? If yes, then Jimmy Needham’s “Not Without Love” album is for you! (Obviously if I left the review like that, you’d all agree with me. So let’s dig a bit deeper…)

The first track “Come Around” is a great funky (I think that word will come up more than once in this review) sounding tune, with creative lyrics and a beautiful guitar playing funky blues. The second track “A Breath Or Two” has a much faster moving lyrical feel. You really do have to listen to get all the lyrics. The only negative on this track I thought, is that the verse and chorus are very similar.

The more and more I hear this album, the more I think it sounds like a James Morrison album. (I know I always do this in reviews, compare albums to another sound. I try not to put them into a certain box, but sadly we all do it).“Not Without Love” is definitely a summer album with a summer feel, so go and buy it and stick it away for a few months. Then when you’re having a party in the garden, getting onto a plane to somewhere hot or laying by the pool, have this album with you. The best song on it for the summer has got to be “Firefly”. Such a funky song! (I told you that word would come up again!)

I do think that at times the album is very similar between tracks, but to sum it all up, it’s got it’s creative moments and it’s ‘summery’ feel, so when you’re on your way to a festival with all your mates in the car, make sure this is the album pumpin’ out of your stereo while the sun’s beating down on you.If I had to describe this album in one word…surprise surprise…it would be ‘FUNKY’.

Jono’s rating 4 out of 5 stars
Stand out tracks
Firefly
The Author
Come Around

Newday - This Is Life

About this time every year, or sometimes just before Christmas, the summer festivals release their latest live albums. A compilation of songs which bring back memories of muddy fields, fellowship with others and of course the amazing God-lead worship. These albums are also a great way to show those who couldn’t make the festivals, what awesome songs are coming out of the meetings, and pass them on to those who wish to sing them in their own church gatherings.

This leads me to my latest review, “This Is Life” – the new live album from Newday in 2008. I have never been to this festival but I am told that it’s a great event.“This Is Life” has tracks from Paul Oakley, Phatfish, YFriday, Simon Parkin and Tree63. I have to admit that it is nice to hear songs that haven’t been overplayed at other festivals. There’s something new yet very British about it. I liked that Paul Oakley used some dance beats in a couple of his tracks. It added a new sound to the worship. As for YFriday, you have the opportunity to hear one of their newest tracks ‘Alive’, and I have to say that they are one of the most underrated British bands out there.Overall, I am giving this album the thumbs up. But I do have two small issues with it. One, the last track on the album by Tree63 is from 1996 (and to be honest, I would have rather heard something live from their album ‘Sunday’), and two, Simon Parkin has two tracks which are only one line each. (Which is fine, but why not make it all one track?)

This album is full of uplifting worship, and most tracks on here you may not have heard unless you have the artist’s albums. This is a good thing because it means not every festival is playing the same songs, so we have more than just the different recordings to listen to and compare. As I said before, it’s nice to hear different worshipers trying different things.

Jono’s rating - 4 out of 5 stars
Stand out tracks
Alive,
We Shine,
This Is Life.

Eoghan Heaslip - Wonderful Story

Review by Jono Davies Let me start with a blunt statement: this is a worship album. I realised I was looking at this album from an unfair angle, and so have decided to re-review it. Sadly we, including myself, have come to judge a worship album by how many tracks on the album are already being sung in churches, and which tracks have already been sung incessantly at festivals and we have taken home. I fell into this trap, and as this album hasn't yet got many tracks sung in all the churches over all the UK, I gave it a poor review. So after this light bulb moment, I have decided to give it a fairer review.

Eoghan Heaslip is the current director of New Wine UK and leads worship at St Paul’s in Ealing, London. This album has had a sterling crew working on it, including Tim Hughes and Matt Redman’s producer, Nathan Nockles, and features songs co-written with Nick Herbert, Brenton Brown and Tim Hughes. Wonderful Story is an uplifting worship album with some very beautiful and refreshing sounds, the main example of this being the track "All To You". This song is all about God being glorified and giving all of your life to Him. It’s nice to hear something different in this song in that it doesn't have the obvious choir building chorus that seems to be on every worship album that is released. It’s also nice to not have a fast song and have a Hillsong-style lead guitar rift on every track.

This album has some beautiful moments of worship but sadly there are some poorer tracks which let it down slightly. The more well known song "Blessing & Honour" (previously released on various compilation albums) sounds like it was written in the mid 90's with its obvious over-used repeated church-vocabulary lyrics. It has very simple lyrics and a simple melody and to me is seems to be trying too hard to be a song that a church congregation could pick up and sing. Despite this however, Wonderful Story isn't a bad album, and it has its quiet moments and beautiful sounds. There’s also a very Paul Oakley feel to it - which can be good or bad depending on your taste! Eoghan has produced a very good album, but nothing new or inventive. This doesn't mean these songs are bad or that the album is bad, or even that churches shouldn’t or couldn’t sing these songs in services. But sadly it feels like an album I could have heard 10 years ago.

Jono rating 3 out of 5 Stars
Stand-Out Tracks)
All To You
Creator King
The King Has Come