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Daylight Worship, Behold The King EP (2009)
/ DaylightWorship.com
It's been about a year since indie project Daylight got together, and they already have a
seven-song EP entitled Behold The King. Taking their name from 1 Thessalonians 5:5, the sixpiece
worship team takes their music to the areas surrounding their home in British Columbia, Canada, seeking to
reach today's youth. What they've compiled on Behold The King is a batch of songs crafted into the
most popular form of worship music - namely a huge pop rock feel with a little bit of quasi-pop punk
thrown in here and there...
Read the Full Review
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Worship |
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Cy, The Ringleader (2009)
/ MySpace
Jesus taught people lessons about Heaven, love and many other things using parables and metaphors.
It's an effective way to help people understand. Many Christian musicians do the same thing with their music.
Take, for instance, a hip hop artist named Tim Gross, also known as Cy. His latest album (the
fourth in his independent career) is titled Cirus World Event - The Ringleader, and the idea behind it is
the the world is one big circus, and to get in, the admission is our soul. It's pretty clever...
Read the Full Review
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Hip Hop/Rap |
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Reinstate, Reinstate - The EP (2009)
/ MySpace
When a band cites artists such as Third Day, Foo Fighters and U2 as its influences, listeners would be apt to guess that
that band has got something that the listener wants. Well, such is the case for Canadian fourpiece Reinstate.
Their self-titled EP was recorded in the Summer of 2009 and consists of eight rock songs that exist somewhere along the line
that divides mainstream rock and a more accessible pop rock sound. EP opener "Not Too Late" slightly resembles Nickelback...
Read the Full Review
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Rock |
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AwakenUs, Reveal (2009)
/ AwakenUsBand.com
AwakenUs is a group of nine friends and musicians from Overland Park, KS, some of whom have been
playing together for a full decade. The band as it is now has recently released a full-length album entitled Reveal.
The focus of the album is to reveal our need for God, hence the title. When taking a look at the band's line-up, it appears
to be rather impressive, as there are plenty of instruments to keep the songs lively, not to mention eight of the nine
members provide vocals. The problem, though, is that the only times in Reveal that one can really tell the vocals
apart are when it goes from a male vocalist to a female vocalist. Otherwise, it's very difficult to tell who exactly is...
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Rock |
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Daniel Van Oss, The Heart Of Heaven (2009)
/ DanVanOss.com
On any given Sunday at Parkview Church in Iowa City, IA, you can find Daniel Van Oss leading the congregation in worship.
Aside from that, Van Oss is also seeking a career in writing and performing music. 2009 marks the release of his very own Christmas
album, The Heart of Heaven. It's a collection of heartfelt songs and carols that are peaceful and contemplative,
with several of the songs having completely different instruments. While the piano ends up being the main instrument, you'll also
hear bass and drums, as well as violins, flutes, a small amount of drum machine and even some tribal and Middle Eastern sounds (including
a sitar in his take on "Little Drummer Boy"). "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is even slightly jazzy with its saxophone intro...
Read the Full Review
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Contemporary / Christmas |
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Stranded Conqueror, Stranded Conqueror EP (2009)
/ Myspace.com/StrandedConqueror
In the vein of artists like The Rocket Summer and The Almost, Stranded Conqueror is a one-man band, created by
Patrick Weymann (with a little help from a couple of his friends on drums). His first outing is a short EP simply titled
Stranded Conqueror. Of the six songs on the EP, four of them have a very big pop punk sound. Not so much a Stellar Kart
kind of pop punk - more like Relient K's approach, yet not as refined. That's not to say that the music is bad; it just desperately
needs better production. EP opener "Out of Here" is a great example: well-played guitar lines (with matching piano), an outspoken
(but not overbearing) bass and lively drums, yet it still sounds like a demo version of the song. The guitar at the very beginning...
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Indie / Alt |
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Sherree Brown, First Fruit (2009)
/ SherreeBrown.com
Sheree Brown is a singer hailing from Chicago, Illinois. She has a soulful voice that she uses over
mellow R&B-style music. In the past, she's worked with some of the most recognizable names from '90s pop music, such as
Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, and even artists more well-known in today's music like Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks.
So, with that to her credit, in addition to having performed with many other artists, you would be apt to think that there's
something to this girl's music. And certainly, in her own right, she is quite talented. She has a good singing voice that
would work well with the pop divas she has been associated with, but her latest album, First Fruit, seems to be...
Read the Full Review
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Pop / R&B |
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Drum Dynasty, Drum Dynasty (2009)
/ DrumDynasty.com
Drum Dynasty is a fourpiece group of musicians who specialize in percussion and world music. The musical backdrop
ranges from Egyptian to Middle Eastern to African, with Kevin Christensen at the helm. The rest is a mixture of
percussion and electronic drum pads. Now, given the name Drum Dynasty, one would probably expect the drums to be the
main focal point of all of the tracks. However, the musical score actually seems to play a bigger role all throughout.
And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, the score sounds like any other... Read the Full Review
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Instrumental |
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Submission Red, Submission Red EP (2008)
/ SubmissionRed.com
Submission Red is a rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida offering something different, yet entirely the
same. I want to like this release, because it seems to have all of the right components, yet it leaves me wanting. Produced
by Ben Kasica of Skillet, the record sounds great, but almost too great. The production is so slick it has removed most of the
human element, outside of Yvonne Winfrey's vocals. Submission Red is strong, female fronted hard rock in the vein of Fireflight,
Paramore, and Flyleaf. It is so much like them, however, that it ends up sounding formulaic. Simply put, this is a
record that is fun to listen to (with the possible exception of the Superchick soundalike "Drive On") and I bet that this is a
fun band to watch live. I just would love to see something a little more original and all-their-own next time.
- Rob Tyson, 9/12/09
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Rock |
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Jason Watson, Step Into The Light EP (2009)
/ MySpace
Jason Watson, of Lee's Summit, Missouri fits the mold of the current Christian Radio hitmaker.
Writing soaring pop/rock that sounds much like Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, or a younger version of Steven Curtis Chapman,
Watson hits all the right notes, without being a carbon copy of any other artist. Produced by the folks at Zodlounge,
this EP is a great, though small, taste of what radio programmers are looking for in the Christian market. The song "He
Chose Me" is my personal favorite, a power pop anthem with a hook that would be great to sing along to in the car.
I am really looking forward to hearing more from Jason Watson, though I need more than three songs on a record to put this in
the Indie Spotlight.
- Rob Tyson, 9/12/09
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Pop Rock / Worship |
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Shawn P. Derritt, Thank You (2009)
/ CDBaby.com
Upon release of his last record, I strongly suggested that Shawn P. Derritt needed to get away from the punchless,
smooth jazz that made up the first half of the release, and stick to the Gospel Worship that closed out the record with
a flourish. While I am not here to take credit for the change, I am here to say that his latest album, Thank You,
is a much better project. This time around, Derritt used every musical instrument that he could find, added plenty of
background vocals, and created a record that sounds strong and full of energy and hope. If given the opportunity to
nitpick, I would ask for stronger lyrical focus as we move forward. Overall, I am happy with the steps forward that
Shawn P. Derritt has taken with his latest release, and I am already looking forward to the next project!
- Rob Tyson, 8/10/09
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Contemporary / Worship |
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Freewind, Life Is A Highway (2006)
/ MySpace
Freewind, an acoustic duo from South Jersey, is bringing it old school! Life is a Highway
is a collection of songs from the pen of Rick Sawyer, who also performs the vocals on the record. These songs sound like they
are twenty-five years old... because they are. With many of the songs written and recorded originally in the 1980's, these
songs deserve to be considered within that context. This is a record that holds appeal for fans of Michael Card or Bob
Bennett, as it fits the same acoustic folk mold, with blatantly evangelical and worshipful lyrics. As a stand alone piece,
the record is just "passable," but I am sure that after seeing Freewind at one of their live coffeehouse shows, the songs would
come to life a bit more.
- Rob Tyson, 7/14/09
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Folk / Acoustic |
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My Flesh Heart, Where I'm Going (2009)
/ MySpace
My Flesh Heart (a great name, check Ezekiel 11:19 for more info) is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Ben Cardenas.
His four song Where I'm Going EP is a thoughtful, low-key meditation on love and sacrifice. The songwriting is
good, the vocals are adequate, but at times they suffer from the apparent lack of a recording/production budget. This
raw recording shows some promise, and I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Cardenas.
- Rob Tyson, 6/18/09
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Folk / Acoustic |
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Keith Elgin, 360:God (2009)
/ KeithElgin.com
Keith Elgin is a Modern Worship artist from Fairfax Station, VA. Following up his 2005 debut, Seize the Day,
Elgin offers a solid collection of songs that work both in the CD player and on Sunday morning. Production work by Jason
Hoard and Bob Dawson on the record is crisp, though not particularly different or inventive. My only disappointment here
is not with the artist so much as with the current trends in Worship as a whole. Elgin follows the "Worship Record Formula"
closely, including plenty of Worship Buzzwords and phrases and generic titles ("You Alone," "Worship the King," "With You,"
etc.) and even finishes the record off with a hymn (very trendy). The high point of the release? The simple yet profound
"Only You" is great on the record, and sounds like an ideal song for a live worship set. This is recommended for fans
of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Charlie Hall.
- Rob Tyson, 6/18/09
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Modern Worship |
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Michael McClead, Michael McClead (2008)
/ MichaelMcClead.com
Michael McClead is a singer/songwriter from Yorkville, Illinois. There are many varied sounds on the record, from hip hop
loops to simple acoustic guitar to string accompaniments. The one constant is the vocally distinct, gravel toned voice of
Mr. McClead. Sometimes it works (like the opening track "Angel of Mine") and sometimes it does not ("No Reasons Why").
The production work is good, but not as good as McClead, wearing the producer's hat, might think. By leaning on some
production twists and trickery, it sounds at times like he lacks confidence in the songs that he has written. There is more
good than bad to be found here, however, and the debut record from Michael McClead is worth checking out.
- Rob Tyson, 6/4/09
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Alternative |
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Dan Macaulay, The Listening EP (2009)
/ DanMacaulay.com
Dan Macaulay's four-song The Listening EP sounds as good as anything we've heard here at the
JFH Indie Office, and it should. Macaulay is a two time Shai Award winner (The Canadian version of the Doves) including the
2007 Male Soloist of the Year award. The tracks were produced by Nathan Nockels (Passion, Tim Hughes, Matt Redman) and
sound like most of the better Modern Worship that is coming out of Nashville today. Though I am disappointed by the brevity
of the release, it is clear that Dan Macaulay is a name to look for in the near future.
- Rob Tyson, 5/19/09
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Pop / Worship |
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David Santistevan, Near (2008)
/ DavidSantistevan.com
David Santistevan is a singer/songwriter and modern worship artist from the Pittsburgh area.
The very first impression of the record was that it sounded like something coming out of Nashville. That's a good thing.
Sound and production quality can lessen to impact of an otherwise strong record, but that is not the case here. The opener,
"Glory of Your Name," gets things off to a great start, and the closing track, "Forever Near," brings the record to a great
close. I only wish that the middle was a little more consistent. There are some good tracks, but it is largely forgettable.
There weren't any bad songs here, just not a lot of stand out tracks. Overall, a good effort.
- Rob Tyson, 4/17/09
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Praise & Worship |
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Corrin Campbell, Exhibit A (2008)
/ CorrinCampbell.net
Who is Corrin Campbell? After listening to this record, I have no idea. I can tell you that she's Baltimore based,
and that she writes her own songs, but that's as far as I can go. The tracks on this record are all over the place, but I would
say that she falls somewhere between Fireflight and Stephanie Smith. Her vocals are drowned out by the music on much of the
release. The production itself is lacking, and the record as a whole lacks direction. The two acoustic tracks at the end keep
this from straying into "trainwreck" territory. It sounds like Corrin has some talent and tools to make a better record
than this. I'll be glad to give her another shot in the future.
- Rob Tyson, 4/17/09
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Rock / Pop |
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