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November 2007

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Brave Saint Saturn

  • Brave Saint Saturn: The Light of Things Hoped For
    Possibly the most compelling and well-executed album I have ever listened to, "The Light of Things Hoped For" by Brave Saint Saturn deserves its five-star rating. The concept album, which happens to be the second installment from BS2, continues to follow the USS Gloria on its mission to study Saturn and its moons. Stylistically, this project from Reese Roper and other members of Five Iron Frenzy (R.I.P.) very nearly defies description. They have been referred to as space-pop or astro-rock, though even these monikers do not do the style justice. Some of the songs on the album are simple acoustic ballads, while others make use of synthesizers, xylophones, and other instruments that are too often neglected by rock bands. Lyrically, BS2 hits a homerun with this album, with songs like "The Sun Also Rises," "Heart Still Beats," and "Daylight" giving testimony to their Christianity, and "Enamel," "Anastasia," and "Babies' Breath" speaking of love, and love lost. Brave Saint Saturn is an unorthodox band, nearly unknown in the mainstream and censored by their former label Tooth and Nail Records, but none of this detracts in the least from the stellar quality (no pun intended) of their latest album. The album is unavailable on iTunes, and only partially available on most other music downloading services, but it is well worth the price and shipping costs to order the cd from vendors online. Check out Brave Saint Saturn's "The Light of Things Hoped For" today! (*****)

Roper

  • Roper: Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
    "Brace Yourself for the Mediocre," is the first (and possibly only) album by Roper, the latest band started by Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn frontman Reese Roper. With Reese's characteristic high vocals, a bouncy pop-punk sound that resembles Five Iron Frenzy on speed (and with synthesizers instead of horns), and the intelligent lyrics that Reese can't seem to help writing, Roper's new album was made to be great. From start to finish, the album refuses to slow down, turning out one smart pop-punk anthem after another throughout the entire thirteen-song album. Whether the song involves social and religious commentary (e.g. "Quicksilver," "Hello Lamewads") or is just a playful exercise for Reese's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor (e.g. "Vendetta," "1985"), it's sure to be stuck in your head for a long time to come. (*****)

Showbread

  • Showbread -

    Showbread: No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
    It's spastic, it's chaotic, and it's a masterpiece through and through. In No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical, Showbread struck a power chord with even this opponent of screamo. Think before you buy, for this album is not for the faint of heart, but if you can handle a seizurrific combination of screams and industrial-strength keytar, then this album is worth the money. Every song on the album is great for those who are tolerant of screamo or are looking to try something new, but even those of more sensitive tastes can appreciate songs like "Matthias Replaces Judas," (which by the way, features a guest appearance from Reese Roper). As an album, "No Sir..." stands in its disjointedness as a cohesive whole, and is a great investment... for those who can handle it, anyway. (*****)

  • Showbread -

    Showbread: Age of Reptiles
    "Age of Reptiles," Showbread's latest release, proves to be quite a departure from their previous spaz-rock album "No Sir, Nihilism Is not Practical." There is less screaming in the new album, and more straight-up alternative rock, perhaps to appease the faint of heart who no doubt went into cardiac arrest upon hearing music from Showbread's first album. Regardless, "Age of Reptiles" is a strong showing from the "raw rock" band, as they prove that they are not as one-dimensional as reviewers might have feared after the release of "No Sir..." A bit too polished at times, "Reptiles" still hits the mark on almost every song, and accomplishes something that "No Sir" did not... It plays songs melodically enough that listeners can sing along. (****)

Relient K

  • Relient K -

    Relient K: MMHMM
    As Relient K matures, they continue to amaze listeners who thought they just couldn't get any better. Though the band certainly had a lot of spunk when they put out their earlier albums (all the way through "The Anatomy of Tongue in Cheek"), they didn't to strike gold until their release of MMHMM, a lyrically and musically mature album with a pop-punk-done-right sound. Certainly an album that is worth the buy. (****)

  • Relient K -

    Relient K: Apathetic EP
    Relient K's latest work, the Apathetic EP, is just a continuation of this band's prolonged stroke of genius. Continuing the line of thought that produced "MMHMM," the Apathetic EP gives us four new songs (two electric, two involving Matt Thiessen and his piano) and three acoustic versions of previous songs ("Be My Escape," "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet," and "Over Thinking"), all of which add up to a great EP to whet the appetite of fans waiting to see what this band will think of next. (bonus: The band also released an acoustic version of "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" apart from the Apathetic EP, and it makes a great buy off of iTunes as well.) (****)

  • Relient K -

    Relient K: Five Score and Seven Years Ago

    How embarrassing. After at the very least two amazing albums and an EP, Relient K ends their streak of great music by popping out this monstrosity. The only words that come to mind after listening to this album several times are "What were they THINKING?!" The hooks are tired, the lyrics are uninspired, and the album is entirely disappointing. Even the potentially epic ballad "Deathbed" descends into preachy inanity by the second half of the song, though its first five and a half minutes are worth a listen. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this album: Instead, head over to iTunes and spend a few bucks on the highlights of the album (which are shamefully few) "Faking My Own Suicide," "Deathbed," "Come Right Out and Say It," and depending on your tolerance level for the poppish, "Must Have Done Something Right." I know it's hard, but if you love Relient K, it's probably best that you not listen to the rest of the album; just wait it out, surely they'll return to their former glory on their next CD... Right? (**)

Emery

  • Emery -

    Emery: The Weak's End
    There is only one word to describe Emery's first major release: Tiresome. The Weak's End, an album with a very nice title and a great opening track, simply fails to deliver throughout the rest of the cd. Starting out with "Walls," which is perhaps Emery's best song to date, the album eventually descends into a mass of songs that are at best boring, and at worst downright frustrating. The first 2-4 songs on "The Weak's End" are in fact rather catchy, and certainly worth a listen (or a buy off of iTunes), but the entire album is a bit disappointing, with songs that run together or sound very much the same, and music which makes the listener dread reading the lyrics, for fear that they are as inane as the chord progressions and throbbing post-######## beat. Emery does in fact have a great deal of potential, but aside from "Walls" and "A Ponytail Parade," they did not at all reach it on "The Weak's End." (**)

Number One Gun

  • Number One Gun -

    Number One Gun: Promises for the Imperfect
    A little bit emo, a little bit rock and roll, Number One Gun pulls out a mediocre showing with their latest album "Promises for the Imperfect." The album starts off strong, with four or five catchy songs, but then falls off into the abyss of musical and lyrical cliches. The first half of the album, though, is great, and well worth buying off of iTunes (or whatever legal music downloading service you choose). Check them out today! (***)

eLi

  • :
    eLi is quite simply a talented musician. Most of his music is acoustic, and his songs very personal, often dealing with past experiences, persevering in the face of opposition, or simply comfort in the midst of a storm. Even if you don't like acoustic/folk music, don't count eLi out until you've given him a chance.

Eleventyseven

  • Eleventyseven -

    Eleventyseven: Eleventyseven and the Land of Fake Believe
    Eleventyseven's breakout album is nothing but fun. And that's pretty much it. Oh, I guess I should say more... But what is there to say about a band this crazy? They call themselves "Eleventyseven," a made-up number, and their most popular band t-shirt bears the slogan "Save the Unicorns!" How on earth could anyone take this band seriously? Well... you don't really need to. Sure, they're a little on the crazy side, but they're just out to have fun. To the band's credit, they are capable of writing serious songs, such as "MySpace," "Teenage Heartbreak" and "More Than a Revolution" in addition to typical (though catchy) pop-punk songs about breaking up and making up. While this synth-punk band really breaks no new ground musically or lyrically, they have a kind of energy that will serve them well as they grow. Eleventyseven's live show is wild and entertaining, and the band's music manages to stay focused on things more important than the teen angst that marks so many similar bands. Their album is worth looking into if you're a pop-punk fan in need of some good, light-hearted fun. (***)

« So I'm Thinkin'... | Main | I Think I Need More Work To Do... »

September 30, 2007

Someone Please Save Us... Us College Kids...

Wow.  I knew things were going to change, and finally they have.  Needless to say, I'm in college now, and it's almost scary, I'm not gonna lie. 

But I'm having a blast. 

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting here.  I'm still struggling to find the motivation to write.  For several months before college, I took a break from all things intellectual.  I lived it up over the summer, rocking out with my band and hanging out with a ton of friends practically every day.  And I can't say I've ever had more fun in my life.

But now life's changing.  I'm no longer in Rome, Georgia... I've traded a small town for a smaller one, moving to Wilmore, KY in order to continue my education at Asbury College.  My major is officially undeclared, but I'm pretty certain I'm going to go for a Philosophy/Theology major.  Might double major, might major in one and minor in the other.  Either way, that looks to be the path I'm taking.

Since coming here, I've met and gotten to know a lot of people, with a lot of different views.  A large part of the reason I chose this school was the community here, and the diversity of religious beliefs.  The school itself comes from a Wesleyan heritage, obviously something I don't share, but in every discussion I find myself in, there is usually a couple of Arminians, a Calvinist, a few people who aren't sure what they are (myself included), and the randomly placed Molinist.  My religious beliefs have been changing of late, and I'm not sure what direction I'm going; of course, I remain solidly convinced of the Christian faith, and of God's sovereignty, but I'm finding many of the doctrines I believe in to be explained insufficiently.

That is to say, I believe man can't live a sinless life (and thus has a sin nature), but I find Original Sin to be an inadequate explanation for this.

Similarly, I believe that some people are "saved" and some aren't, and that simply attributing this to "Free Will" isn't enough.  It appears that somewhere along the line, God must be involved in choosing some men above others, but to simply say that God "chooses" implies force, which I don't believe is necessary for election. 

Thus I don't know what to call myself.  But with every discussion I participate in, I discover a little more about what I believe, or am shown a new way to look at some issue.  So cut me some slack, I'm still getting back into the swing of things, but maybe some of my nascent heresies will find their way to my blog to be ripped to shreds by the Evangelical orthodoxy. 

Just maybe. 

But either way, I need to start writing again, and with all the theological discussions around here, I've got plenty of material. 

And if this post is any indication, I'm off to a good start, as I just reminded myself of several issues I've been intending to write out.  Yes, I know I'm talented, you don't have to tell me...

But first, I need to update some things around my blog.  A couple of new music reviews and an updated bio might do the trick, no?

Posted at 08:59 PM in Housekeeping |

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Comments

Yay. College. You know, I get the feeling I'll love college when I get there. I consider myself (at least, at this moment; my mental self-perception fluctuates with each random passing of many days) mentally acute enough to interact with adults and young adults alike on a more intellectual level. Then again, with no real parents around, the intellectual part could be ... well, debated.

At any rate, it's great you're enjoying your time there.

Hey, if you feel compelled, what is your view of speaking in tongues? Humour me with a post or something. My dad's going into the Assembly of God denomination, and I've got my own misgivings. Maybe you can enlighten me of some pros and cons. Depending.

Just don't knock it all down. ;) I still want to believe something.

Posted by:Paradoxically Correct | October 02, 2007 at 09:56 PM

XD I won't knock it all down. Tongues is one of the stickiest issues of all for me (next to eschatology) because I grew up in a "Word of Faith" church. I'll see if I can work something up though...

Posted by:jacob.thrasher | October 03, 2007 at 12:15 AM

Jacob:

What is your reasoning against Original Sin?

As to Election, you are never "forced" to become something you do not want to become; rather, because of the work of the Holy Spirit, you are willing and able to "make that choice for Jesus". What people do not seem to realize is that the doctrine of Election is not about God randomly forcing people to become Christians, rather, it is about the work of the Holy Spirit convicting a person of their need for a Savior.

Posted by:Paul | October 07, 2007 at 05:30 PM

Original Sin and sin nature is something I've been pondering a bit myself, lately - I'd like to see a post on it.

I think we're wondering some similar stuff, here. Looking forward to more posts!

Posted by:The Wanderer | October 09, 2007 at 06:34 PM

Man, it's been a while since I wandered over to your journal. Life really DOES get busy once your away from Mom and Dad, huh? I know how it feels.

I have two suggestions for you concerning theological questions:
1: Pray for an answer to your question. That's one of the nice things about being a Christian, we can ask the Source instead of just getting opinion. ;)
2: Read your Bible and study it. Most of the time we can find the answers there with some prayer and some elbow grease. (And make sure to delve into the Greek and Hebrew before you make up your mind on a theological point!)

Ok ok.. I know it sounds so... basic. So DUH. So boring. But it's amazing how frequently we Christians forget to use the basic 'tools of the trade'.

Anyway, I hope things go well with you in college. Don't let smart sounding people turn ya dumb. ;)

Posted by:Draw2much | October 23, 2007 at 03:48 AM

I've been thinking about it...

I wanted to suggest two books for you.

One is called "By Divine Design" written by Michael Pearl. It talks about free will "vs" God's will.

Another good book is by AW Tozer called "The Pursuit of God". It's a classic! :)

Posted by:Draw2much | November 01, 2007 at 08:39 AM

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