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Album Reviews

If any of you remember (and I’m sure you do) the debut album from Kutless, there are probably a number of mixed reactions about it among you. While it was definitely not the most creative album, or best lyrics, to grace the music industry, I still found it fairly enjoyable to listen to. As did many, many other music fans.

Now the band’s sophomore album, Sea of Faces, recently hit store shelves on February 24th, 2003. But has the band been able to craft more original music and sophisticated lyrics this time around? Or are they still on the same level as the previous release?

I’ll go ahead and answer that question now. Yes the album, which consists of eleven tracks, is a definite melioration over the previous undertaking. Albeit, it’s still not a mind blowing album by any means, but is without question an improvement artistically.

The band feels a lot more guitar driven on most tracks, with more of an edge to the music this time around. And the melodies are very enjoyable, making you want to even replay the album after it finishes sometimes.

However, the largest difficulty also lies in the musical aspect of the album. As some of you may recall, something that really bothered me about the self titled album was the fact that you could take the opening guitar riffs of “Your Touch” and place them in “Vow” without noticing many differences. When a small flaw like that surfaces, I tend to notice it every time I listen to the album and it bothers me from there on. So when Sea of Faces was coming out, I assumed I wouldn’t have to worry about that as the chance of having two albums in a row with the problem is minimal. Guess what? I was wrong. The song “It’s Like Me” has virtually the exact same opening riff as “All Of The Worlds” with not many alterations at all (it’s sped up a little). The first time I heard the song I had to immediately look at the track listing to make sure it wasn’t playing the same one I listened to two tracks earlier. Very unfortunate.

But with nitpicking aside, the album is still done quite well overall. The band has improved both lyrically and musically, making it a very good step in their musical evolution. Again, it may not be the most mind blowing, creative album you’ve ever heard. But it’s still gratifying, which is the most important aspect.  ~ Josh McConnell

Out of all the Christian bands I have heard in the past, Kutless is one that truly stands above them all in terms of lyrics. They jump straight into it, not holding back at all with metaphorical content and things like that. Going full force, they sing about God, Jesus, and the Christian faith; never wavering or stuttering for a minute. But they never become repetitive, boring or overbearing. Jon Micah Sumrall's vocals come through your speakers melodically and catchy, reminding you of many of the top rock bands out there.

Their emo-rock sound has a strong effect on you, captivating you and pulling you in. Much to my sister's dismay, I found myself singing along almost instantly, and you will too. After only one or two listens, they are implanted into your memory and mind and it is difficult to rid yourself of them. The guitar work is smooth, with heavy hooks and hard rhythms. The bass melodies and very melodic and even sound similar to piano at certain points. The drums are powerful, but not overwhelming. One thing which really stands out in the drumming selections is the use of cymbals; which is very evident and just put the perfect touch to it all. Topping it all off is Jon's seamless vocals, making it a real success.

BEC/ Tooth And Nail's Kutless may not be for everyone, simply because of their straight forward Christian lyrics. But if you look past that, they are a band for everyone; and even better if you are a avid Christian.   ~ Bobby Gorman

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