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The Choir
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Track Listings |
Release Date:
(2005)
Overall Rating: ++++
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Album Review
About 12 years ago, a
good friend of mine changed my life. He took me to some weird "Christian rock
festival". I thought Petra was Christian rock. At this festival,
I saw a number of bands who blew my mind. One of them featured some guy with
long red hair, who played a 12 string Stratocaster, and strange man with a
little electric saxophone, and a 6'5" tall bass player......and they made the
most amazing music I had ever heard.
Fast forward to 2005.
The guys are all leading successful careers outside the choir. Steve
and Derri are big time producers. Dan is a high powered record
executive, and Tim has some super secret government job that no one
will talk about. Why would they release another cd as the Choir? I am
not sure. But I am sure glad they did. with "o how the mighty have fallen"
The Choir in some ways returns to their early ethereal roots, while
retaining some of the edge of more recent releases. And then they added a new
dimension; producer, and new band member, Marc Byrd (City on a
Hill, Common Children, Glassbyrd). What more can we ask from one of
the original, and most original bands in the "alternative Christian music"
scene?
Now to the CD.
Musically, to me, this disc heakens back to the old days. Lighter guitar
sounds, Derri's gorgeous tenor mixed way out front,
drummer/percussionist extraordinaire Steve Hindalong back behind a
traditional drum kit, swirling effects (sometimes reminiscent of Common
Children), Dan's fabulous sax and lyricon work, and the ever
present Tim Chandler laying down solid bass lines. Missing are the
fuzzed out sounds of "speckled bird". Gone also, are all the crazy
percussion noises Hindalong is famous for. While this may be The
Choir's most mellow album, it is also one of the strongest.
Lyric's
are one are the choir has always excelled in, and this album is no different.
Steve, along with the rest of the bands, pens more of his deeply
personal, metaphor laden lyrics, lending themselves to many interpretations.
This, in my opinion, is one of the things that have made The Choir so
popular over the years. The lyrics, while often stemming from events in
Hindalong's own life, can be applied to many of the situations each of us
go through in our daily lives. for proof of this, hop over to the choir's
message board (at
www.thechoir.net
) and check out Steve's lyrical discussion thread. people giving
their idea's on song's meanings, and Steve chiming in with some of the
emotions behind these songs......often quite different, but always relevant,
and moving.
The opener "o how the
might have fallen" is classic Choir. Swirling effects and gorgeous
guitar tones abound. The lyrics vague as usual, contain phrases from older
songs, specifically from "speckled bird":
Seems things have
changed a bit from when Steve did appreciate the sound. In the
back ground Marc Byrd sings more lyrics from that album, almost as
though the band is lamenting the fact that "speckled bird" was their
big shot, and here they are, independently releasing another CD, 12 years
later. (though there is zero bitterness here).
I could go on and on
about each song, but I will refrain, since as previously noted, the songs lend
themselves so well to your own interpretation. Plus, as I said, you can go
check out Steve's own comments on their web site.
So I will move right to
the closer. " to rescue me" the album closer, is as beautiful a song as you
are likely to hear, and is a fitting end to a nearly perfect CD. trademark
glistening guitars, swelling strings, heartfelt words. this song belongs in
the hymnal.
Some will complain that this CD is too mellow. Some will miss the crazy percussion. Don't listen to those naysayers. This is one of the greatest Christian bands ever to record, doing what they do best: recording meaningful, heartfelt lyrics, over a musical tapestry that always puts song, rather than performer, first. like my dear friend Robi, who first introduced me to something outside mainstream CCM, I am thankful to The Choir for giving me some of my favorite music in my often-too-large CD collection. If you are an old fan, as many of you are, you will buy this CD no matter what I say. If you have never heard them, this is as good a place as any to start, and better than some. You owe it to yourself to hear the band who has influenced so many of the better known bands you hear on the radio every day. Remember, the best music is NOT on the radio....this is never more true than in the case of the choir.
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