Over the past several years, bands have increasingly relied on pre-recorded tracks, loops, etc to reproduce live what they did on the studio recording. While that's helped many bands keep their CD sound live or stay in sync with their video displays or whatever their reason for using prerecorded music may be; it's also taken a lot of the out of "magic" out of concert performances. And by "magic" I mean that amazement that you get when you see a phenomenal show that really makes you say, "WOW."
Whenever I've listened to a David Crowder Band album - especially last year's Remedy - I've often thought, "that sounds great, but how are they going to pull that off live?" I was definitely skeptical about just how much of their performance would be live, and how much would be pre-recorded. So naturally, the first thing that stuck out to me was seeing that practically every band member had a MacBook out and in use. Whether they were running loops, effects, or virtual instruments - the computers weren't completely running the show, they were an instrument in it. Did I mention that David Crowder used a Guitar Hero controller re-wired as a MIDI instrument controller? Remember that "WOW factor" I mentioned earlier? They've got it. By the end of the DVD, I went from being a skeptic to being genuinely impressed....
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
David Crowder Band - Remedy
After David Crowder*Band was named MSN Music's 2006 Artist of the Year, fans have been eagerly anticipating what the band will do next. Earlier this year the band announced that Remedy was coming.
On previous releases, David Crowder*Band's songs alternated between the radio-friendly and the more experimental. But with Remedy, David Crowder*Band has struck the balance between making music that is both innovative and accessible. The sound of Remedy reflects a natural progression of David Crowder*Band's music over the years. Elements of Crowder's previous releases Illuminate, Sunsets & Sushi, and A Collision are all present (well, perhaps not the bluegrass) and fused together to create a sound that is unique in Christian music. Although this is not a stylistic departure from the sounds of previous albums, the songs on Remedy are fresh and original, and not just "more of the same."
"The Glory of It All" and "Can You Feel It" get the album off to a good start and set the tone for the rest of the record. "Everything Glorious" - first heard on Passion's 2006 live worship CD of the same name - is given the studio treatment for the first time. The passionate (no pun intended) dynamics of "Everything Glorious" present in the live recording feel toned down on the studio version, resulting in a CCM radio-friendly but bland version. Other highlights on the album include "You Never Let Go," "Rain Down," and "We Won't Be Quiet."...
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
On previous releases, David Crowder*Band's songs alternated between the radio-friendly and the more experimental. But with Remedy, David Crowder*Band has struck the balance between making music that is both innovative and accessible. The sound of Remedy reflects a natural progression of David Crowder*Band's music over the years. Elements of Crowder's previous releases Illuminate, Sunsets & Sushi, and A Collision are all present (well, perhaps not the bluegrass) and fused together to create a sound that is unique in Christian music. Although this is not a stylistic departure from the sounds of previous albums, the songs on Remedy are fresh and original, and not just "more of the same."
"The Glory of It All" and "Can You Feel It" get the album off to a good start and set the tone for the rest of the record. "Everything Glorious" - first heard on Passion's 2006 live worship CD of the same name - is given the studio treatment for the first time. The passionate (no pun intended) dynamics of "Everything Glorious" present in the live recording feel toned down on the studio version, resulting in a CCM radio-friendly but bland version. Other highlights on the album include "You Never Let Go," "Rain Down," and "We Won't Be Quiet."...
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
David Crowder Band - Remedy
Sounds like … a distinctive blend of modern worship and alternative pop/rock, combining elements from Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Robbie Seay Band, Delirious, and Mute Math.
At a glance … a simpler and more accessible album than A Collision was, Remedy still impresses thanks to David Crowder Band's unique vision of worship and their increasingly confident sound.
I know what you're wondering, so let me say it off the bat: Remedy is not A Collision … and that's probably a good thing.
It was almost two years ago to the day when David Crowder Band released their highly acclaimed magnus opus. Those familiar with the album recognize there's never been anything quite like it in Christian music (or beyond) with the truly unique mix of modern worship, alternative pop/rock, and bluegrass. Over the last four years, David Crowder Band has gone from a mere worship band to quite possibly the most innovative band operating within the established Christian music industry today. Impressively enough, even mainstream outlets like MSN seem to recognize it.
Casually sidestepping the B Collision EP (for devoted fans only), how can you possibly follow-up something so wildly creative and varied as A Collision? For Crowder and company, it means doing the exact opposite. Whereas A Collision was epic and almost unwieldy in album length (as well as length of song titles), Remedy seems downright tame with just 10 songs (of which the longest title is a familiar hymn). The sound incorporates all the band elements—acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, programming, DJ turntables, and violin—without shifting wildly between genres like before. Leave it to David Crowder Band to simplify their process and make it seem like a progression by offering their most accessible album since Can You Hear Us? in 2002.
Just because the album is more straightforward, don't assume it comes without a theme. As you might guess from the title and the medical cross on the cover, Remedy focuses on God's constant presence as the answer to our hurts while challenging listeners to be the balm needed in the lives of others. Indeed, the Texas band's 2007club tour is part worship experience, part rallying cry to inspire change in local communities. At the same time, one could view this album as the band's personal healing in response to the tragic death of their friend and pastor Kyle Lake shortly after the release of A Collision.
Worship remains at the heart of these songs, as always, which explains to some extent why Crowder rarely goes deep with his lyricism. From the unconventionally quiet opener "The Glory of It All" and the heavy dance-rock groove of "Can You Feel It?" through the beautiful piano-based tranquility of "Never Let Go," Remedy is a meditation on God's love and unfailing presence. As the album progresses, Crowder takes the message slightly further. The title track acknowledges how God heals his people when they come together in worship, and the acoustic closer "Surely We Can Change" isn't as much a prayer for internal transformation as it is for external influence on the world.
In this way, David Crowder Band challenges our fundamental understanding of a worship album. The majority of these songs are unlikely to make it into the standard repertoire of the average church, though there's plenty for youth bands and alternative worship services. Collectively, however, Remedy works together as its own worship service, with calls to worship ("Can You Feel It?"), prayerful reflection ("Never Let Go"), a hymn of praise (a straightforward contemporary spin on "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"), a rallying cry ("We Won't Be Quiet"), and a message to challenge listeners to serve beyond Sunday morning ("Remedy," "Surely We Can Change")....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
At a glance … a simpler and more accessible album than A Collision was, Remedy still impresses thanks to David Crowder Band's unique vision of worship and their increasingly confident sound.
I know what you're wondering, so let me say it off the bat: Remedy is not A Collision … and that's probably a good thing.
It was almost two years ago to the day when David Crowder Band released their highly acclaimed magnus opus. Those familiar with the album recognize there's never been anything quite like it in Christian music (or beyond) with the truly unique mix of modern worship, alternative pop/rock, and bluegrass. Over the last four years, David Crowder Band has gone from a mere worship band to quite possibly the most innovative band operating within the established Christian music industry today. Impressively enough, even mainstream outlets like MSN seem to recognize it.
Casually sidestepping the B Collision EP (for devoted fans only), how can you possibly follow-up something so wildly creative and varied as A Collision? For Crowder and company, it means doing the exact opposite. Whereas A Collision was epic and almost unwieldy in album length (as well as length of song titles), Remedy seems downright tame with just 10 songs (of which the longest title is a familiar hymn). The sound incorporates all the band elements—acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, programming, DJ turntables, and violin—without shifting wildly between genres like before. Leave it to David Crowder Band to simplify their process and make it seem like a progression by offering their most accessible album since Can You Hear Us? in 2002.
Just because the album is more straightforward, don't assume it comes without a theme. As you might guess from the title and the medical cross on the cover, Remedy focuses on God's constant presence as the answer to our hurts while challenging listeners to be the balm needed in the lives of others. Indeed, the Texas band's 2007club tour is part worship experience, part rallying cry to inspire change in local communities. At the same time, one could view this album as the band's personal healing in response to the tragic death of their friend and pastor Kyle Lake shortly after the release of A Collision.
Worship remains at the heart of these songs, as always, which explains to some extent why Crowder rarely goes deep with his lyricism. From the unconventionally quiet opener "The Glory of It All" and the heavy dance-rock groove of "Can You Feel It?" through the beautiful piano-based tranquility of "Never Let Go," Remedy is a meditation on God's love and unfailing presence. As the album progresses, Crowder takes the message slightly further. The title track acknowledges how God heals his people when they come together in worship, and the acoustic closer "Surely We Can Change" isn't as much a prayer for internal transformation as it is for external influence on the world.
In this way, David Crowder Band challenges our fundamental understanding of a worship album. The majority of these songs are unlikely to make it into the standard repertoire of the average church, though there's plenty for youth bands and alternative worship services. Collectively, however, Remedy works together as its own worship service, with calls to worship ("Can You Feel It?"), prayerful reflection ("Never Let Go"), a hymn of praise (a straightforward contemporary spin on "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"), a rallying cry ("We Won't Be Quiet"), and a message to challenge listeners to serve beyond Sunday morning ("Remedy," "Surely We Can Change")....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
David Crowder*Band - B Collision (The Eschatology of Bluegrass)
Less than a year since David Crowder Band's hit release A Collision (3+4 = 7) comes their follow up EP, B Collision (The Eschatology of Bluegrass). Between 2003's Illuminate and last year's A Collision, David Crowder Band offered fans The Lime CD - a live EP – and the experimental Sunsets and Sushi. B Collision is a collection of both stripped back versions of songs from A Collision, live songs featuring special guests, and even a couple of new songs.
“I've Had Enough” sets the tone for the start of the EP. The stripped down feel gives the studio songs a raw feeling and draws even more attention to Crowder's powerful lyrics. “Beautiful Collision” and “Wholly Yours” are beautifully crafted acoustic B Variants, and a full-length version of “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” is a special treat.
While none of these songs are particularly bluegrass, the album begins the transition with David Crowder's semi-electric rendition of “I Can Hear the Angels Singing.” At the end of the song, the EP transitions into live mode for “ Be Lifted,” with special guests Shane and Shane and Robbie Seay Band joining in the bluegrass fun for the last half of the song, as well as for the album closer “I Saw the Light.”...
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
“I've Had Enough” sets the tone for the start of the EP. The stripped down feel gives the studio songs a raw feeling and draws even more attention to Crowder's powerful lyrics. “Beautiful Collision” and “Wholly Yours” are beautifully crafted acoustic B Variants, and a full-length version of “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” is a special treat.
While none of these songs are particularly bluegrass, the album begins the transition with David Crowder's semi-electric rendition of “I Can Hear the Angels Singing.” At the end of the song, the EP transitions into live mode for “ Be Lifted,” with special guests Shane and Shane and Robbie Seay Band joining in the bluegrass fun for the last half of the song, as well as for the album closer “I Saw the Light.”...
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
David Crowder*Band - A Collision or (3 + 4 = 7)
When modern worship giants such as Delirious, Matt Redman, Darrell Evans, and Hillsongs took the Christian music industry by storm ten years ago with music that was both worshipful and musically relevant, the industry took notice. Since then, almost every top ten CCM artist has either contributed to or released a worship project, or has one in the works. Christian record labels continue to churn out new worship artists and new compilations. The genre has become over saturated with sound-a-likes and look-a-likes, and innovative, original worship music has been hard to find.
That being said, David Crowder Band's latest release A Collision is one of the most innovative and experimental worship projects in recent years. With a whopping 21 tracks broken down into four parts, A Collision is very much a collision of styles and genres of music. Songs like "Hope Rising (Or Be Lifted)" go from old gospel to an almost grungy rock and then to square dance country, while "Do Not Move" fuses techno and rock together. Sometimes it works, and well, sometimes it doesn't.
The problem with experimentation is that it doesn't always achieve the desired result. While A Collision is fresh and original, it is also scattered all over the musical spectrum. Although this approach is artsy and innovative, it can also be distracting when a song goes from rock to hillbilly. But for the most part, the experimentation pays off, and in an over-saturated genre of musical clones, any musical experimentation is welcome, and greatly appreciated....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
That being said, David Crowder Band's latest release A Collision is one of the most innovative and experimental worship projects in recent years. With a whopping 21 tracks broken down into four parts, A Collision is very much a collision of styles and genres of music. Songs like "Hope Rising (Or Be Lifted)" go from old gospel to an almost grungy rock and then to square dance country, while "Do Not Move" fuses techno and rock together. Sometimes it works, and well, sometimes it doesn't.
The problem with experimentation is that it doesn't always achieve the desired result. While A Collision is fresh and original, it is also scattered all over the musical spectrum. Although this approach is artsy and innovative, it can also be distracting when a song goes from rock to hillbilly. But for the most part, the experimentation pays off, and in an over-saturated genre of musical clones, any musical experimentation is welcome, and greatly appreciated....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
David Crowder Band - Sunsets & Sushi
David Crowder made quite an impact in 2003 with his groundbreaking project Illuminate. While his band's debut album was noteworthy, it was this second effort that really began to catch substantial attention. What's unique about Crowder and his band is that they don't simply stick with generic worship songs, they branch out to create an experience different from any other worship band today.
This has never been truer than on the band's latest project, Sunsets & Sushi. This disc basically has eight songs from Illuminate completely remixed with all sorts of interesting titles (i.e. "Pneumatic Mix" and "Antidromic Mix"). Most of the songs sound like they belong on a dance mix rather than a worship album, but that's not necessarily bad. The thing that hurts this album most is that many of the songs don't turn out as well in reality as they might have in theory. While "Intoxicating" works exceptionally well and has a very catchy bass beat, songs like "O Praise Him" and "Open Skies" simply don't seem to fit the techno sound they've been given.
Another thing that makes this disc lose some of its appeal is the fact that these are all songs from Illuminate, which came out in 2003, before Crowder's Lime CD was released. While Lime was a fairly well-timed live project, none of its songs were from Illuminate, (excluding a bonus demo at the end of the CD; I won't count that) and it lost a bit of its appeal due to that fact. Consequently, the timing of all of these releases seems a bit off. Had Lime been released before Illuminate, with Sunsets & Sushi next in line, the order would have made more sense. At this point, with the project having no new material and containing songs released a year and a half ago, Sunsets is a valiant effort, but nothing brilliant....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
This has never been truer than on the band's latest project, Sunsets & Sushi. This disc basically has eight songs from Illuminate completely remixed with all sorts of interesting titles (i.e. "Pneumatic Mix" and "Antidromic Mix"). Most of the songs sound like they belong on a dance mix rather than a worship album, but that's not necessarily bad. The thing that hurts this album most is that many of the songs don't turn out as well in reality as they might have in theory. While "Intoxicating" works exceptionally well and has a very catchy bass beat, songs like "O Praise Him" and "Open Skies" simply don't seem to fit the techno sound they've been given.
Another thing that makes this disc lose some of its appeal is the fact that these are all songs from Illuminate, which came out in 2003, before Crowder's Lime CD was released. While Lime was a fairly well-timed live project, none of its songs were from Illuminate, (excluding a bonus demo at the end of the CD; I won't count that) and it lost a bit of its appeal due to that fact. Consequently, the timing of all of these releases seems a bit off. Had Lime been released before Illuminate, with Sunsets & Sushi next in line, the order would have made more sense. At this point, with the project having no new material and containing songs released a year and a half ago, Sunsets is a valiant effort, but nothing brilliant....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
David Crowder Band - The Lime CD
Sounds like … energetic and worshipful modern rock that blends elements of Delirious, Charlie Hall, and Sonicflood.
At a glance … this little souvenir is primarily geared to serious fans, though the tremendous live energy between audience and artist shine through here more than the usual worship concert recording.
The Lime CD gets its name by combining the material of two previous "quasi-unreleased EPs," recorded live from Passion worship tours: The Green CD and The Yellow CD. Mix the two colors together and voila. Although it's a tad surprising that David Crowder Band has released another recording just six months after last year's Illuminate, which is still going strong, you can't say that you don't get your $8 worth with more than 40 minutes of music over 8 tracks.
Things begin with the funk/disco-flavored medley of "Make a Joyful Noise" and "I Will Not Be Silent," one of the band's better arrangements. They offer a superior version of "Every Move I Make," as well as a raucously fun cover of Matt Redman's classic worship rocker "Sing Like the Saved." Redman's similarly lively "Undignified" from DCB's Can You Hear Us? album is also included, as are originals like the gently flowing "You Alone" and the thunderous surrender of "I Need Words/God of Wrath." Additionally, there are two b-sides from the Illuminate sessions: "End of October" is a forgettable instrumental used for the computer-enhanced portion of that album, but an acoustic demo version of "Heaven Came Down" more clearly reveals Crowder's strong acoustic guitar skills....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
At a glance … this little souvenir is primarily geared to serious fans, though the tremendous live energy between audience and artist shine through here more than the usual worship concert recording.
The Lime CD gets its name by combining the material of two previous "quasi-unreleased EPs," recorded live from Passion worship tours: The Green CD and The Yellow CD. Mix the two colors together and voila. Although it's a tad surprising that David Crowder Band has released another recording just six months after last year's Illuminate, which is still going strong, you can't say that you don't get your $8 worth with more than 40 minutes of music over 8 tracks.
Things begin with the funk/disco-flavored medley of "Make a Joyful Noise" and "I Will Not Be Silent," one of the band's better arrangements. They offer a superior version of "Every Move I Make," as well as a raucously fun cover of Matt Redman's classic worship rocker "Sing Like the Saved." Redman's similarly lively "Undignified" from DCB's Can You Hear Us? album is also included, as are originals like the gently flowing "You Alone" and the thunderous surrender of "I Need Words/God of Wrath." Additionally, there are two b-sides from the Illuminate sessions: "End of October" is a forgettable instrumental used for the computer-enhanced portion of that album, but an acoustic demo version of "Heaven Came Down" more clearly reveals Crowder's strong acoustic guitar skills....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
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