Music Monday: Gabrielle Aplin Made a Tribute To David Bowie

Hey everyone! I'm going to take a break from album reviews this Monday. I'll get back to my list next week. This my second week back to work after my holiday during Chinese New Year. I have so many things to tell you about, particularly my trip to Thailand! But that's another post for another day.

Gabrielle Aplin's UK tour came to an end last month, and during she made a lovely tribute to the late David Bowie. Enjoy, and happy Monday!

Music Monday: Light Up The Dark Review

         If you've followed this blog for awhile then you know how much a fan I am of Gabrielle Aplin. I first discovered her when she was a fifteen year-old releasing covers and self-made Eps on youtube. Her voice was untrained, and her skills in desperate need of honing, but ultimately it was her song writing that drew me in. Her lyrics were mature, etherial, and smart. She knew how to write a clever and engaging hook, and how to handle unpretentious metaphors alongside the teenage angst appropriate for her age. She's also, always been a bit of an old soul, with influences like Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell. These influences have never been more apparent, than with her sophomore album, Light Up The Dark.

         I loved Aplin's debut English Rain, but I had a few problems with it. English Rain was used an introduction to the uninitiated, but because the songs were written years apart from each other, the album failed to work as a coherent whole. This is no longer an issue with Light Up The Dark, which presents Aplin as the artist, she's been trying to be all these years.

          The album opens with the title track Light Up The Dark, which pushes Aplin's vocals much further than ever before. The track is energetic, dark and mysterious (it would fit very well in Bond soundtrack), but ultimately Light Up The Dark is one of the less exciting and nuanced tracks on the album.

Gabrielle Aplin 'Light Up The Dark' from Michael Holyk on Vimeo.

This is followed by Skeleton, which is in my opinion one of the best songs Aplin's ever written. There are many influences apparent in the instrumentation of this track. The sweet, piano chords are reminiscent of the folk-pop that's been Aplin's comfort zone for so long, while the synth guitar, and vocals present a more modern edge. Aplin's etherial, whispy vocals could have let the song down, but somehow it all works perfectly.

Fools Love, brings to mind 70s pop, soulful and smooth. Aplin's vocals effortlessly glide through the whip-smart lyrics:

Silence in the hallway

There's nothing you can say

All false information

We've lost communication

There's something you've hidden 

You'e quietly taken

I fall every quarter

You hold me under your thumb

Sophisticated as Fools Love is, the song is a bit of a bore, and the album would have been that much stronger for leaving it out.

Slip Away is soulful, slinky and dramatic, and once again shows how much Aplin's voice has developed over the years. Sweet Nothing, is a joyful, dance number that mixes aspects of folk rhythm with old-time swing. As soon as chorus drops, you won't be able to stop your feet from tapping.

Heavy Heart is hands down the best song on the album. Lyrically it is intimate, and sadly honest. Aplin's vocals are appropriately understated for this track, as she uses the sweet, raspiness in her voice to good effect here.

Saw you staring into nothing

In the silence something's screaming

I know you're trying but there's nothing you can say...

We're bittersweet in the sunlight

We can't believe every story we're sold 

There's truth in the darkness we find.

Shallow Love begins with that old acoustic guitar, we all thought was gone forever, joined by bluesy percussion, and a little cheeky piano, and keyboard.

There's hints of  Florence And The Machine, in pop tracks Anybody Out There and Together,  while Hurt and What Did You Do? sound more in line with English Rain than anything else on the album. Hurt especially resonates with it's ernest lyrics and memorable chorus.

The album ends with the understated A While and the haunting bonus track Don't Break Your Heart On Me. The deluxe version offers five bonus tracks, most notable being Coming Home and The House We Never Built.

          All in all, Light Up The Dark is a complete improvement to the problems present in English Rain. This new release takes some interesting directions, and some new risks for Aplin, but it's clear that she's finally finding her sound. While Light Up The Dark is lacking the tenderness and transcendence of tracks like Salvation and Start of Time, I have very few issues with this album. It's kind of almost perfect.

Gabrielle Aplin : Sweet Nothing from Joe Connor on Vimeo.

Music Monday: Dear Wormwood Review

          It could be said that modern folk revival began with Mumford and Sons' rise to popularity, paving the way for other groups and singers to come into the limelight; or,  to mimic the sounds of greater, better musicians. Bands like Rend Collective, The Lumineers, The Heart and The Head, suddenly had an audience for their brand of folk pop, and still appear to be doing fairly well (although we'll be getting to Rend Collective and Mumford in a few weeks I'm sorry to say). However, as enjoyable as the genre still is to me, it's beginning to lack in surprises and sincerity. That's where bands like The Oh Hellos come in. They possess a warmth and energy that more popular groups like Mumford and The Lumineers just don't have. It's not that these groups are bad or mediocre, far from it, but The Oh Hellos are just all kinds of special.

            I first discovered the group on Noisetrade, on which they had uploaded their debut, critically acclaimed album, Through the Deep Dark Valley. The group which is headlined by sibling duo, Tyler and Maggie Heath, has a unique artistry when it comes to their sound and their writing. Their superb sophomore album Dear Wormwood, is a concept album, taking inspiration from C.S Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Supposedly picking up where Through the Deep Dark Valley left off, Dear Wormwood tells the story of a toxic and abusive relationship, told through letters written from the abused. Despite the dark material covered, the album is exuberantly energetic and ultimately uplifting. Lyrically, it's one of the best examples of song writing to come out in 2015.

          

          The album begins with the atmospheric Prelude, where voices and instruments are heard from a distance, becoming more distinct as the song crescendo's into Bitter Water. Mandolins introduce the song, and a crash of vocals and percussion enter, offering an energetic and complex beginning to the story.

This is followed with There Beneath, an atmospheric and almost ethereal search for beauty and learning in everyday things. The scene beneath the willow tree is perfectly captured by the mood created by the synth instruments. 

In The Blue Hours of Morning, introduces Exeunt, with a series of running scales on the string instruments. Exeunt, is a masterpiece of song writing, with many layers of instruments, and themes perfectly timed and positioned. It's a song of heartbreak, of the victim tearing themselves in their mind from the control of their abuser; "I have set my mind, and my will, I am leaving."

Caesar, is a quiet and reflective song where the character contemplates their next move. Still tormented mentally, the singer tries to looks for signs hope.

Hear on the wind how the pendulum swings

Feel how the winter succumbs to the spring

Over the palisade morning will break

Rise up to meet it, oh sleeper awake

...Look to the sky where the sign will be shown

Heaven and earth and the king on his throne

This Will End, questions the meaning of a life so burdened with suffering. It is a huge song, in very understated packaging, about looking for hope in a world that is dying. 

No, I am not afraid to die

It's every breath that comes before

Heartache, I've heard, is part of life

And I have broken more and more

Pale White Horse is rife with biblical imagery. It has an almost otherworldly feel to it's instrumentation and vocals, which quietly build to a pinnacle culmination. The song is psychologically dark conversation with death. 

This leads directly into Where is Your Rider, where the character once again faces their tormentor, this time seeing him for who he is: powerless against the Lord who has triumphed over death and Hades. This is followed by the exuberant Soldier, Poet, King, a gospel anthem, triumphantly heralding the future victory.

The title track, Dear Wormwood, is the by far the best on the album. This is a powerful meditation on all that has past. It is powerful in it's refrain "I know who you are now, I know who you are." It is a song both eerie and beautiful in it's vocalization and lyrics, and joyful and haunting in it's message.

Instrumental Danse Macabre takes influences from old medieval Europe in it's sound, and leads into the closing song Thus Always to the Tyrants. 

Dear Wormwood is an accomplished, superb sophomore album from The Oh Hellos. The song writing is exceptional, and powerful, and the group's sound never fails to endear. If you have never listened to this group, I can't recommend them enough. I promise you, they will win you over. 

Music Monday: Carry The Ghost Review

         My hiatus from this blog came at a bad time, because a lot of really great albums came out between August and December: some really great ones and then some really big disapointments. So I have a lot of reviews to catch up on, and I apologise if they seem redundant at this point, but whatever!

           I thought I'd start with what I think is the best album to come out in all of 2015: Carry The Ghost by Noah Gundersen. It's times like these that I really thank my lucky stars for having Liz Tramp in my life. If it weren't for Liz, I would never have even heard of Noah Gundersen, and then my life would never have been the same. So, thank you Liz for having great taste in music, and I think you're pretty great too!

          Gundersen is one of those artists who could make the happy birthday song sound like the most passionate and pivotal thing he's ever sung in his whole life. His music just takes over the emotional side of your brain and holds on with a terrier-esc grip. His debut album Ledges, was and is my go to album to trump all others. Carry The Ghost is no different my friends. I could listen to this album all day,  every day for the rest of my life, and never tire of it. It is in a word: flawless.

           Gundersen is a modern folk artist, so it is no surprise that this album, like Ledges, is unequivocally folk. The lyrics present a broken, passionate, wreck of a man in true folk fashion;  however, instrumentally, Carry the Ghost has a little more bite to it. While Ledges infused it's songs with rich fiddle, and acoustic guitar almost exclusively, Ghost includes more electric guitar, percussion, and a much more present piano.

            The album opens with solo piano, playing the opening chords of Slow Dancer. The piano gives way to electric guitar rifts, and soft percussion, and later, a frantic and passionate string section. Slow Dancer feels like the old-school ballads of yesteryear, and is a beautiful way to set the tone for the rest of the album. Halo (Appear/Disappear) is a dark self-examination: beautiful and heartbreaking. Gundersen has a way of making each lyric matter, without making you feel like he's forcing the emotion out of his songs. It just flows so naturally from his song writing and his performance.

             Selfish Art is perhaps one of the most interesting songs on Ghost. It is Gundersen analysing his song writing, it's purpose in the grand scheme of things, and the motivation behind it. It is raw and unashamedly honest.

I'm watching as the stage goes black

How long until we all go back 

To being nothing at all

Nothing but a spark in someones eye

Am I giving all that I can give

Am I earning the right to live

By looking in a mirror

There's nothing more sincere than selfish art

           Gundersen examines past, broken relationships, in Show Me The Light, Silver Bracelet, Jealous Love, and Blossom. Silver Bracelet uses light guitar trills and tender visuals, as Gundersen recalls fond memories of better times.

Silver bracelet in my cup

Holder marks like bread crumbs on your trail line

And the pictures on the fridge

From the booth in Tennessee that one time

When I was in love and you were in love with me also

Holding my hand

Kissing my mouth like you wanted to

Back before the money tool its toll

Back before the rhythm lost its soul

Back before I made up my mind to go

Blossom is especially beautiful in its lyrics and instrumentation. Gundersen sadly sings about a loving a relationship, that still could not work, while sincerely wishing the other well: "May you blossom like a flower, may you go dancing in the air"

Gundersen also examines the topics of human nature, sexuality, and God in The Difference, Empty From the Start, and Topless Dancer.  

         Carry the Ghost is a beautiful sophomore album for Gundersen. It is an emotional, tender, sensual and passionate folk album and I am entirely in love with it. I struggle to find fault lines or cracks in Ghost for this review. If there are any, it's that it's just not long enough, so I definitely recommend the Deluxe edition.

P.S. blogging in China is great! I can write a Music Monday on a Tuesday, even though it's still Monday for a large portion of my readers! Winning!

P.P.S: Hope you all had a great Christmas! 

Music Monday: Christmas Edition 2015

Hello blog friends! It's hard to believe Christmas is nearly upon us already. The season has seemed even more elusive being in China this year, but I'll do a longer post in that later. In the meantime I've posted this precious live recording if Daniela Andrade's "Christmas Time is Here." Happy Last Monday Before Christmas!!

Music Monday: Home Review

          As a general rule, after a successful, well received album, music artists tend to try and up their game with a just as good, if not better follow up. This usually translates into "go big or go home" endeavor. Josh Garrels, judging by his scaled back follow-up to successful Love & War & The Sea In Between, disregards this rule entirely. Home is a quieter, simpler, and less lyrically dense successor, and gloriously so. 

          Given that Love & War essentially put Garrels on the map, scaling back on Home is perhaps riskier than attempting to out do his best work. It's a risk that pays off, as Garrels is the type of artist who tends to thrive in the quiet and intimate.

          Home begins with the slow, waltzing rhythm of Born Again, establishing itself as the most explicitly faith-themed of Garrels  releases. As usual, Garrels makes full use of wind and strings in this track and throughout. Born Again is followed by Colours, a contemplative, morning praise song, reminiscent of 70s soul. Garrels sounds more like the same artist behind Love & War in third track A Long Way, which incorporates brooding synth, with beautifully dense lyrics:

Father's hands work the ground

Turns the soil, lays it down

Everything done and said

Lives beyond the quick and the dead

Heritage passed along 

To the sons like a blessed song

This is followed by Leviathan, a hypnotic interpretation of the book of Job: "Yahweh gives and takes away, will you curse or bless the name, trial tests us like the flame." Garrels falsetto voice howls with intensity in the blues rock track The Arrow, demonstrating his versatility in passing through musical genres with ease. This is followed by the gentle romance of Heaven's Knife, in which Garrels croons an intimate serenade to his wife "my heart, my home." In this track Garrels echoes the world first marriage:

"Like the first man,

I was cut so deep by heaven's knife

When I awoke from my sleep

Oh My Lord, she's beautiful..."

Morning Light joyfully looks forward to the believer's future, while Always Be is a commitment of praise. Home At Last and At the Table continue with the theme of home, as Garrels revels in the joys of fellowship in the Body of Christ. Home ends with the quiet whisperings of Benediction, a beautiful lullaby from a father to his children.

     Home is a beautiful album that in all it's simplicity, demonstrates Garrels mastery as a musician and lyricist. It's a subtle and refreshing answer to the usual trappings of mainstream Christian music.

PS: You might still be able to get this album for free on Noisetrade.

PPS: For those of you who follow me on 20 Something Bloggers, I've changed by account. You can access my new account on the link at the bottom of my blog page. 

Happy Monday my peeps!

Music Monday: Christmas Music Edition 2014

     Well chaps Christmas is almost upon us! I'm sorry that my blog has been all Monday posts lately; December has been crazy for me. For example I'm typing this from a new timezone! That's right, I'm back in Ireland!

      With Christmas in just a few days, I wouldn't feel right not doing a Music Monday without a post on Christmas music. So, I decided to give you some of my favourite Christmas albums this year; some old and new. In no particular order:


1. Snow Angel by Sugar and the Hi Lows

2.  A Very She & Him Christmas by She & Him 

3.  Noel by Josh Groban

4. The Oh Hellos Family Christmas Album by The Oh Hellos (available for free on Noisetrade)

5.  Christmas by Michael Buble

6. Vintage Christmas by David Ian

7.  Silver and Gold by Sufjan Stevens 

8. Christmas Collection 2014 by Sleeping at Last (available for free on Noisetrade)

9.  Prepare Him Room by Sovereign Grace 

10. Campfire Christmas Volume 1 by Rend Collective

So there you have it. I love Christmas music and these are definitely some of my go-tos. If you want to check out some more of my favourite Christmas music, I've got a playlist on Spotify:

And here's the video to Rend Collective's Joy to the World, because just look at it!

Music Monday: Brutal Romance

     Brooke Fraser is an artist that I've loved and respected for a long time. The once Hillsong singer is one of the few artists I know that puts her blood, sweat and tears into her art, and still loves every minute of it, to a ludicrously, giddy degree. Brooke Fraser's last album Flags came out in 2010 and brought a brilliant close to her folk-pop sound. Now, four years later, Brooke has moved on into edgier, synth-pop territory. It's a completely new sound for Fraser, but not completely unforeseen. Even Flags was an artistic stretch for her, and Brutal Romance makes sense. With each of her previous three albums, Fraser seemed to develop and grow, taking bigger and braver strides each time, and this new album is her at her bravest and boldest. It's clear from interviews with the New Zealand artist, that she's extremely proud of her newest work (practically beaming), and presents her new sound with a mixture of excitement and humility.

Psychosocial from Brooke Fraser on Vimeo.

     The album opens with Fraser's raspy, sultry vocals introducing Psychosocial, a dark, take-no-prisoners number about social media. Thunder is a more upbeat number, but equally fierce. This is followed by Start a War, highly reminicent of a Lana Del Ray track, but Fraser honestly, is the superior vocalist and it shows in this number. Kings and Queens is the most appealing track to the universally, followed by Bloodrush which continues the motivational themes. In case you forgot or were momentarily distracted by the impressive audible aesthetic, Fraser reminds the listener that she's a poet, with the title track Brutal Romance. Fraser has always weaved highly intelligent lyrics in an audibly attractive package, and Brutal Romance is a solemn, grand poem put to slow building horns and piano. The track muses on the "spinning slow dance" of "life and death" the proverbial "brutal romance" we all know. 

"All shapes and colors, rolled and stained in aging hands

Sculpted explosions, histories unfold

Our Jackson Pollocked earth turns

A silent witness.

Lonely asylumed, poets bequeath attempts

Romanticizing the brutality of the ages and of us

Avarice and lust

     Je Suis Prêt, named after Fraser's Scottish family's historic mantra, continues the solemn themes about facing the darkness with courage and faith. Magical Machines use of technology as a metaphor is little derivative, but much stronger tracks  New Histories and New Year's Eve end the album with returned lyrical muscle. 

     Brutal Romance is a complete turn around for Fraser in a genre sense, but it's as calculated and logical as it is daring and audacious. Fraser is spreading her artistic wings a little further, and we reap the sweet benefits.

Brooke Fraser – "Kings & Queens" from NORTON director on Vimeo.

        

Music Monday: My Favourite Faded Fantasy Review

     It is often said that an artist is sometimes undone by his best work. In some ways this was the case with Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice. If you're a fan of his, then you're no doubt familiar with his majestic solo debut O. This album was a beautiful and transcendent piece of Indie perfection, and it was difficult to see how he could do any better. Indeed, his rushed follow-up album 9 was a disappointment (at least for me), and then Rice disappeared all together. Now Damien Rice is back after an eight-year hiatus. 

      His newest work, My Favourite Faded Fantasy (yay for European spelling!), is not an album for the impatient listener. There are no radio-worthy tracks here, no Cannonball or 9 Crimes. These are, on average, 5 minute-long suites, slowly and painstakingly brought to life, and with dramatic crescendo's brought to fruition, and then ending in transcendence. At first, I thought it was better than 9, but in no way lived up to the glorious O. Now, after a week of listening, I know O has been surpassed. 

     Rice, who's comparison to artists like Jeff Buckley is more than earned, approaches his indie folk with the passion, and gusto more in common with the opera performer on opening night, than a folk artist. His voice, which ranges from breathy whisper, to impassioned, gut-wrenching cry, lends itself well to material that touches on heartbreak, severed relationships, and paralyzing self doubt. Rice's own artistic and personal turmoil, has no doubt provided more than enough fodder for Faded Fantasy. 

      Electric/acoustic guitar, full string orchestras, horn section, and delicate piano make each song a thrilling, sorrowful, and sometimes hopeful journey. It is hard sometimes not to miss Lisa Hannigan's backing vocals and cello accompaniment, but Rice is more than enough to carry the album. As mentioned before, it's an album which requires patience on the side of the listener (just as it did to produce it), but speaking from experience, once you finally "get it", you won't want to listen to anything else. 

Thanks for coming back Damien, you were so missed!      

The John Lewis Christmas Advert 2014

     I know it's not socially acceptable to be talking about Christmas before Thanksgiving in the States, but I'm from Ireland and we don't celebrate Thanksgiving so, sorry. I can't abide by your rules America!!! I want to do a longer post on the greatness that is Christmas in Ireland, until then, I want to talk about a special staple in Anglo/Irish Christmas commercialism; the John Lewis Christmas advert. 

The John Lewis (a UK chain) Christmas advert encompasses all the whimsy and heart that characterizes the season, features covers of famous past tunes sung by upcoming artists (they usually become chart hits during the Christmas season), and are basically little pieces of art. The latest one entitled "Monty the Penguin" came out two weeks ago. The advert is unsurprisingly heartwarming, precious and features a cover of John Lennon's Real Love by Tom Odell. While it's not as good as last year's "The Bear and the Hare" and it was kind of blown out of the water by the Sainsbury Christmas advert (I mean have you seen that!), it's still a solid entry from one of the most highly anticipated Christmas advert of the season. Here's a posting of "Monty the Penguin" and some of John Lewis' best.

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2014 - #MontyThePenguin from PIXEL CRAFT by Ângelo on Vimeo.

       

"The Bear and the Hare", song is a cover of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know sung by Lily Allen 

John Lewis - The Bear & The Hare from Jonathan Gallagher on Vimeo.

"The Journey", song is The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, covered by my girl Gabrielle Aplin 

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2012 Video. The Journey from Average Joe on Vimeo.

The 2011 entry, song "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths, covered by Slow Moving Millie  

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2011 from Morgan Coombes on Vimeo.

Music Monday: 1989 Review (kind of)

     Okay, so I have a confession to make...I sorta kinda semi-love Taylor Swift! She is one of my ultimate guilty pleasures. Don't you dare ask me what my others are, there's only so much humiliation a girl can bear! Say what you want about Taylor Swift, she always known her target audience, but has managed to stay unashamedly honest in her song writing, even when said honesty has been criticized. 

       It's no secret that Taylor has been moving away from the Country music scene ( I don't know if she was ever really considered Country), but even 2012 release Red held onto what was left of her Country persona, 1989 however, is straight up pop. Aaaand I kind of love it.

      This isn't so much a review as it is a confession. 1989 is essentially Taylor's coming of age album; she no longer sings about the fairy-tale ending, but now she's boldly proclaiming her independent 20s, which maybe there lies the appeal for me. It's fun, it's mindless, it kind of makes me feel powerful, and more importantly I can dance to it! 

Now to pick up what's left my hipster-cred and listen to some Sigur Ros or maybe some Dry the River. 

Taylor Swift Shake It Off from karly Schmidt on Vimeo.

Music Monday: I Forget Where We Were Review

     When I first heard Ben Howard's 2011 debut Every Kingdom, I dubbed him the "British Jack Johnson." Even then, it wasn't really a very good description. Ben Howard's debut was another indie, melancholy with a good hook and an acoustic guitar, albeit a good one (Every Kingdom was rather critically aclaimed). I fell in love with Howard's unassuming, slow building, and earnest acoustics, but it wasn't enough to make him a hit commercially, I'm not sure if second album I Forget Where We Were is either, but it is a much more unique, and daring undertaking.

     Although only 10 tracks, this album feels long, in a good way. Howard takes his time, sprawling each song out across an average of 5 minute running time (with the exception of two tracks), building a dark, intoxicating sound. I Forget Where We Were experiments with a more electronic, vintage rock sound, than the acoustics of its predecessor. Synth guitar echoes in an empty space, in the opening Small Things. Subtle harmonies, and subdued percussion accompany throughout the album, but Howard relies heavily on electric guitar and synth, reminiscing artists like Nick Drake and Tim Buckley. Howard doesn't alienate his old fans, and the acoustics are still there in tracks like In Dreams, She Treats Me Well, and the gorgeous End of the Affair, but there is an urgency now that wasn't present in Every Kingdom. 

     I Forget Where We Were isn't a great stretch for Ben Howard, who seems more interested in developing his sound naturally, than making huge sales or appealing to a larger audience, but this is part of what makes him so endearing to his fans. I Forget Where We Were is a much more sophisticated undertaking, but it's still the Ben Howard we know and love.

Music Monday: A Little Filler

     I wanted to do a full album review today, but after a long and taxing weekend of work, I felt like my mind and body needed a bit of a rest. So, here's a video my Mom posted on my Facebook a while back, by Ryan Sheridan (an Irish artist who was discovered busking).The video is full of people saying what they miss most about Ireland, so it gets me right in the feels. And the song is pretty great too! I won't be missing Ireland for much longer, but more on that later.

Happy Monday

Music Monday: I Am Mountain Review

     I'm no stranger to the latest controversies concerning Michael Gungor's break from orthodox Christianity, in favour of a more palatable theology. Gungor's philosophy of music is a fine one, and the frustration he's had with the Christian music genre is something I can sympathize with: Christians are a difficult audience to please, and an artist shouldn't have to worry about pleasing anyone. However, it's sad to hear him not only reject orthodox theology, but also question the intelligence of anyone who holds to it. Judgement tends to be a two-way street it seems. All that said, I'm going to stay away from the topic as much as possible and just review this album for what it is: probably the best work Gungor has ever done.

     I Am Mountain opens with the title track, a strong, beautiful intro, celebrating the duality of man. There are few songs written by Christian musicians (if you still count Gungor among this number) which are dedicated to celebrating the physical beauties of human existence, and this entire album makes a point at doing exactly that. I Am Mountain finds beauty in both the smallness and significance of humanity: the complexities of being both physical and spiritual.

"Momentary carbon stories

From the ashes, filled with Holy Ghost"

     This track is followed by the strange, but beautiful number Beat of Her Heart. One of the best qualities of this album is how Gungor managed to pull together various genres and textures and make them work as a collective whole. While I Am Mountain is pretty standard indie anthem fare, Beat of Her Heart is completely different. This song recounts the tragic Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, and is reminiscent of old-time mediaeval court song, while also sounding oddly Western.  Long Way Off is light, upbeat sounding pop that is anything but light in content. It speaks of the fleeting wisdom of man in all areas: science, philosophy and faith. It's a song that questions everything, and commits to nothing, working well with Michael Gungor's aversion to the idea of absolute truth. Wandering sung by Michael Gungor's wife Lisa, exclusively in auto-tune, is hauntingly beautiful, followed by Let it Go which combines synth-rock with 70s disco. Wayward and Torn is a folk, soul number, bringing to mind The Civil Wars meets The Lone Ranger-theme. God and Country is a brash, purposely antagonistic anti-gun and anti-war statement, that will get a few nods from pacifists and make no friends among gun-lobbyists. While Gungor's tactlessness brings a smile, a touch of subtlety would have worked better. It's hard not to cringe at finishing lines "those who live by the gun, die by the gun." I mean, what are you trying to say exactly? Nothing like a little edited Jesus to give your social issue some credibility. Hither and Yon is a transitional piece to Yesternite, a complex, inner turmoil of an individual wrestling with his spirituality. At first Gungor's vocals are accompanied by gentle classical guitar, and slowly strings, percussion and synth add more and more layers beneath the main theme, picking up pace and intensity as the author's turmoil becomes increasingly desperate. It's a song which could very well have ended in chaos, but Gungor times each element just right. In short, it's experimental song writing at it's best. The Best Part is simpler and more stripped down. Finally and Upside Down send the album off in a return to standard indie. 

     I have always appreciated Gungor as artists. It's so difficult not to enjoy and revel in art this good and this beautiful. I Am Mountain is frankly, a gorgeous latest effort from the group. It has moments of real honest emotion, exploration of faith, and the celebration of the physical as God created it. However, it is difficult not be disappointed in the souls behind the music. Disappointed may not be best word...sad, sad is the only word for it.  But there is truth in all art, whether Gungor intended to or not, there is orthodox truth woven amongst his songs. Michael Gungor is a brilliant song writer who has a chip on his shoulder against orthodox Christians. Perhaps the best course of action would be to engage, not stone? 

Music Monday: Be Okay

     It's a Monday and I'm sending you the little piece of happiness that's been in my headphones the past week. I very recently discovered Oh Honey, and I wish I had known of this song sooner because it would have been my go to summer anthem. Better late then never I suppose! Enjoy!

Oh Honey - "Be Okay" from Jonathan Hoeg on Vimeo.

Music Monday: Happy National Coffee Day

     What the heck?! I had no idea today was National Coffee Day guys! I know right! I'm pretty sure my blood is caffeinated by now, and I totally missed a day celebrating my favourite pastime.  Oh well! I'll have to get me a pumpkin-spiced latte to celebrate later.

I don't have any new reviews for you, but I decided to post my favourite coffee themed song; Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg. It's basically an ode to every hipster girl's fantasy of being noticed by a cute guy in a coffee shop, while having to do absolutely nothing except look great drinking coffee. Yes please and thank you! Although I have to say, Landon Pigg looks more like the creepy stalker in the music video, but the fantasy stands! Bring on the Manic Pixie Dream Boys! I'll be waiting patiently with my Highlander Grogg...anyone?!

Landon Pigg - "Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop" from Nicole Schneider on Vimeo.

Music Monday: Rivers in the Wasteland Review

      How can I describe the band Needtobreathe? How can I explain my feelings of love, nostalgia, and fascination associated with this band and their odd brand of cinematic, folk rock. They bring to mind some sort of crazy, shaken, cocktail of Mumford and Sons and the Kings of Leon (seriously Bear Rinehart sounds spookily like Caleb Followill). The first album that encompassed their signature sound, The Heat, was introduced to me during my Cornerstone days, and it brings back floods of memories of Cadillacs, and questionable twilight activities, of mindless humming, or spring break road trips. However it was their magnum opus entitled The Outsiders that made me a die-hard fan. This album was complete perfection, and Cornerstone choir tour in the "mafia van" would not have been what it was without it!

      Since this album, Needtobreathe released The Reckoning in 2011. This album was a stretch for the band, and while I liked it, I couldn't love it. It seemed as though Neetobreathe was trying too hard. Indeed the strain of the ambition of this album, and it's coinciding tour, almost ended the band. Needtobreathe managed to stay together, but lost their drummer Joe Stillwell (one of their best assets if you ask me). Now the band has managed to release Rivers in the Wasteland in 2014.

      Rivers in the Wasteland is a return to form, while still managing to sound fresh. The title track Wasteland opens the album quietly strumming "Oh if God is on my side, then who can be against me"  before breaking out in the chorus "In this wasteland, that I'm living, there is a crack in the door filled with light, and it's all that I need to get by." The song is appropriate given the bands previous trials. These artists have been in dark places, and many of the songs on this album honour that.

      State I'm In is a strange track (but fun) that is oddly reminiscent of 60's rock n' roll. It's a different sound for Needtobreathe, but there's enough alternative rock present to fit it in amongst the band's repertoire.  Feet, Don't Fail Me Now  is as hard rock as Needtobreathe gets. The song is edgy, but the catchy rhythm, and a funky guitar solo keep the track from descending into unpleasant territory.  Oh Carolina is a shout-out to Southern, folk rock and should get them feet dancing! Difference Maker gets in your head like no ones business. It is now the official theme song (official because I say so) of Liz and Matt's wedding. Leave it to Neetobreathe to write a clever hook, to puzzle the listener as to what exactly they're trying to say anyway. It's actually their thing.

"Oh, I am the difference maker

Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him

And I am the friendliest of friends of God"

     Rise Again, Where the Money Is and Brother all contain the signature cinematic Needtobreathe sound. New drummer, Randy Harris, does his best to keep up, but it just doesn't sound quite the same: the album's one downside. The Heart, bar Difference Maker, is probably the best, and catchiest song on the album. It's perfect folk rock sensibility and should be the ultimate, summer road trip track. 

     Multiplied is indie transcendence, and the album ends with the acoustic More Heart, and Less Attack. 

     To sum up, Rivers in the Wasteland can hardly reach the heights set by the sublime Outsiders but really what can? I'm still holding out for that level of perfection from Needtobreathe in the future, but for now Rivers in the Wasteland is enough to bring a smile to my face, and fun to my road trips and reunions. This album shows the band maturity that only dark experience can bring, and development and growth as artists. Give this band a try, if you've never listened to them. You're road trips will never be the same! 

NeedToBreathe-The Heart from GUS BLACK on Vimeo.

Oh! And before the weekend I joined the club pixie and cut my hair! What ya think?

Music Monday: The Morning Review

     Lewis Watson is just one of the many talented, young, twenty-somethings from the UK making their mark on the music industry.  After growing his fan-base from the youtubeland up, and having released three Eps, Lewis Watson has finally released his first full length album The Morning. Sounding like the lovechild of Ed Sheeran and John Legend, Lewis Watson's melancholy, whimsical songwriting promises great things. His Eps were fantastic, but The Morning truly shows how Watson has grown as a musician. 

     The opening track Stones Around the Sun combines Watson's usual folk, acoustics with just enough synch to make it into something new. The song is a strong and convincing opening, drawing the listener in with quiet beginnings and building slowly. New tracks Holding On, and Stay are great new additions, along with old songs from his EPs. Old track (from his EP of the same name) Into the Wild is perhaps the strongest on the album, both simple and poetic. Outgrow is a gorgeous song about the tragedy of growing old. The album weakens slightly (but only slightly) near the end with Close and Sink or Swim which are let down by weak vocals and lack-lustre instrumentation. This is not due to a lack of talent on Watson's part, just a lack of passion. Watson's vocals and songwriting are just good enough to make his art unique, however, something is wanting. Watson's debut is charming and enjoyable, but after awhile his music is just a little too sweet and too unoffensive to be really innovative. However, closing track Castle Street reminds the listener why Lewis Watson has a recording contract. An artist is only as good as his/her second album and this is, at the end of the day, a very promising beginning. After all, he's only 21 you guys!

     To sum up The Morning is worth a purchase. If you don't feel like forking out $9.99, Spotify has the goods. 

Lewis Watson / Into the Wild from Realise on Vimeo.

Music Monday: The Art of Celebration Review

     I'm a little late reviewing the March release of The Art of Celebration by Rend Collective. This is the first release by the band under their shortened name (formerly Rend Collective Experiment) and my, does it exceed expectations. Even though this unique Christian worship group is Irish home-grown and produced, I originally heard of the group three years ago through an American friend of mine, who's been a long time groupie of the band. 

Back then Rend Collective Experiment had just released Homemade Worship for Handmade People, a brilliant follow-up to Organic Family Hymnal which is equally as good. I was immediately hooked on their raw, unpolished, and Psalm-like music. The indie group walked into the limelight with 2013 Campfire, an acoustic recording of some of their staple songs. I was so excited with the announcement of a new release, and I was not disappointed. For a day at least, The Art of Celebration was the number one selling album on iTunes, and it's not hard to see why. Rend Collective's energy and joy, is infectious. 

Art of Celebration Story - Rend Collective from Story House Films on Vimeo.

     Rend Collective has never been a band that takes itself too seriously, and I guess it's because they don't believe seriousness to be a virtue. Lead singer Gareth says "seriousness is not a fruit of the Spirit, but joy is" and it really shows in this album. As a full time cynic, this mentality is a breath of fresh air. Rend Collective promotes a lifestyle of celebration, not in the superficial and fickle celebration of circumstance or material gain, but in the evident truths of the Christian life: in acceptance, in being a part of the Bride of Christ, in being forgiven, and indwelt by the Spirit. 

This is exactly the message the church needs to hear at this moment in history. Take it from a wide-eyed Irish  MK who suddenly found herself in American Fundamentalist culture: a lot of Christians are sleeping (including myself). Caught up in the act of trying to look like the Christian we were told we should resemble, we lost our joy in the truths of the gospel; in actually enjoying God. I've recently come to the conclusion that every time I sin, I desire something in that moment more than I desire God. If I were to live a life of complete enjoyment of God, I would have no temptation to sin. Suffice to say I think Rend Collective has hit the nail on the head with this release.

     The album begins with a call to this kind of celebration (defining it as an active choice) "We're choosing celebration, breaking into freedom...we cast aside our shadows, trust you with our sorrows." This is followed by the foot-stomping anthem, Burn Like A Star. Seriously, if the lyrics and tone of this track don't bring you to rejoicing then I just don't know...I just don't. The third song My Lighthouse is the first song on the album to have been released as a single and I just love, love this song. It's fun, it's catchy, and the simple imagery of God as a lighthouse, shining in the darkness, leading us home is memorable and effective. More Than Conquerors is an active battle cry. Sin has been conquered!!! God is our strength and power over it!! WE ARE FREE! I also love the line that speaks of God's "resurrection power". Think about that, God overcame the power of death! 

We will not bow to sin or to shame, we are deviant in your name. You are the fire that cannot be tamed, You are the power in our veins; our Lord, our God, our Conqueror! 

This track is followed by the more subdued, but no less powerful prayer, All That I Am. This intimate, acoustic track includes the voices and claps (and whistles) of the band in worship together, laying their all before God: "its only in surrender that I'm truly free." 

Immeasurably More has more of a mainstream (that was hipster of me) sound, that makes one think of...maybe Chris Tomlin? Oh yeah, he helped write this song! That's why! No matter, it still has a distinctive Rend Collective sound, reminiscent of the powerhouse sound of Desert Soul from Homemade Worship. 

Finally Free uses the great imagery of God's mercy raining from heaven "like confetti at a wedding" and celebrating "in the downpour" and God's heart being "wild with colour like a never ending summer" burning away the "winter of my cold and weary heart." The idea of freedom being linked to the goodness and beauty of God and His grace is such a biblical one and in sync with the theme of simply enjoying God for who He is. The poetry and beauty of this song (heightened by the use of some good aul' Irish uilleann pipes) make it one of the strongest on the album. 

Create In Me is both a prayer and a joyful cry. Praying to God to "create in me a clean, clean heart, create in me a work of art, create in me a miracle, create in me something real and something beautiful" turns into the joyful cry "You're not finished with me yet, by Your power I can change, I can change", combining the prayer in Psalm 51:10, with the promise in Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (ESV). 

Strength of My Heart  mixes a traditional rock sound with synthetic, pop strings in an anthem of God's love for us being our strength. Simplicity tributes God as the reason we sing and celebrate, and encourages Christians to come back to their "first love." 

Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration) is hands down, the best song on the album. The power and truth behind these lyrics have me seeking encouragement from it again and again. 

By grace alone somehow I stand, where even angels fear to tread. Invited by redeeming love, before the thrones of God above, He pulls me close with nail-scarred hands into His everlasting arms...Boldly I approach Your throne. Blameless now I'm running home. By your blood I come, welcomed as Your own, into the arms of majesty...This is the art of celebration, knowing we're free from condemnation. Oh praise the One, praise the One, Who made an end to all me sin

    The album is finished with a live version of My Lighthouse and a remix of Joy. This album hasn't a false step in all of it's 13 tracks. The Art of Celebration may be the best Rend Collective (they will always be Rend Collective Experiment to me) ever produced and that's saying something. It's uplifting without being cheap or gimmicky, it's encouraging without being fake, and it's theologically joyful. If you've never heard Rend Collective I would encourage you to start here and work your way back, but either way I don't doubt you'll become instant fans. Hope you had a great Monday dear readers! Be joyful!

My Lighthouse - Rend Collective from Tiny Ark on Vimeo.

Oh and by the way, Rend Collective is Aaamazing live! My friend Heather and I had an epic adventure in Louisville to see them as a supporting act to Kari Jobe shortly after the release of this album. We sadly did not get the opportunity to meet the band in person but we did meet band member Ali, and she's super lovely! 

Music Monday: Ledges Review

     

   
     Well hello bloggy world!!! Long time no see. I've got a lot to fill you guys in, but today is Monday so it's music time. I have quite a few album reviews to get through over the next few weeks so lets hit the ground running with Noah Gundersen's February, 2014 release Ledges.  I first came into contact with Noah Gundersen through my good friend Liz Johnson (you can check out her blog here). I immediately fell in love with his folk sound and his tender, story-telling lyrics. His EPs Family and Saints & Liars quickly became a music staple, but his first full length album has been playing non-stop on my Spotify account! Seriously, if I can't figure out what I'm in the mood for I switch Ledges on because I'm always in the mood for it!

      The only word I can think of that describes this album entirely is sublime. It is a pretty near perfect production of modern folk that I can't get enough of. Gundersen's lyrics are rife with tenderness, sensuality, honesty and Biblical imagery, and his songs are accompanied by a thoughtful blend of acoustic guitar, soaring fiddle (the occasional percussion), and complementary backing vocals. 

      The album begins quietly with Poor Man's Son, which starts out acapella and eventually introduces a fervent, solo guitar. Gundersen's vocals blend with his backing vocalists in beautiful acapella harmony which increases in closeness as the song reaches it's climax. The second track Boathouse starts with blasts of percussion, guitar and fiddle. The instruments don't overwhelm the lyrics which are wholesome, tragic and heartfelt: "Boathouse, coming down the river. Boathouse, carry them to safety, up from the Mississippi mud. For I lost my love". This is followed up by the quiet and parable-like Isaiah.  For a song mostly about infidelity, it uses a lot of Biblical imagery as it borrows much of its chorus from  Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not, my right hand will hold you, fear thou not." 

     The themes of life, death, change, and goodbyes run through the album. Separator is an odd song with strange imagery "Don't you wish you could go back? When your heart sang like a burning branch, when your songs sang themselves from the bottom of a well. Yellow eyes starward bound." Poison Vine trudges along, sounding as tired as Gundersen himself as he sorrows over the shortness and mediocrity of his life "I know the fire goes out, but be to work on time". In Dying Now Gundersen, seemingly at the end of his life, mourns his broken relationships and desires to fix them. Liberator, Cigarettes (only Gundersen can use the imagery of smoking and make it almost romantic) and Time Moves Slowly all speak of broken relationships and memories which Gundersen cannot get over or forget.

     The two most notable tracks however are Ledges and First Defeat. The title track is a passionate ode to changing one's character for the better and is probably the track you'll end up singing in the shower. First Defeat is an angst filled last encounter; you can almost hear the tears in Gundersen's eyes as he howls out the bridge. It's a beautiful, delicate song and it's probably my favourite track on the album (and it was featured on one of my favourite shows Suburgatory). 

     As first album's go Ledges is a smashing start. It's lyrically beautiful, and musically refreshing. I've been listening to it since it came out in February and I haven't tired of it yet! Have a listen and let me know what you think! 

Noah Gundersen - Ledges (Official Music Video) from Cale Glendening on Vimeo.

PS: Oh and hope you had a better than most Monday!