1. From The Corners Of The Earth
The highly-anticipated sequel to Run Kid Run's first album, This is Who We Are, in no way dissapoints. With the punk influences and the strong christian message, this band packs a powerful punch. The band has a very unique sound to them, of which the vocals stand out a lot. He sings with a lot of feeling and I haven't found someone who sounds like him.
The radio single Captives Come Home is very memorable of the feelings I had for their first single, We've Only Just Begun, it has an awesome style and production. However, this isn't the only good song on the album, in fact, in my opinion, it isn't nearly the best. The last track on the album, and the other single, Freedom, I believe the best song they have ever come out with and one of the only slower songs. Also Fall Into the Light, Rescue Me, and Sure Shot give a fresh sound yet the same style as their first album. Any fans of their first album or even ones who've never even heard them before must get this album or at least check it out. I believe it to be better than their first and it has an awesome sound and message.
1. Rescue Me
2. Captives Come Home
3. Fall Into the Light
4. One in a Million
5. Love at the Core
6. Sure Shot
7. My Sweet Escape
8. The Emergency
9. Set the Dial
10. Freedom
Check them out at:
www.myspace.com/runkidrun
I gave my mom Matthew West's new album for Mother's Day. Of course I've been listening to it a lot and I absolutely love it. It is even better than his other two CDs. The message of the whole album is extremely powerful, partially due, I believe, to a situation Matthew went through last year. His doctor told him after a checkup that he needed to have his vocal chords operated on or he would never be able to sing again. For months after the surgery, he could not talk. He recovered with a new enthusiasm for life though, as is evident in these songs.
The record opens with a beautiful classical intro, going right into the cheerful title track, in which he encourages everyone that they have "something to say" and that no one can say it like them. The second song is a very dramatic one that sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. "The Motions" is a prayer asking for God's passion. Perhaps the best line of the CD is in this song: "just okay's not enough." And he continues in the chorus by crying out, "I don't want to go through the motions. I don't want to go one more day without Your all-consuming passion inside of me! I don't want to spend my whole life asking, 'what if I had given everything?'"
I'm not good at explaining genres, but I'd call his music soft rock, similar to the Robbie Seay Band, Mark Shultz, and Brandon Heath, with a hint of the style from Tobymac's slow songs like "Made To Love," "I'm For You," and "Suddenly." He has a lot of uplifting piano intros and interludes, along with great guitar segments. Speaking of Tobymac, he makes a cameo appearance in "A Friend In The World."
"Life Inside You" is a wonderfully prolife song, speaking out lovingly, but strongly against abortion and suicide,. Another song offers an exhortation to not give up or forsake family and to look back to the "Moment Of Truth."
I'd say that seven of the songs are exceptionally good, but that doesn't mean the others are bad; I liked all the songs enough to listen to it all the way through three times today. My sister and I both agree that it's music that makes you want to dance. Besides being a beautiful sounding album, it is beautiful to the spirit as well.
(Note: I would recommend buying the actual album rather than downloading it, because inside the lyrics paper there is a very hilarious list of 146 "people who have something to say." The list includes "guitar players," "the sick kid," "the kid who is faking sick," "your secret admirer," "people allergic to wheat," "homeschoolers," and "wet guys with upside-down canoes.")
Listen on Rhapsody:
1. Intro
2. Something To Say
3. The Motions
4. You Are Everything
5. The Center
6. Save A Place For Me
7. Life Inside
8. Save and Sound
9. The Moment of Truth
10. A Friend in the World
11. All The Broken Pieces
12. Stop the World
I was surfing the internet today and found something to share. Pandora Radio. Simply by entering an artist you like, the radio station plays song you are likely to like. The service gets smarter as you rate music you like. Try it. It's far better that Yahoo Launch cast or any other service I've used. Plus, there are no commercials! :) oh! and it's a great way to find new music.
First of all, I want to say that this blog was a great idea! Evan, you're the bomb! I didn't even know you could do this type of thing.
Now for music!
One of the new cds I have gotten is P.O.D.(payable on death)'s new album When Angels and Serpents Dance. I recommend it very much. Although P.O.D has changed their style greatly from Satellite and Testify in which they have almost no rap in this album and most of the songs are more mellow and easier to listen to, they are done very well and they grow on you. I would say that it doesn't compare to some of their previous albums but some of their previous albums were so good that it would be hard to accomplish that success. Very good album with no songs to "skip". It has a very good message and sees the return of Traa as the guitarist.
Here's the listing.
1. Addicted *
2. Shine With Me *
3. Condescending
4. It Can't Rain Everyday *
5. Kaliforn-Eye-A *
6. I'll Be Ready
7. End of the World
8. This Ain't No Ordinary Love Song
9. God Forbid
10. Roman Empire
11. When Angels and Serpents Dance *
12. Tell Me Why
13. Rise Against
The ones with the asterisks(*) by them are the favorites of mine of the album.
The best place to listen to the songs would be rhapsody since their myspace doesn't have any of their new songs on it yet.
www.rhapsody.com/pod
