My Top 40 Albums - #1

#1
Switchfoot - "Learning to Breathe"

Year: 2000
Label: Re:Think
Favorite songs: I Dare You To Move, Learning to Breathe, Playing for Keeps, Love is the Movement, Poparazzi
Lyric sample: "Only the losers win / They've got nothing to prove / They'll leave the world with nothing to lose / You can laugh at the weirdos now / Wait 'til wrongs are right / They'll be the ones with nothing to hide / Cause I've been thinking, thinking / I've got a plan to lose it all"

It's always difficult to write about what you consider to be great, because you want what you write about it to also be great. You want it to capture the essence of what makes it meaningful to you and inspire others to see your point of view. The fear of not doing justice can be paralyzing, and can make you second-guess yourself to the point where you either can't write well or don't write at all. Saving the best for last sometimes means that there's not as much energy and zest left for it. I hope that will not be the case here. I want to complete this list and move on to other things, and since I've already written a review of this record, I'm tempted to simply post that and let things be. However, I feel I owe you, my readers, more than that - I owe it myself and to my love for this record. So I'm going to try not to second-guess, and let my ideas and feelings regarding Switchfoot's third album flow as readily as I am able.

If you're a younger person or relatively new to Christian music, you might not be familiar with the first half of Switchfoot's career - although with the convenient early years pack that was released, you don't have much excuse. It was after the release of Learning to Breathe that the band's music appeared on the soundtrack for A Walk to Remember, and the rise to stardom began. That's also when they started adding more band members and gained the financial ability to overproduce their records. Learning to Breathe is the height of the the indie era, the three-piece phase, whatever you want to call it. Other than the first album, this one sounds probably the most organic. It's a smart rock record with a lot of restraint. You won't hear the distortion being pushed to the max here for cheap power - only on "You Already Take Me There" do we feel the fuzz. Most of the sounds that Jon Foreman lays down are bright acoustics and jangly electrics with light overdrive designed to intermingle with the bass. The interplay between all three band members has never been better, and no song would sound remotely like itself missing one of them. Sometimes it's hard to tell which instrument - bass or guitar - has the melody, so inextricable are the parts. The intros to "Love is the Movement" and "Learning to Breathe" typify the kind subtle writing and sound mixing at work. That delicate balance is one of the things I loved so much about old-school Switchfoot, and it helps set this album apart.

For those who have been oversaturated with "Dare You To Move" on the pop stations in recent years, it might be hard to imagine how fresh the song was on its first release (incidentally, it was originally called "I Dare You To Move"). When I put in the CD, I was expecting some kind of funky riff like on "Bomb" or a bouncy rocker like "New Way to Be Human." What I heard  instead was a methodical, swelling buildup to what is essentially an alternative power ballad that leads into the acoustic title track. It sets the tone for the album as being one of introspection, not showmanship.

"I Dare You To Move" begins unceremoniously enough, but with an air of expectation as Jon sings "Welcome to the planet." The clean guitar rings out in constant rhythm, becoming an undercurrent that runs through the song. The band takes time to let it play, to linger on the harmonics and the little keyboard chimes before the second verse. The chorus is pretty and straightforward, Jon's distinctive vocals easily floating into the high notes. When the second verse begins, everything changes. "Welcome to the fallout," he sings with a bit of edge on the end of the last syllable. The rhythm section kicks in along with the distorted guitar for a burst of sound followed by the relative quiet of that clean undercurrent, still steady beneath it all. Long before we hear the lyrics "The tension is here," we know the tension because it's being displayed for us in the dynamic wrestling, as if the song can't decide how it wants to sound. The second chorus is of course louder and more emphatic than the first, and the bridge goes from conflict, to question, to surrender all in a few brief bars, culminating in the falsetto line "Salvation is here." The instruments come crashing back for that final chorus, that crystal clear impassioned plea, which then dissolves into noise before settling into the more calming beginnings of "Learning to Breathe." Its brilliance is in the effective use of simple elements. Many of the other songs on the album are more complex, but few are as powerful.

Another standout is "Love is the Movement," the battle cry of the album. This song has it all - an anthemic chorus, a great classic Foreman metaphor (and a double meaning for the word "movement"), a wailing soulful ensemble, and an epic exultation (going up the octave on "This is a revolution"). The brittle sounds of the verses accent the lyrics about waiting for motion. I can't really begin to explain this song, which is part of what makes it so memorable. All of the things I say about make it sound cliche, when it's anything but. It's one of the best in Switchfoot's catalogue.

"Poparazzi" gets down and grungy with an unkept garage rock sound in a boisterous track about the meaningless pop songs that get stuck in our heads. This is the father of songs like "Gone" that have so much fun with the subject matter. "Innocence Again" flirts with reggae influences. "Playing for Keeps" poignantly captures the funk and confusion that comes with having to let go of a relationship. I've always loved this song because it has a lot of energy, but it's still profoundly forlorn. This song sounds like resignation feels. It's creepy good. Then there's "The Loser." It's an anthem for all losers, and of course it takes on the Scriptural paradox that we lose our lives in order to save them. Switchfoot has long been interested in such paradoxes. "Living is Simple" audaciously asserts that living is simple because losing is easy - it's just dying. Anyone can do it. "Is this fiction / Or divine comedy / When the last of the last finish first." "Erosion" continues the pondering with yet another destructive metaphor. Erosion be seen as something that eats away at you, but Foreman prefers to equate it with the cleansing  force of the Spirit, washing away our impurities.

I feel like in many ways Learning to Breathe is Switchfoot's most mature work. It has at least as much lyrical efficacy as anything they've ever done, with more obviously applicable spiritual themes than some of the latter records. It has the transparency of Legend of Chin, the experimental energy of New Way To Be Human, and the cohesion and atmosphere of The Beautiful Letdown (maybe the most similar record to this) but without all the bombast and fluffy production. It's a track list filled with great songs, played with conviction and honesty, stripped down to their vital elements with nothing added and nothing missing. This was the album that convinced me Switchfoot was going places. I liked New Way to Be Human, but when I heard Learning to Breathe I was transfixed. And I still get that way after 8 years, which is why this has remained my favorite record.

Take an introductory breathing course with this video for You Already Take Me There.

My Top 40 Albums - #2

#2
Mae - "The Everglow"

Year: 2005
Label: Tooth & Nail
Favorite songs: The Everglow, Cover Me, Suspension, We're So Far Away/Someone Else's Arms, Painless, The Sun and the Moon...
Lyric sample: "Painted skies / I've seen so many that cannot compare (to) / Your ocean eyes / The pictures you took that cover your room / And it was just like the sun but more like the moon / A light that can reach it all / So now I'm branded for taking the fall"

The Everglow isn't something you listen to - it's something you experience.

Mae's astounding sophomore record is a delight, a sweeping pop rock epic packed with energy and pathos. The breakout indie rock outfit from Norfolk, VA, have cleverly infused the sounds on the compact disc with the liner notes to take the listener on a storybook journey. As you read the lyrics and listen to the music, you can follow along in the water colored mini-book whose simple but vibrant images place the various tracks in the context of a whimsical fantasy, a concept which reinforces the already superb song sequence. The order is perfect, and thanks to the sounds that neatly connect the songs to one another (as well as signal the listener to turn the page in the insert), this is the most cohesive concept album I've heard in years.

With Destination:Beautiful, Mae showed they were competent musicians who could write catchy indie/emo tunes. The Everglow ratchets up the sonic qualities and blows the first album completely out of the water. It's louder and bolder but also more tender. Mae's distorted guitars have a soft edge, and the ever-present keys are effective at sustaining the mood - accenting the rock sounds and soaking the ballads. Dave Elkins' soothing vocals easily ride the waves created by the rest of the band, and he is a comforting guide.

After the brief introduction, The Everglow opens with "We're So Far Away," a gorgeous piano piece that begins the journey with reflection and longing. It segues with great satisfaction into "Someone Else's Arms," the loudest and most straightforward rock tune that Mae fans have heard up to this point. The juxtaposition of those two songs is a most welcome surprise that fills us with exciting expectations that our journey will be dynamic and unpredictable. Most of the record is not so notable as this initial pairing, but it is filled with little sublime moments. The peppy "Suspension" and transitional "This Is the Countdown" are more subtle, feeding thought-provoking lyrical snippets at measured intervals between singable choruses and driving bridges.

The lyrics on this album are not, for the most part, terribly original or evocative. It's kind of a shame because with some sharper writing the effect might have been a truly transcendent. Also, while I hate to ever complain about being given more for my money, The Everglow could probably function as well with fewer tracks. "Breakdown," and especially "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" feel a little like filler material. However, a great director, cinematographer and actors can sometimes create a masterpiece even with a flawed script; and with The Everglow it's all about the presentation. We've heard these emotions and ideas before, but never in this way. The unparalleled craft elevates and insulates the weaknesses so that you don't even notice them except upon some reflection. This is a record full of great moments that also amounts to a whole greater than the parts, which is a pretty impressive achievement.

Consider the underrated "Cover Me." The bridge in this song is wonderful. After a typical soaring exclamation ("Figure this out and to be free tonight") the song collapses down to a single palm-muted guitar riff backed by a tentative piano. The note choices are exquisite. Every one has value, none are wasted. I sucks you in, breathless, listening for what they will do next. As the instruments join and the intensity builds back up again, the same riff is given layers with more complimentary notes in what becomes one of the best songs on the record. You have to hear it to appreciate it.  This is followed by the title track, the triumphant climax of our spiritual journey. The keys sparkle over the song like a clear canopy of twinkling stars and you can feel the rapturous satisfaction of decision and victory and rest. Tracks 12-14 are more of the declining action, culminating in "The Sun and The Moon," a devastating swell of sadness and beauty. The repeating progression in the extended outro is genius - so simple yet so entrancing. Taking advantage of the circle of relationships between chords in a key, it leads us around and around in inescapable, dreamlike maelstrom. It seems appropriate that song evokes sea-like imagery. You could say that "The Sun and the Moon" is a sister song to "The Ocean," the other true ballad that sits in the middle of the record. It's a fitting denouement to a bittersweet experience.

If you haven't heard this album, there's no time like the present. If you have, it's easy to tell, because you're shaking your head wondering why this isn't number 1. ;)  Relive the magic with this video of Suspension.

My Top 40 Albums - #3

#3
Five Iron Frenzy - "Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo"

Year: 2001
Label: Five Minute Walk
Favorite songs: Far Far Away, You Can't Handle This, Farsighted, Car, Blue Mix, Plan B
Lyric sample: "And Leonard Nemoy / Can't stand up to this / And Captain James T. Kirk / Bows beneath my fists / And I am awesome / Awesome / I am the awesomest"

If you look closely, the clues are there. Eight people: not too many bands have eight people. And what's with that title? Electric Boogaloo? Sounds downright silly, and it actually has nothing whatsoever to do with record's theme or content. It's a reference to the movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Oh, and this isn't the band's second album. It's their 6th. So the evidence is here. But there's not much else that alerts us that this is a Five Iron Frenzy record. Where are the flashy colors? The stylized drawings of robots and creatures? As it turns out, Electric Boogaloo is not your older brother's Five Iron. It takes quite a different approach from the experiment that was All The Hype Money Can Buy. With this new album, Reese Roper and the gang have reinvented themselves, riding their third-wave ska onto the beach of modern rock. And the surprising thing? They're all the better for it. Long-time fans may have difficulty accepting the lack of upbeats and quirky horns; but if they can get past their initial expectations, they may find that Five Iron Frenzy has released the finest recording of their career.

This is a darker, more serious FIF, but that in no way makes it boring or uninteresting. Quite the opposite - the songs on Boogaloo are fast-paced and riveting. The guitars rock harder, the drums pound louder, and perhaps most noticeable of all, Reese sings better than ever before or since. Lead vocalist Roper has never sounded better than he does here - we catch him at what is arguably the apex of his career. It's almost hard to believe this is the same mumbling, thin-sounding man from 1996. Here he exhibits a great power and confidence - his highs are startling but they don't waver. His unique presence is compulsively listenable. It fills out the record and drives it forward. Listen to those high notes on "Farsighted," and the shouts and screams on "The Day We Killed" and "Vultures." His lyrics are still solid as well, they just aren't as funny. That is not to say the record is without its humor, of course. "Pre-Ex-Girlfriend," "You Can't Handle This," and "Plan B" and "Vultures" all have their share of silliness. However, standouts like "Spartan" and "Far Far Away" carry a solemn respect for their subject matters. The only place that their earnestness goes a little bit overboard is on "The Day We Killed" - it's just too theatrical. However, when a song like that is the worst one on your album, it says a lot for the other tracks. And here they are all fantastic. Writing and technical credits are strong across the board. This is the most polished FIF record. Finally the level of production is matching the strength of their songwriting which is as catchy as ever.

Once again I will alternately caution and encourage readers: this is not a ska record. Even less so than The End is Near. It is modern rock with horns. The only song that really contains any discernable ska element is "Plan B," which, like the rest of the record, sounds stronger and more refined than similar tracks on previous outings. By industry standards, Boogaloo's quality stands out from the crowd of mediocre rock albums. Take a close listen to the underrated "Car." How many contemporary Christian music acts have you ever heard perform a song in 5/4 time? I can count them on one hand. Once you realize what they are doing, you gain a whole new respect for the song. Just try and figure out where all the hits are going to land and I imagine you'll be left scratching your head at least once. But here's the kicker - it's not just an experiment, it's a genuinely good song with a singable chorus and some emotional lyrics from Jeff "The Girl" Ortega.

With so many memorable songs that run the gamut of FIF's usual subjects - the infectious, satirical "Vultures" takes on consumerism and corporate greed; "The Day We Killed" angrily laments the mistreatment of native Americans; "Blue Mix" exposes the industry with ferocious style - I have to say a word about "Far Far Away." It is one of the first Five Iron songs I remember hearing, and after listening to their entire catalogue it remains one of their very best. The loaded verses swell into an irresistible chorus in a song that should have soared on radio waves for months. "Far Far Away" has the poignancy of old favorites like "Every New Day" in a brisk, savvy, 3 1/2 minute rock song. It sits near the helm of the record but it could easily be a closer to cap off the journey (though "Eulogy" fills that need in bittersweet beauty).

Five Iron Frenzy may not be known for their maturity, but Boogaloo is a class act - a cohesive, top notch album with a big sound a great songs from beginning to end. As my favorite CD from one of my all-time favorite bands, Electric Boogaloo is a shoe-in for spot number 3.

None of these songs have official videos that I am aware of, so just listen to Far, Far Away. It's the awesomest.

My Top 40 Albums - #4

#4
All Star United - "All Star United"

Year: 1997
Label: Reunion
Favorite songs: La La Land, Lullaby, Smash Hit, Torn, Dive, Savior of My Universe
Lyric sample: "I got my prayer cloth collection in a Jesus jar / I got the Holy Ghost ridin' in the back of my car / Sometimes He gives a little tickle, I go "hardee har har" / Ain't it grand when you're living in la la land // My Jesus decal does quite a trick / Right above my dashboard I stick it / A good luck charm / It keeps me from harm / And saves me from speeding tickets"

One of my great regrets in life - somewhere in between killing that innocent little bird with a BB gun and wasting 75 cents + 2 1/2 hours of my life watching "The New World" - is that I never got to see All Star United live in concert during their glory days. From what I've heard it was a sight to behold, a crazy show with a lot of energy. It wouldn't be out of character. This debut record is still the band's greatest achievement, a lean 10 songs with nothing poor and nothing wasted. It's a tightly packed and well-groomed album containing the essence of everything that endears All Star to their fans. When they released their premature greatest hits collection after only two records, the lion's share of the material came from their self-titled debut. Of course, predictably, most of my favorite songs weren't their favorites, but I suppose it doesn't matter. That's why I am happy to own the CD so I can listen to their favorites and mine.

All Star United isn't an ambitious recording. It doesn't have any lofty expectations. It's just one band doing what they do best. It's their uniqueness and purity that makes it all so worthwhile. I've said it before - no one does "happy" as well as All Star United. Happy is hard to pull off without coming across trite and cheesy. People don't take you seriously when you're too happy. It seems fake. Fortunately, All Star United is quite genuine; at least as far as they intend to be. Lead singer and lyricist Ian Eskelin is one of the best satirists in the music business and he comes out of the gate with his tongue in his cheek. "La La Land" lights up with bright distorted guitars and quirky, almost circus-like keyboards bouncing along in the back while the lyrics speak of such things as "marshmallow skies and custardy pies." This sugary language describes in some ways All Star's approach to sarcasm. They are not really confrontational, but if you listen they are calling out the failings of modern Christianity - in this case a feel-good, prosperity Gospel that uses Jesus as a get-out-of-jail-free card. The song is pretty funny, and it has a good rock quotient and smart chord progression as well.

This trend continues with "Smash Hit," sending up the business of all things contemporary Christian. The truth sometimes gets lost in our attempts to market it, but at the end of the day Jesus doesn't need our promotions or ad campaigns. He's the biggest hit of all, a sensation in His own right, affecting the whole world. That's what you get if you think about the song. If you just feel it, you might merely headband to the infectious bridge riff - but that's okay too. "Bright Red Carpet" takes a clandestine approach to a serious subject: fame and wealth on earth don't give you any special credentials in the afterlife. When the band says "Will you be there when they roll out / Bright red carpet / Will I see you by my side," what they mean is, will you be in heaven? Or is your worth found in clothes, popularity, and money?

I guess happy is less the word for All Star than upbeat. This they are consistently, but I don't want to sell them short. I've already established that their lyrical content takes them much deeper than simple fluffiness, and they also have plenty of sincere sentiments. "Savior of My Universe" is a well-realized worshipful acoustic track. "Torn" expresses the uncertainty that we have all felt when wondering how (or perhaps even if) to proceed in a relationship. "Drive" offers a listening ear to a friend in distress. While pain is touched upon, it is never wallowed in. The band has hope and they are eager to share it. There are plenty of bands that do dark and do it well, but so few have mastered the lava-lamp exuberance that All Star exudes so effortlessly.

This breakout disc is also the strongest musical outing for All Star United. They are good musicians, and they give their guitars and keys time to play the songs to their conclusions. "Drive" and "Torn" are particularly great in this respect, but even "Lullaby" breaks out in the middle for a little jam. The trebly guitar tones, retro keys and background "woo-hoos" give the record a familiar congenial sensibility that recalls a simpler time. It's one of those discs that is just good clean fun. Listening to it lifts my spirits and reminds me what I love about music. Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest band in the world.

I looked far and wide (but mostly wide) and discovered this video for Bright Red Carpet, apparently made when the band had so little cash that they couldn't even afford to decorate the walls. Pretty straightforward, and hey, you don't even have to navigate away from this page so you might as well play the video.

All Star United - Bright Red Carpet
urbnmix music video codes

My Top 40 Albums - #5

#5
Steven Curtis Chapman - "Signs of Life"

Year: 1996
Label: Sparrow
Favorite songs: Lord of the Dance, Rubber Meets the Road, Children of the Burning Heart, Only Natural, Signs of Life
Lyric sample: "Come in base I've landed my ship on a planet here in space / This is the one they say is inhabited by the human race / And I'm going out to look around and see what's here / And I'll tell you what I find / Confirmation on the inhabitants, they're running everywhere / Their technology is beyond what I've seen anywhere / But I'm trying to communicate and they don't hear me / Seems like for all I'm finding I can't find the most important thing"

As a person who enjoys lists, I've made quite a few of them in my life. Favorite fast food restaurants, best rollercoasters at King's Island, top 100 albums, etc. I gleefully engage in conversation about how one thing stacks up against other, similar things. Maybe it's a little bit of OCD in wanting to see neat, organized lists. Maybe it's the control freak in me trying to control my world by reducing complex questions to simple matters of better and best. Or maybe it's just an attempt to know myself and what I like. I have a favorite food, a favorite color, a favorite animal, a favorite day of the week; but the one list I could never make was that of my favorite songs. I've always found it too daunting a task. Aside from the fact that I will be singing something different every day of the week, there are just so many songs! Millions have been written and I've probably heard tens of thousands of them in my lifetime. Usually, I pass on the question.

However... if a maniac burst into my house and held one of my family members or my cat at gunpoint and asked me to choose a favorite song (I've heard this kind of thing happens every so often), I have little doubt that my answer would be "Lord of the Dance." The lead track from Signs of Life, Steven Curtis Chapman's spectacular follow-up to the hugely popular Heaven in the Real World, "Lord of the Dance" is a consummate recording. I compliment the recording and not just the song  because I can hardly imagine it being any more finely tuned than it is. When Steven rerecorded "Lord of the Dance" (as well as "The Walk") live in Abbey Road studio for his Greatest Hits record, it was a fun little experiment. But it wasn't the masterpiece found on Signs of Life. This album is somewhat of a departure from the reverb-soaked pop rock of the last album. It adopts more of a down-to-earth folk rock approach. Steven and the band blend crisp, percussive acoustic guitars with wailing electric leads, distinctive Dobros, fiddles, pianos and more into a mix that is musically literate but not lacking in Chapman's radio-friendly charm. Signs of Life won a Grammy for best gospel album, and at least four of its songs were nominated for song of the year at the Dove Awards; and it's no accident. From beginning to end, excellence pervades. If you want to hear great musicians jamming out on high quality Christian pop rock songs, this is your album. And "Lord of the Dance" represents the best it has to offer.

What a song it is. It pains my trying to come up with ways to adequately describe it. The first tones grab your attention, mysterious, suspenseful. The guitars, tuned to open D, slide and bend with mournful anticipation. Underneath, percussion: light, but with purpose. A whine and a slide, and then on either side, far left and right, the acoustic undercurrent begins with a snappy but somewhat dark run down the strings, ending in the low D string ringing warmly in its sound space. The riff goes back and forth, a dancer in its own right, just shuffling, biding its time until it's time for the real choreography. The vocals come in, but no lyrics yet. Just "da dums." The tone is measured, ambiguous. It's clear that something is happening, but we don't yet know how to feel about it. All we know is we want to hear more. The instruments mellow and find their place, keeping the pulsing rhythm as the verse starts, and when Steven sings about his birth on the Tennessee river, we are already there. The feeling of those foggy shores on a humid southern morning with a slightly chilly breeze; the dark green of the foliage on the bank still casting shadows in the newly-risen sun; you can just about feel the flies buzzing around the back of your neck. It's an almost Deliverance-like moment. There are no dueling banjos, but these are modern times. Our musical tour guides are playing Taylors now.

Halfway through the story, the first cymbal sounds, and we begin our journey upriver. The rapids are approaching, and the pensive folk instruments are leading us to a crash-course with rock n roll when we go over the waterfall and into the chorus. At this point, it's useless to identify the parts of the song . They have solidified into a whole so unified, that there is no one playing the song; there simply is the song.

Basically, "Lord of the Dance" is as perfect a song as I have ever heard and I love everything about it, even though I don't care for Riverdance or even dancing in general. I've listened to it probably 6 times while writing the last two paragraphs and I'm not sick of it yet. When Speechless came out I listened to "Dive" until I drove it into the ground. I'm not sure I can do that with "Lord of the Dance." But I should talk about the rest of the record. "Signs of Life" is a nice mellow song and has some cool bass in it. "Children of the Burning Heart" has an inspiring melody and it invokes imagery of mountains and fields and wind in your face - of freedom and determination. It also has some great fiddling. "Rubber Meets the Road" has a solo that is straight up crunk as anything in the dirty south. "Only Natural" is a great jam song. "Let Us Pray" and "The Walk" are the really popular, Dove-nominated songs, which means they are good, but as usual, not really the album highlights. Both are excellent in their use of Scripture, however. "Free" concludes the first half of the album with a tender emotional ballad.

This is one of those albums that I could listen to just about anytime, anywhere. It's Steven Curtis Chapman's finest hour and with a career as distinguished as his, that's saying a lot. It has great energy, style, and is a spectacular batch of songs. Get with the groove and join the dance with the Lord of the Dance music video. Unfortunately, this video cuts off the song before its logical conclusion. The 5 minute 20 second running time of the full track is too much of a strain for radio or music television, so what we got with this abridged, less than 4 minute version that is, of course, inferior to the full version (and is kind of a weird video to boot). Still definitely worth a watch.

My Top 40 Albums - #6

#6
dc Talk - "Supernatural"

Year: 1998
Label: Forefront
Favorite songs: Since I Met You, It's Killing Me, Supernatural, Wanna Be Loved, Dive
Lyric sample: "I've never heard a dying soul / Wish that he had taken / More time on his portfolio / I swear, I never heard a momma say / Shoulda never had that baby / As a doctor holds her newborn on display / It's a heavenly prescription / A little bit will go a long, long way / Just put yourself in their position / Don't we all wanna be loved"

I've said it before - great bands either embody the best a particular genre has to offer, or fuse genres creating something that either defies labeling, or forces new labels to be created. dc Talk is the latter type: a group so varied that trying to pin down all their influences is about enough to make your head explode. Of course it's made a bit easier by looking at the threesome as individuals, but when they were together Toby, Michael and Kevin were a musical force. I realize I'm committing heresy in the eyes of many by having this record in my top 10, 6 spots higher than the beloved Jesus Freak. That album sits on a fantastic golden pedestal replete with gems, jewels and other shiny things. It's considered untouchable by many hardcore fans. So I'm going to risk mass hysteria by awarding the prom queen tiara to the ugly-duckling younger sister, believing that some of you will be able to see the beauty here the way I do.

Supernatural is the next natural step in the progression dc Talk has been making since Nu Thang. With each record, the rap quotient has diminished a bit, the rock amped up, and the production values improved. In Jesus Freak, the trio took their funk-tinged rap project and transformed it into a full-fledged modern rock/grunge masterpiece. With Supernatural, the raw energy and melodic sensibility of Jesus Freak takes on a dense atmosphere, drops the rap altogether, and takes us on a journey into new alternative territory. Frankly, I don't think the detractors who cite overproduction as a flaw have a leg to stand on. The only thing that keeps most artists from sounding as good as they could is money. dc Talk now has the wealth and popularity to do it up right, and they have taken great care in composing what I consider to be their finest record; it's certainly their most intricate. I understand if having too much going on waters down the overall feel so that doesn't hit as hard - that would in fact be detrimental to a rock group. However I don't think that's the case here. "It's Killing Me" and "Supernatural" sound every bit as brutal as anything on Jesus Freak, and the ballads like "Consume Me" and "Red Letters" only benefit from the smoother mix. Supernatural also serves to emphasize the boys' vocal harmonies, which Michael and Kevin serve up in plentiful style.

The songwriting on Supernatural is more balanced than on its predecessor, believe it or not. Toby Mac wrote most of the songs on Jesus Freak with the help of studio personalities like Mark Heimermann. That album also featured two covers ("Day By Day" and "In the Light") in its brief 10 song roster. Supernatural has a much better mix in the writing department. It has 12 original songs (plus Kevin's poem "There Is A Treason At Sea") and no covers, with all three Talkers weighing in on nearly every song. The result is not eclectic - rather, it is a very cohesive modern alt rock outing. Instead of having many songs of varying styles, the styles are melted down and mixed evenly inside the tracks and then those tracks are flown together in a very natural progression. It's eminently listenable. And with all the odd, edgy, creative material ("My Friend (So Long)," "Fearless," "Dive"), there are moments of high energy and pleasing harmonies ("Wanna Be Loved," "Since I Met You") and the best ballads in dc Talk's catalog ("Consume Me," "Red Letters,"). Also I suppose an X-Files fan such as myself should probably mention the song "The Truth" which borrows a catchphrase from what was at the time a wildly popular television show and proclaims "The truth is out there." The haunting "There Is A Treason At Sea," following the example of "Alas My Love" but in many ways exceeding it, closes out the album on a tasteful low note. The words of Kevin's poem evoke the imagery of the album art (the ship and the dark ocean) and then slip blissfully into the same swelling ambiance from the Intro.

It's a daunting task to call your album Supernatural and then try to live up to the name, but dc Talk is up to the challenge. If on this list there exists a perfect record, this is most likely it. It's as close as I think I've ever heard. "I see the truth, and I believe."

Consume Me. I like this video more than the My Friend video, even though they cut the song down, which is annoying.

My Top 40 Albums - #7

#7
Luna Halo - "Shimmer"

Year: 2000
Label: Sparrow
Favorite songs: Superman, Forgiveness, So Far, Wait For You, Running Away, The Way To Your Heart
Lyric sample: "My skin feels strange / Like there's something underneath / Locked in these chains / How I ache to be free / Dancing shadows / Call me closer but still I'm waiting // Until the sun stands still again / Until the earth reverses / Until my eyes can see the wind / I'll wait for You"

One of the truly exquisite recordings on this list, Luna Halo's impressive debut album Shimmer is practically bursting with dynamic, creative expression. It moves deliberately, never rushing, always giving its passages room to breath and progress at a natural pace. The songs tend towards the long side, but not unnaturally so. The band simply allows its ideas and motifs to play out properly. In so doing, they make sure that even the quiet sections have enough interest and are leading to or from something. Shimmer is a densely packed album. Every song is painstakingly assembled with just the right mix. The sound is guitar-laden, but it rarely feels heavy or bracing. In fact, one of the most notable features about Shimmer is its atmosphere. Luna Halo made a space for themselves in the industry with their brand of moody alternative rock owing to British bands like Radiohead and Delirious? for inspiration. They even cover a Delirious? song - "Hang On To You." It set them apart from the skin-and-bones bands of the 90's that were still hanging on to vestiges of the grunge movement. I don't have a lot of patience for meticulous sub-genre labeling, but I have no doubt that Luna Halo is post-something. Their guitar work is covered in effects and serves to blend the elements of the songs together rather than stand out in a flashy sort of way. The guitar solos, if you want to call them that, are frequently noisy and chaotic (see: "Running Away" and "The Way to Your Heart").

Their approach may not be new to British bands (Luna Halo is from the states) but it hadn't been heard much in Christian music, certainly not with this kind of quality. If they wanted to make a splash with their first record, you can tell they decided to do it by going over every track with a fine-toothed comb and making sure it was perfect. There's not a weak song in the bunch. The opener "Aliens" is probably the least interesting, but it gets by on atmosphere and sets the tone for the record. Luna Halo's sound is radically different from the funky rap-rock of Reality Check, from which several of its members have come. Front man Nathan Barlowe's voice has a spectacular range and a floaty quality that is superbly supported and complimented by Shimmer. I can't imagine any other timbre of singer being appropriate. And fortunately, they make use of his talents. The intelligent song structures give rise to a number of superb melodic and harmonious moments. The chorus of "Wait For You," the pre-chorus of "Forgiveness," the bridge of "Way To Your Heart," the ending of "Superman"... all these are gorgeous passages, among the best the record has to offer but by no means the end of its charms. The lyrics are predominantly small and simple but effective.

The new Luna Halo that was released last year is for all purposes a completely new band. It has lost the Christian themes which are prominent throughout this first record, it has abandoned their signature atmosphere in favor of a more straightforward rock, and Nathan's voice has roughened quite a bit in the last 8 years. He's never sounded better than he did on Shimmer. Beyond that, the songs simply don't compete. There isn't nearly the depth and subtlety found here. When I first listened to Shimmer, I recognized that it was good but wasn't immediately sold. It's not impenetrable at all, but it doesn't have the quick riffs or blazing solos that catch people's attention right off. It does, however, have an enduring quality. If you love one song enough to listen to the rest, each one in turn unveils its secrets until you see the beauty of the whole. Or at least, that's the way it worked with me. I'm still finding new things to love about Shimmer. That's why it sits proudly in my top 10.

I have scoured the internet to find this music vid because it is one of my favorites and it's one of the best songs on the record. I finally found it, albeit in a low quality form. It's been difficult to find. Seemingly, the band or someone involved with their label/marketing has been destroying access to the remnants of the old-era Luna Halo. If you want to watch it, you should do so immediately, because it will probably be pulled from YouTube. I didn't tag it with the band's name or the song title in hopes that it won't be easily searchable and that this will delay its removal. Without further ado... Superman.