NeedtoBreathe: The Outsiders

Every so often a new and upcoming artist begins to rise from the depths bringing a unique new sound to the table. Every so often this new artist has depth do their music that hasnt been seen within the music seen for some time, and every so often this artist has multiple talents that makes their sound unique. Every so often, NeedtoBreathe is recognized for the brilliance that they are.
NeedtoBreathe may be the most talented group out their right now. They sound a lot like Kings of Leon, but combine more of a southern rock and gospel feel to their music. Furthermore, they are amazing live, which as far as SNL is concenred, Kings of Leon simply was good live at all. NeedtoBreathe has three cds out, and as far as I can tell, each project has built on the previous, and their newest, the Outsiders, is no different. Where their last cd was something to talk about, the Outsiders is something to tell the ends of the earth about.
The cd starts out with the title track which is some sort of a combination of southern country which leads into gospel and rock. The simplicity of this track brings a new glimpse of something beautiful and amazing. Then the lead singer announces "We are the Outsiders!" And the cd gets going.
From here, I can not count the number of tracks that are equally brilliant. The second track, Valley of Tommorrow, is an amazing ballad contemplating life and how we interact with our everyday experiences. The combined notes of hard guitar, acoustics, and the power of the leads voice is impressive. The lyrics are deep and stirring, something NeedtoBreathe has become known for.
I will now try to point out highlights, but dont be fooled, this cd needs more contemplative listening to each track. Each one giving life to the other, and the music flows like some sort of river. Through Smoke, Lay 'Em Down, Stones under rushing water, the Garden, and Something Beautiful each are unique and bring different notes to the cd. They talk about real life, real faith, all the while holding true to their Christian upbringings.
The other track that stands out on this cd is These Hard Times. In a economy where faith is seemingly all we can hold on to and in an American culture where money defines a generation, this song brings forth the gospel. "Give me an answer, give me a way, give me the faith to believe in these hard times." One lyric in which I just love is the following: "Show me something gorgeous, show me till my eyes get tired", further "Show me how to move when I cant feel that Your around". Thank you Needtobreathe, I love these lyrics, they are deep, they are filling, and they are meant to resonate with the soul.

I highly recommend this group. Even if you just give them a try and only appreciate a few of the songs, that is enough. These guys are good, and I hope they are around for a good while.

Overall: A

Skillet: Awake

A lot of things change. Skillet, though, tends to do the things that work. Awake, is really not that different when one breaks it down to the core. In short, they are still powerfully Christian, still rocking hard, and have a new drummer that helps with vocals.

With that being said, there are a few tracks on this cd that are average at best. The 3rd track Dont Wake Me is really a young audience influenced song. I think the lyrics get away from Skillet's normal message. I dont think they compromise, I just think that it could be better.

From track 4 on, I think this is a solid cd. Awake and Alive is the best track on the cd, followed by songs like Its Not Me Its You, Believe, Forgiven, Never Surrender, and Lucy. These tracks cover anything from worship to real life issues.

Hero and Monster will be fist pumpers, but not the best songs on the cd.

Overall, this is a rock album. They do get more into rock anthems, but to be honest it is simply and it works. I recommend it to Skillet fans, but be prepared, this cd may take some getting used to in relation to how good Comatose was in my opinion.

Overall B-.

What can be said about a group who spent so much time on their first cd, that the group almost broke up over it? Quality time is placed into these men's projects, so for a follow up album, how would themes from Dante's Inferno sound?

Much like the first cd, this project starts out with an intro of piano and underlining (what I like to call) subliminal messaging, that is, I still havent figure out what it says. Then enter track two, and you are head banging withing seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a good thing. Lets face it, these guys are as good as Evanescence, have started out as strong as Skillet has gotten over several cds, and this is just their second project. The overall message of this cd scores the fight between man and the sin within in respect to God's interaction with God's creation. With this second track called "The Fight Inside", it doesnt take much to the imagination to understand where this going.
The third track is then called "The Death of Me", further, do we need much imagination? Still, I like how this song starts a bit more upbeat, with orchestral movement supporting the heavy guitar. It has a hard punk feel to it, but then it moves into Red's classic hard rock anthem.
Now, without saying much of the same about many songs of the album, I will point out some of the better tracks of this album. I would say one of the strongest tracks is "Start Again". This song really embraces the hard rock anthem combined with the soulful feel of their lyrics. Piano slips into this song, whcih is amazing support for the lead singer's vocals. The type of questioning lyrics makes the listener think deeply about choices they may make...What if we start again? What if w were able to live it all over. How would it look? Who would we be? Would we find redemption?
Never be the same is also a good track, slowing down again with this acoustic ballad. I am not sure why they remixed Duran Duran's "Ordinary World", it really is just a modern feel of the original.
Overall, this is a strong second attempt. They develop on more of what they did in the first album that got them recognized, and only mature in doing so. Fans will get what they were looking for, lyrics are though provoking, and the head banging continues. This is pretty good, and not your typical spirit inspired album.

Recommended for fans of Evanescence, Skillet, or Demon Hunter

Overall Grade: A-

Jeremy Camp is a two edge sword for me. On one hand, he may one of the most talented male singers in the Christian market, and may be on of the top ten of all male singers currently doing music. If you have seen him live, he is the closest thing to a perfect pitch you will hear. One thing is for sure, he doesnt need a studio to sound as good as he naturally is. If you have seen him live, he is really quite the entertainer, and may be a hard rocker at his very core. His lyrics than come out as true worship. On the other hand, if I hear the song "Walk By Faith" on the radio one more time, I'm going to kill someone. The song is great, it has a incredibly powerful story, but people, he has new music out. He tends to be marketed to teenage girls because he is a looker, and lets face it, he really doesnt come out with anything new or different. You may have to take it or leave it, but I think he may be onto something with "Speaking Louder Than Before".
The cd starts out with "Slow Down Time" which, quite frankly, is more of what I mentioned above. It will not surprise anyone, but if you like what he has done before, than naturally, you will enjoy this first track. Then, we move into the second track, "Carried Me" which is actually a pretty good track of guitar along with full band rock. The lyrics are strong, and the overall feel of the song is uplifting. I am not sure if this is anythign different than what he has done, but it is quality. Speaking Louder than Before is another upbeat song, which crowds will be hopping too, but still, nothing to get excited about.
Fortunately, there are strong tracks on this album that need to be reckognized. The first track is "There Will be A Day". It starts out with solid guitar harmonies, leading into Jeremy Camp. The song, though, has movements to it that one can truly appreciate it. It really builds up, capturing the message that is trying to be conveyed. The song is pretty laid back, until about two minutes in, when harder guitar supports most likely synthesizer. The best part of the song is when the choir supports Jermey Camp with guitar reaming in the background. It makes a person want to jump to their feet, fall to their knees...you pick. Just worship the truth of what the song speaks.
Another song to take note about, which caught me off guard, is the song "You will be there". Oddly enough it has a real Coldplay sound to it, orchestral movement strengthens the song with a strong beat and a good lyrics.

Overall this is a pretty good cd. Its more of what Jeremy Camp is good at, but I believe he is matureing as an audience and trying to break out of the box in doing so. At the end of the day, it is more compromising with the producer, between being who the audience wants you to be, and who you as an artist are becoming.

Recommended for Jeremy Camp fans and alternative Christian fans

OVerall Grade: B