Sounds like … Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Nichole Nordeman, and BarlowGirl through an eclectic array of adult contemporary, pop, rock, and R&B.

At a glance … picking up right where Awaken left off, Relentless finds Natalie Grant pushing herself musically and thematically to offer more than the usual Christian pop.

Natalie Grant is a case study in artist development. She started out in 1999 like so many other gifted vocalists in Christian music—performing pleasant-but-forgettable pop songs that failed to leave a lasting impression or distinguish her from her peers. Today, she’s on the A-list, and one of the few pop divas still active in Christian music.

What changed? Well, it certainly helps to be married to a talented producer like Bernie Herms, collaborating to stretch and shape the sound into a distinctive blend of pop and rock. But then Grant always sounded great, even when the songs were mediocre. The real key has been Grant’s willingness to openly share her heart through personalized songwriting about self-image, human trafficking, and finding purpose. Her appropriately titled 2005 project Awaken rightly earned her acclaim and success for pushing herself both spiritually and artistically.

Three years later, Grant proves that her growth is no fluke. Taking inspiration from stories and testimonies shared through Women of Faith’s Revolve Tour for teen girls, Relentless is ever bit as excellent as Awaken, this time focused on finding hope amid life’s challenges.

It also finds Grant successfully varying her sound from track to track. The opening “I Will Not Be Moved” (about how brokenness grounds us) rocks harder than some might expect from a singer once compared to Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. In contrast, “Make It Matter” shows off a rowdier, electronic R&B style asking God to use our lives to make a difference. I absolutely adore the stripped-down bluesy soul of “So Long,” one of those “farewell to the old self” songs performed with slick acoustic guitar, horns, percussion, and lots of playful attitude. And even though “In Christ Alone” feels a little tacked on as a token worship cover (originally from WoW Worship [Aqua]), it truly is a brilliant rendition that offers something fresh to the familiar arrangement.

Fans of Awaken are probably wondering if there are songs as powerful and moving as “Home” and “Held.” Indeed, Relentless has four. “Our Hope Endures” re-teams Grant with “Held” songwriter Christa Well for a sweeping ballad that points to our reason for hope amid tough questions of why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. Co-written by Plumb, “Safe” is an anti-cutting anthem about finding solace in God, evolving from soft horn ambience to full-blown orchestrated pop. As a longtime fan of Nichole Nordeman, Grant has never sounded more like the introspective singer/songwriter than on “Make a Way,” a six-minute piano-and-cello ballad that’s almost country in its storytelling of a girl’s journey from physical and emotional abuse to healing and purpose.

All excellent, but I’d give the edge to “Back at My Heart,” an anthem co-written with Matthew West that begins from a place of personal vulnerability: “Strong on the outside but coming apart at the seams/That’s me/Tragically always together, but bruised underneath/That’s me/I stand just to stumble, I trip on my pride/Why do I always try to hide?” It then shifts to God’s role as the one who welcomes and mends us: “Patiently waiting to pick up the pieces of me/That’s you/Healer of hearts when the world leaves it broken in two/That’s you.” It’s the sort of meaningful and symmetrical songwriting that deserves to wins awards.

Wish I could say the same for every track. “Perfect People” is enjoyable, but we’ve heard plenty of “come as you are” songs just like it over the last 20 years. The same could be said of “Let Go” with its familiar lyrics of surrender, template Christian pop sound, and “uh-oh” hook. “Wonderful Life” is also rather typical, about enjoying the moment we’re currently living, but the explosive chorus is fun.

Of course, how many pop albums do you know of where every song is a home run? Relentless is a little routine at times, but it’s never badly done, and you’ll walk away from it remembering the skillful songwriting and poignant messages of the highlights. And how often do pop artists seem to skew too young or old with their pop sound? Grant, in her mid-thirties, appropriately resides somewhere between as an artist that teens and their moms can get equally excited about. How easy it would be for Natalie Grant to return to predictable pop. How fortunate for us that she’s forging her own path instead, pursuing excellent pop songs worthy of her considerable vocal skills.

Track Listing
1. I Will Not Be Moved
2. In Better Hands
3. Make It Better
4. Back at My Heart
5. Let Go
6. Perfect People
7. Our Hope Endures
8. So Long
9. Wonderful Life
10. Safe
11. Make a Way
12. In Christ Alone

_________________________________________________________________________
Deutch

Klinkt als… Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Nichole Nordeman, en BarlowGirl via een eclectisch aanbod van volwassen hedendaagse, pop, rock en R & B.

In een oogopslag… oppakken van rechts waar Ontwaak gebleven, niet aflatende, vindt Natalie Grant duwen zich muzikaal en thematisch meer te bieden dan de gebruikelijke christelijke pop.

Track Listing
1. Ik zal niet worden verplaatst
2. In betere handen
3. Om het te verbeteren
4. Terug op mijn hart
5. Let Go
6. Perfect People
7. Onze hoop is duurzaam
8. Dus Long
9. Wonderful Life
10. Veilig
11. Maak een Way
12. In Christ Alone

Natalie Grant is een case-studie in kunstenaar ontwikkeling. Ze begon in 1999 net als zoveel andere begaafde vocalisten in de christelijke muziek presterende aangename-maar-forgettable pop songs die niet laten een blijvende indruk of haar onderscheiden van haar collega’s. Vandaag zijn ze op de A-lijst en een van de weinige pop divas nog steeds actief in de christelijke muziek.

Wat er veranderd? Nou, dat helpt zeker te zijn getrouwd met een getalenteerde producent als Bernie Herms, een samenwerkingsverband op te rekken en vorm het geluid in een opvallende mix van pop en rock. Maar dan Grant altijd klonk geweldig, zelfs wanneer de liedjes waren middelmatig. De echte sleutel is Grant bereid is om openlijk delen haar hart door middel van persoonlijke songs over zelfbeeld, mensenhandel, en het vinden van doel. Haar passende titel 2005 project Ontwaak terecht leverde haar bekendheid en succes voor het drukken zelf zowel geestelijk en artistiek.

Drie jaar later, Grant bewijst dat haar groei is geen taalkundig. Rekening inspiratie uit verhalen en getuigenissen gedeeld door middel van het Geloof Women’s Tour draaien voor tiener meisjes niet aflatende, is ooit net zo goed als Ontwaak, deze keer gericht op het vinden van hoop temidden van het leven aan te pakken.

Zij heeft ook kunnen vaststellen Grant met succes verschillende van haar goede spoor te houden. De opening “Ik zal niet worden verplaatst” (over hoe brokenness gronden ons) rotsen harder dan anderen kunnen verwachten van een zanger eenmaal in vergelijking met Celine Dion en Mariah Carey. In tegenstelling, “Make It Matter” blijkt uit een rowdier, elektronische R & B-stijl vraagt God om gebruik te maken ons leven te betekenen. Ik hou absoluut de gestripte-down bluesy ziel van “So Long,” een van die “afscheid van het oude zelf” songs uitgevoerd met slick akoestische gitaar, hoorn, slagwerk, en veel speelse houding. En hoewel “In Christ Alone” voelt een beetje tacked op als een blijk aanbidding dekking (oorspronkelijk uit WoW Worship [Aqua]), Het is echt een briljante weergave biedt dat iets vers aan de vertrouwde formule.

Fans van Ontwaak zijn waarschijnlijk afvragen of er songs als krachtig en ontroerend als “Home” en “Held”. Inderdaad, niet aflatende heeft vier. “Onze hoop is duurzaam” re-teams Grant met “Held” songwriter Christa Goed voor een ingrijpende ballad, dat de punten naar ons reden om hoop te midden van lastige vragen waarom de goddelozen bloeien en de goeden lijden. Co-geschreven door Plumb, “veilig” is een anti-snijden volkslied over het vinden van troost in God, die uit zachte hoorn ambiance om volledige georkestreerde pop. Zoals een oude fan van Nichole Nordeman, Grant heeft nog nooit zo goed meer als het introspectief singer / songwriter dan op “Maak een Way”, een zes minuten durende piano-ballad cello-en dat is bijna land in zijn verhalen van een meisje van de reis van fysieke en emotioneel misbruik tot genezing en het doel.

Allemaal prima, maar ik wil geven aan de rand “Back in My Heart”, een volkslied mede-geschreven met Matthew West, dat begint vanaf een plaats van persoonlijke kwetsbaarheid: “Sterk aan de buitenkant, maar komen elkaar op de naden / Dat ‘s me / Tragisch altijd samen, maar onder bruised / Dat ‘s me / sta ik gewoon te struikelen, ik reis op mijn trots / Waarom heb ik altijd proberen te verbergen? ” Daarna verschuift naar God’s rol als het een die is ingenomen en mends ons: “geduldig wachten om het stuk van me / Dat ‘s u / heler van hart toen de wereld laat het uitgesplitst in twee / Dat’ s je.” Het is het soort van zinvolle en symmetrische songwriting dat verdient wint awards.

Wou dat ik kon zeggen hetzelfde voor elke track. “Perfect Mensen” is leuk, maar we hebben vernomen genoeg “komen als je zijn” songs, net als in de afgelopen 20 jaar. Hetzelfde kan worden gezegd van “Let Go” met hun bekende teksten van de overgave sjabloon christelijke pop geluid, en “uh-oh” haak. “Wonderful Life” is ook nogal typisch, over genieten van het moment zijn we momenteel leven, maar de explosieve refrein is leuk.

Natuurlijk, hoeveel pop albums weet u waar elk nummer is een homerun? Aflatende is een beetje routine in tijden, maar het is nooit slecht gedaan, en u zult loopafstand van het herdenken van de behendige songs en schrijnende berichten van de hoogtepunten. En hoe vaak pop kunstenaars lijken te beïnvloeden te jong of te oud met hun pop geluid? Grant, in haar mid-dertiger, goed woont ergens tussen als kunstenaar, dat tieners en hun moms kunt krijgen even enthousiast over. Hoe makkelijk zou het voor Natalie Grant om terug te keren naar voorspelbare pop. Hoe gelukkig voor ons dat ze het smeden van haar eigen weg plaats, het nastreven van uitstekende pop songs waard haar grote vocale vaardigheden.

Year Released: 2003
Label: Rough Trade
Related Link: Adam Green Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2005-07-20
Author: Andreas

This is miserable melodic thrash metal stuff, really a middle-rate record with pompous, tenderly operatic vocals and all bells and whistles that I’ve come to expect and actually dread from such mail-frenzied Canadian outfits…Honest enough for its outright dishonest form I suppose, but no cigar, not even a little wet, brown cigarillo, and also no points for the included disclaimer that it’s “An Epic in six parts”, nor even the vaguely political or mythical ambitions of their included lyric (“As far as the mind leads, Across seven seas, Empire Rising…”) which just further depresses me and draws my attention to the pastel-airbrush artwork on the cover. Ah hell, all this negativity brings me down but it’s the dirty reality and you’ve gotta deal with it: not worth anyone’s time, all’s well, get different jobs – move along…

Year Released: 2005
Label:
Related Link: Antiquus Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2005-07-20
Author: Andreas

Miles Davis is a genius, or at least an extremely talented artist. Sketches of Spain� is one of the most well-known albums of Miles Davis. If some already jumped into the conclusion that the 1960 record issued by Columbia is a masterpiece, let me contradict them right away. Sketches of Spain� is surely not an atrocious piece of garbage, but certainly can�t stand comparison with such impeccable works of art as �Kind of Blue� and �Bitches� Brew�.

Obviously, most of the success of the record comes from the first track alone, an adaptation of a piece written by the contemporary Spanish composer, Joachim Rodrigo. After a friend had played him the concerto a few times, Miles said that he couldn�t get the tune out of his mind. His long time associate Gil Evans soon started to rewrite it and extend the middle section in order to adapt it to the coper instrument (it was originally written for guitar and orchestra). As Mr. Davis said, the melody is incredibly addictive, not to say catchy. But 87 percent of the credit (feel free to correct any wrong calculations) goes to good ol� Jo Ro. Jazz lovers sometimes have a grouchy side and it�s no surprise the venture has been criticized as not being inventive, as being pretentious and pointless and even as not being jazz in substance nor in form. I�m not backing what I consider pure bitterness but the result is all the same, I don�t like these 16 minutes of music. The problem lies in a certain drowsiness rapidly invading me. After looking for a bit of soul for the first few minutes, I can�t help starting to snooze or thinking about other things depending on how good my sleep was the night before.

The other tracks, all based on Spanish culture and music and the later three composed by the conductor, are a mixed bag of fun and disappointment. Fun because of the intro of saeta and its colourful fanfare or the interpretation of a score originally written by Manuel De Falla on will o�the wisp. But Miles Davis produced milestones that gave birth to a genre (�Birth Of The Cool�, �Kind Of Blue� and its modal approach or its electric counterpart, �Bitches�Brew�). He also experimented like no other did (the dated, but entertaining, funky and synthetic �Tutu�). In comparison, this tribute to Spain, with its not too successful emphasis on flamenco, sounds rather mellow (but that�s intended). You could argue that this record is just different, but if your craving for rich orchestrations and Davis-Evans collaborations is too strong, I�ll advise you to check out �Porgy and Bess� first.

Gil and Miles were ambitious when carrying out this project and you can�t really blame them for that but once again, with such essential works in his repertoire, I�ll recommend you to give this a try after you already digested a good ten of the records played by the son of a well-off family who loved to play the punk. As for Gil Evans, �Out of the Cool� and �The Individualism Of Gil Evans� are better places to start with.

Year Released: 1959
Label: Sony: Miles Davis
Related Link: Miles Davis Official Website
Date Reviewed: 2005-03-08
Author: Marc

Cat Stevens’ “Teaser and the Firecat” is one of those jewels of a record that has foolishly escaped my attention despite my utter love and adoration for the man and his music. I suppose I’ve never approached his work with the appropriate degree of systematic effort to dig through his entire catalogue, being content to listen to the few classics he’s most known for (“Peace Train”, “Where Do the Children Play?”, “Moonshadow” etc).

Happily, one of the finest and shortest tracks of the record, – hell, one of the finest to make it out of the 1970s alive – “The Wind”, also found its way into the rock/gonzo journalism lover staple film “Almost Famous” in a beautiful scene with the even more beautiful Kate Hudson. It’s hard to distinguish between which came first when seeing that scene roll by on the screen – the scene itself or the music to breathe life into it. Really, “The Wind” is enough to make me get out of bed in the morning, hearing those words, “I listen to the wind/to the wind of my soul”, sung in sincerity and without a trace of pretensiousness by a man so obviously in love with the clarity with which he sees the world. Seeing that film just kind of sparked a whistful longing for “The Wind”, moving the needle back to start when the few minutes of song was played through over and over and over again.

Anyway, I always thought Stevens was at his best when it was just a simple guitar strumming/fingerpicking backdrop to his sweetly tormented voice – the very reason for why I don’t think “Buddha and the Chocolate Box” is much of a record, with the exception of, perhaps, the heartbreaking ode to pained rock stardom in the face of harsh realities “Sun/C79″ – and “Teaser and the Firecat” maintains enough of Stevens’ magic formula of simplicity to make it one of his most memorable moments on vinyl.

What’s great about Cat Stevens is that he can just as easily do a quiet ballad (ugh, I really should be more sceptical to use that word because it always, ALWAYS recalls in my mind terribly artificial pop songs from the early 90s, the stuff they’d play at school dances when they wanted us to “pucker up” and do a slow one… – sadly, I am not a child of the time when “ballad” actually meant something memorable or meaningful) as launch into a railing one-man carnival of great gusto and enthusiasm. Example: “Change IV” and the end of “Peace Train”. One moment it’s just a man and his guitar, singing about the beauty of life in quiet ways, the next it’s a full-blown storm, a formidable hailstorm of passionate yet still measured words. There really is nothing that’s false about Cat Stevens the Great Musician, and nothing that is wrong with the near-mythic “Teaser and the Firecat”. It’s an album that captures the spirit of existence, that leaves a mark on the world for ever after its release, that expresses so much in such an understated way – like Penny Valentine of Sounds wrote in 1971, “Teaser and the Firecat” is “a happy album, reflecting the happiness of an artist who has found a truth in his work.”

Looking back at that comment, I can’t help but see the irony in her words. Cat Stevens abandoned his life of poetry and pop music 7 years later to become a converted Muslim. “Perhaps, in my ignorance, I was pretending to be happy,” he said in one interview, “but I wasn�t really happy. Happiness is something which is very elusive in the world. It means a balance in your mind, your body, and your spirit.” Whatever his point about happiness in art or art in happiness was, “Teaser and the Firecat” is a record I find so sacred that it can’t have all been posturing – it’s just too real, too sincere.

Year Released: 1971
Label: A&M
Related Link: Cat Stevens Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2005-01-10
Author: Andreas

“Planet Punk” is the sixth Die Arzte album and came out in 1995. This album shows that German punk is highly underrated compared to punk from countries like England and the United States. The album kicks off with the speedy and catchy three chord song Super Drei. The three men from Berlin are avoiding the mistake that many other bands do, and aren�t boring the listener with the �three chord� songs for the entire album. They are, however, showing that they are punk band, but they do include many other genres in their music. The listener can find anything from samba rhythms in the song �Meine Ex(plodierte Freundin), a absurd disco song, to heavy metal elements. The outstanding production and the heavy guitar sound blows bands like Sum 41 miles away.

This album has, however, one minor problem: the lyrics. Persons who are not capable of understanding German won�t understand a single word. The album is worth a listen anyway.

Year Released: 1995
Label: Hot Action Records
Related Link: “die beste band der welt” Site
Date Reviewed: 2005-01-10
Author: Georg Alexander

The band plays advanced melodic rock combined with grunge, reminding the listener of something in between Soundgarden and Travis gone hardcore. Dylan Donkin�s vocals, drifting somewhere Ozzy Osbourne and Blur�s Damon Albarn, add something really special to the sound of the album. The production standard is not as high the standard of Metallica�s Load album (believed to be one of the best produced rock albums ever) , but not that far away.

This album is clearly one that would have deserved more attention, Echobrain are adding something completely new to the American rock scene with weird style. This album deserves a spin in your CD-player.

Year Released: 2002
Label: Surfdog Records
Related Link: Echobrain Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2005-01-10
Author: Georg Alexander

As a bonus, the band close off “The Pulse of Decay” with a cover of Manowar’s “Each Dawn I Die” which, I suppose, is as good as Manowar are ever likely to get.

Year Released: 2004
Label: Dark Essence Records
Related Link: Hades Almighty Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2004-10-10
Author: Andreas

It’s a shame really, because with the “Felangus Box” half of the double-player (recorded in an abandoned slaughterhouse) the group put on a noisy show with vocals like a twentysomething Lou Reed and the energy of college rock garagesters hungry for the ears of the world. It’s cacophony within the structural limits of indie rock, it’s raw rawk and white noise and delusionally trippy with hints and nods at pop, and without definition or ease of comparison to other musical phenomenas. Velvet Underground with more beef and attitude comes close. “Coleacanth” is a slightly quieter affair, written and recorded in the space of a Thanksgiving weekend. At times like a synth-backed, more upbeat Jason Molina/Songs: Ohia, at other times straightforwardly jarring indie, a good deal of ground is covered in the just over 13 minutes it plays for.

The band serve up no big hits, but then again, who says they have to? It’s evenly thrilling, fresh and virginally exciting, and the Airtights seem content with it. Listening through this output I’m just waiting for Airtight Garage to be discovered as the next new big thing in the rock ‘n’ roll mainstream press. But remember where you first heard of them…

Year Released: 2004
Label: DownTime Studios
Related Link: Airtight Garage Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2004-10-09
Author: Andreas

Playing gruelling death metal spiked by occassional black/thrash influences, the members of the group all show themselves to be highly capable and creative musicians on this neat little 5-track demo. Inspired riffing on songs like “Fistful of Fuck” is combined with an understanding of the dynamics of putting together a solid death metal record that avoids growing tedious and boring to listeners within the first five minutes. And though the lyrics might not be brilliant – in my opinion, they seldom are in metal circles – Mikael Stokdal’s gruesomely exhilerating, larynx-ripping growled delivery negates this criticism; his growls are underpinned by a furiously beating battery and solid riffage to create just enough variation to avoid boredom. The band even go Opeth at one point, bringing in an acoustic guitar on “Unfaithfully Yours” to break up the inevitable monotony of traditional death metal, building up towards a beautifully crashing crescendo of blast beats, pounding, angry bass lines and heavy riffs.

A cleanly produced example of how death metal can and should be done, and likely to be adored by those who enjoy the genre more than I tend to do.

Year Released: 2004
Label: Self-Produced
Related Link: Deathfare Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2004-10-05
Author: Andreas