Advantages: Excellent musicianship and songwriting. Thought provoking lyrics. Disadvantages: Strong Christian message may put off those not "in faith".
...Fools, and of course, MercyMe. All of these groups marry a contemporary sound to evangelistic and Christian themes – sometimes overtly, sometimes in more subtle ways. However, make no mistake - for all the guitars, drums and rocky pop-y riffs, their message is undeniably Christian, and I expect many readers to stop here. But anyone who can look past the purely lyrical content and “mission” (or “ministry” as Christians would call it) of these bands, ... ...album spawned three singles which all charted on the US Billboard CCM charts – “God With Us” (No.1); “You Reign” (No.2); and “Finally Home” (No.5). The album comes in a standard jewel case with an extensive fold out-booklet which has pen pics on the band, lyrics, photos and the usual thank you’s. The standard edition retails for around £12.99 (it’s hard to get better value for CCM CD’s as there is a limited market) and is available from most mainstream ...
Advantages: Great songs and great singing Disadvantages: Still don't dig Eternal Life
...6 concerts in Jeff Buckley's Mystery White Boy tour make up this live album. My ratings are as follows: [*] - Nothing really catches the attention. [**] - Something grabs my attention. [***] - Gets me air-drumming, air-guitaring and singing along to the track. 1. Dream Brother Slow to start, and though in the buildup there is some laidback vocal improvisation, Jeff is having to squeeze hard for some of those falsetto notes. [**] 2. I Woke Up In A ... ...heavy, and the riffs dirty. [***] 3. Mojo Pin Solid but for the final bridge where Jeff slips into sheepish singing - however he does come on strongly for the finale. [**] 4. Lilac Wine As if Buckley has had too much to drink here, what with the guitar losing its way and his vocals being reduced to a croak at the end, though the improvisation in the singing is as strong as it is soulful. [***] 5. What Will You Say Similar to Dream Brother in that ...
Advantages: Lots of big tunes Disadvantages: Final Dance track
“My Kind Of Christmas” came out in 2000 and was the first Christmas album for the Pop singer Christina Aguilera. Coming directly off her debut album, which was then re-recorded in Spanish, it was released prior to her “Stripped” years and so has her in a position where she was much more accessible to the 'family' market. Here she mixes traditional carols with well-covered Christmas classic and some of her own original ones. 1.“Christmas Time” We ... ...that I felt made a strong impression as it shows that here she is down to bring an album that reflects how her debut album sounded with the heavy R&B influence, but she ensured that it sounded as though it stuck to the main 'Christmas' themes. It was one of only two singles from the album, and I felt that it was a nice way to get it underway. **Four Starr** 2.“This Year” We see that she comes in with another fresh tune (a non-cover) here and she ...
Advantages: Some good tracks Disadvantages: Not as good as the previous volumes, less covers
I have been eagerly anticipating Live Lounge Vol 4 having loved the previous 3 volumes. However, I was very disappointed with this collection. It contains less covers than the previous volumes. The covers for me where always the best thing about it. There are several good tracks including Little Boots doing Beat Again, Biffy's Love, Sex, Magic and Kasabian's cover of Gwen Stefani. I found Lady Gaga's Pokerface an unexpected highight. However, there ...
Advantages: Incredible guitarist with fifteen well written songs, its almost like a novel! Disadvantages: slightly harder to access than his other work
...entirely sure that was intended. Spinning Top is that change from the Indie Rock that Graham mastered with his previous two albums (Both I recommend) but its a change that proves his diversity. The flow of this album is exceptional; each ending becomes the start of the next and so on which gives that feel of a well thought out story. With this album, their are some tracks that are more memorable though; If You Want Me and In The Morning especially ... ...mix with that almost punk like voice in a magical way, adding to the apathy or emotion of songs such as Brave the Storm, Humble Man or Tripping Over. I was a bit apprehensive the first time I listened to this album as I was so used to his more punkish aspects of Graham Coxons library. After a second listen, I realised that i was wrong; especially when getting into his more obscure original albums. It was a sign that Coxon is underrated and deserves ...
Excellent performance, tonnes of steam, ventilated ironing board (*)
