Most Anticipated 2012

While most of these albums don't have a name yet (or in most cases a release date) I'm still stoked!

5. Relient K - Untitled
I wont lie, I wasn't a huge fan of the stuff that I heard on Forget and Not Slow Down. Not as fun and goofy as the Relient K I know and love. Here's hoping that when this album comes out, that will change!

4. Gungor - Live
Since I discovered how awesome these guys are in 2010, they have released an album every year (yes, I'm pretty sure that is a coincidence... maybe not though...) This year it's going to be a live cd/dvd combo. I've actually already purchased this glorious worship compilation through Kickstarter. Now, to wait for a release date...

3. Anberlin - Untitled
Every since these guys left Tooth and Nail, they've gone from being all rock to more of an alt rock deal. I'm not complaining. Dark Is The Way Light Is The Place was stellar. Ballads, soaring rock tracks, twists, turns, all juggled in a very nice balance. Plus, this one will include guest appearances from random fans on vocals!

2. Owl City - OCTMS (I think???) 
Adam Young doesn't stop. The odds of him being a machine that just makes music day and night are pretty good at this point. After the catchy/summery/dreamy All Things Bright And Beautiful that came out last year, he has said this will be more of a dance album. BRING IT! (And I love Shooting Star... just saying)

1. House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want
By just saying "new House of Heroes" to me, you will cause me to as excited as a squirrel on Red Bull! Really weird analogy aside... There are very few rock bands that get the mix of deep and cleaver lyrics with insanely well planned out and executed music. House of Heroes is one of those bands! Proof of this can be found on the single Touch This Light (You can catch it on the Slam and 3SN) or the really hard to find Comfort Trap. It's awesome! Seriously, try to find it online. If you do, it will be worth the effort! Bring on July 10th!!!!

House of Heroes - Touch This Light

I love House of Heroes. I was ecstatic when I heard they would be at Air Raid 20. I was even more excited when the concert hit. To make the excitement reach a point where adjectives cease to work well, they did 6 (6!) new songs at the show. Since then, we have found out that the new cd will be called Cold Hard Want. Which is pretty much what I have for this cd (get it Cold Hard Want?.... I thought it was funny).
On top of that, we now have our first taste of the album, Touch This Light.
At first, I wasn't a huge fan... it sounded very aggressive for the guys. However after, 3 or 4 more listens, the song is really growing on me.
Great message, great beat and loud guitars. Bring on the album!

Come On (My Soul)

I picked up Rend Collective Experiment's debut album last year and was amazed by the passion that they put into their music.
This was one of my favorite songs from the CD...




As simple as the lyrics are... they have a very powerful message... to me at least.
There are days were I show up at church and really don't fell like worshiping God.
Not that I'm holding anything against him, there's just to much on my mind.
School, work, even ministry can just get on my mind to the point were... that's all I can think of.


That's what I love about this song, It conveys (to me) putting aside all of the stuff that's on my mind or in my life
and just worshiping. It usually feels like plowing through concrete... but in the end, it works.
Do you know what I mean?

The Light Sides

As you have no doubt heard, Hawk Nelson released a new cd by the name of Crazy Love. Scott Jackson posted a review of that album on Tuesday (you can catch that here), however this is "The Rest of the Story" (to quote Paul Harvey)... my review of "The Light Sides". To clarify "The Light Sides" is an acoustic cd that is bundled with Crazy Love in the "Deluxe Edition" of the album.

To the review...

The disc starts off with arguably Hawk's biggest song "California" and what the boys do to the song is... interesting? They replace all of the guitar parts... with human voice... creating an interesting sound.

One of my favorite Hawk Nelson Tunes is "Friend Like That", and I looooooooove the acoustic version. Replacing the electric guitars with acoustic creates a need sound without compromising the already amazing song. "Zero" is next up with as well as "Stagefright" which both sound great. "First Time" sounds more like a rock song without electric guitars than anything. Kinda disappointing.

What is done to You Have What I Need is to say the least, fresh, fun and rockin'. I like.

Everything You Ever Wanted comes in with a decent sound (the highlight is the drill sound playing at the end).

Skip ahead to "Take Me" and you are listening to one of the highlights on the album.

Not really acoustic par~say, but it's a tasteful remix of a already great song.

My only gripe about the album is "36 Days Later". It sounds whiny to me. That is my opinion at least, the song doesn't stink... I just think it's whiny.

That sums up my review. If you're planning to pickup Crazy Love, don't skimp, go all out and pick up the Deluxe Edition. The Light Sides is worth the 4 extra bucks.

My Score -

Beautiful Things

Whilst on one of my infamous CD shopping sprees at the Treasure House, I picked up Gungor's CD Beautiful Things.

I'm impressed. Great CD, buy it. I could talk all about the songs and how they have ministered to me, but I'm not. I am going to talk about the album art. That's right... the album art. I have never really seen album art convey a message before... but Gungor has changed that.

A quick glance at the cover and it looks like a bunch of flowers. Look closer, skulls, guns and drugs are making up those flowers... what's with that?

Well whether or not this was the desired result, here's what it means to me.

We [humans] are sinful, fallen beings. Wars, drug addictions, porn, that is what we default too. Despite this fact God still loves us, takes us and makes these beautiful pictures out of us, we are still sinful, fallen beings, but something more. We become Beautiful Things in Gods eyes, mosaics if you will.

That's impacted me.

This song sums it up...