Faithful Pop's Cutting Edge

David Crowder Band - "A Collision"
(Six Steps, 2005) * * * * 1/2

This one wins my vote for most innovative album of the year in its genre. Opening with the brilliantly lo-fi "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven" which brings comparisons to the White Stripes, the album progresses through a series of stunningly arranged songs the likes of which any number of artists in any genre would love to be able to produce. "Come and Listen" relies on a piano and strings structure to bolster Crowder's prayerful vocals. He chooses an apt cover in Sufjan Stevens' "God Where Are You Now?" which allows Crowder ample room to bend the original to fit his unique vision -- showing in the process how Stevens' songs can work as epic arrangements or as haunting bare-bones melodies. "A Beautiful Collision" marks a 180-degree stylistic shift, as Crowder turns his ear toward alt-rock without sacrificing one hook-laden ounce of originality. And "Do Not Move" takes the album into electronic pop territory with an ear-bending hook that begs for radio airplay -- in a good way of course. All things considered, this album deserves to achieve crossover attention. However, it's more likely to go down as the best album of 2005 that few people will hear.


Rebecca St. James - "If I Had One Chance ..."
(EMI, 2005) * * *

If you're a fan of pop songsmith Anna Nalick, you'll probably enjoy Rebecca St. James's sixth studio album If I Had A Chance To Tell You Something, released on the EMI label. St. James has clearly mastered her blend of alt-pop Christian contemporary music; she's comfortable on single material as ear-catching as "Shadowboxing," which features a Nalick-esque vibe, while attempting a wider-ranging sound with "Love Being Loved By You" which is comparable to recent material by Liz Phair. The album is frontloaded with material that should tear up the CCM charts, particularly the ethereal track "I Need You," which opens with dissonant string chords and a haunting vocal melody that goes well beyond the typical pop format. If cutting edge alt-pop music with a religious bent is up your alley, you'll find little about this album disappointing.


Third Day - "Wherever You Are"
(Brentwood Music, 2005) * *

Third Day's one of those tried-and-true CCM "format bands" -- they write catchy rockers that please their core audience without ever having to stretch too far beyond their comfort zone. Wherever You Are doesn't change that, so if you haven't enjoyed the band's previous six studio albums you're unlikely to find anything here to change your mind. "Tunnel," which opens the album, features a typical Third Day hook, which if you can get past the cliché chorus ("There's a light at the end of this tunnel for you / There's a light at the end of the end of this tunnel shining bright for you ...") isn't a terrible track. The album progresses through another eleven like-minded tracks, including "Eagles" ("I will soar on the wings of eagles / I will learn to fly high above this world") and "Rise Up" ("Rise up my friend / this will never be the end / rise up my friend / and live again") which can't quite reach beyond a handful of weak cliches. The band should take a lesson from their contemporaries Jars of Clay if they want to learn how to craft an album that could expand its following beyond the Christian mainstream. This is not a groundbreaking album by any stretch, but that said, Wherever You are is almost certain to become the biggest album of the year in its genre on the strength of melodic hooks alone.