The Amity Affliction "Misery" Album Review

 
By: James Southworth
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

I always hate to talk down on a band who I've found to be consistent and interesting within their genre. The Amity Affliction certainly fit in that criteria. I've loved so much of this band's work. I discovered them with their lead single "Pittsburgh" and the album "Let the Ocean Take Me". I fell in love with their sound. They knew what works for them, but have also kept their formula original enough to be interesting (mostly). One could debate that "Chasing Ghosts" and "Let the Ocean Take Me" sound similar. I would argue that there's enough variation in the two to make them distinct. The same can't be said for "This Could Be Heartbreak", which came out two years ago. I was excited for the album upon hearing the lead single "I Bring The Weather With Me" (which I still say is the band's best song to date), as well as the title track. Unfortunately, the rest of the album felt like a carbon copy of "Ocean". There were some really underwhelming moments, and there were others that were just really bad. The album felt like it addressed mental health and depression in an overdone way. So, I was hesitantly excited to hear that the band were changing up their sound to be more of the  electronic rock genre this year. The lead single "Ivy (Doomsday)" made me even more excited, as it sounded fresh and interesting; maybe this band could perfect experimentation. Unfortunately, what we got in "Misery" is an album that feels overblown and safe at the same time. Too often this release uses electronics in the wrong ways, and too often the themes feel rehashed and familiar.

The album gets off to a good start with opener and lead single "Ivy (Doomsday)". This song is undoubtedly a highlight on the album as a whole. The song does something that none of the other cuts really do here: it combines the sound of old Amity with their new electronic/rock flare. I think that's a big reason of why a majority of fans were on board with this single more than the second one (which I'll be talking about later). When Amity writes good lyrics, they write really good lyrics. I love the visual imagery in this track, as clean vocalist Ahren Stringer compares his toxic personality to a poisonous plant: "I will cover you like ivy/And choke out all the light/Baby, I could be your Doomsday/Let you know 'We'll be all right'". Because of how unique that line is, it becomes instantly memorable. The chorus in this track should hook you in right away. Joel Birch shifts effortlessly between his signature screams, and surprisingly, singing. His cleans are a mixed bag on the album as a whole, but they work here. This song also has one of the few breakdowns present on this release. That helps this heart wrenching track have the emotional weight it needs. "Holier Than Heaven" is another great moment, having more of a straight up rock feel. Ahren even lets his cleans have a bit more grit to them then normal, which I really appreciated. The song uses the Devil and God as representations for the struggles that Ahren and Birch both have with their mental health. It takes a good long while after this track before we get anything good again. Thankfully this album ends out with three good tracks. "Drag the Lake" is my favorite moment on the album as a whole, simply because I love how this track embraces its electronics fused sound in a way that actually works. The use of synths is more subtle here, and Ahren has a beautiful falsetto. Also, I know it's somewhat of a joke between fans how much Amity uses water imagery, but I actually find their songs that use water to be some of their best. That definitely goes for this track. "Beltsville Blues" works for its good guitar work, and "Set Me Free" is musically dynamic.

For all the good tracks on here (even the really good tracks like "Ivy" or "Drag the Lake"), there are so many awful moments on this album that make it suffer. This release is front loaded with some really bad songs. If there hadn't been more good moments on this release, I may have rated it lower than "This Could Be Heartbreak". Some of the bad moments here are far worse than the bad moments on that album. But then again, the good moments here, on average, are better than the good moments on "Heartbreak". Right after being on the high of "Ivy", we get to a rather significant low in the second single "Feels Like I'm Dying". Don't get me wrong: I am all for a band experimenting. I think it can be a good thing to do every once in a while, especially for a band like Amity who were getting stuck in the same musical rut. But this track is not a good example of how to experiment musically. The use of computerized beeps and vocal manipulations throughout this track are annoying at best, and laughable at worst. I think I see what the band is trying to go for with the using the higher pitched electronic vocals. They're using them to symbolize a sense of detachment. Because of Ahren and Joel's struggles with mental health, they feel more like robots than actual people. But these manipulated vocals sound more like a chipmunk than anything that could be taken remotely seriously. These vocal effects are thankfully not used all the time, but the overbearing production of the electronics appears repeatedly. This can be seen in a song like "Burn Alive", which seems to be trying to be a revival of the EDM genre. There's not a thing about the cut that I can remember. The chorus is cliched, the verses from Ahren strangely lack passion, and the synths sometimes sound louder than the vocals. For a band who is trying to experiment, they still play this experimentation strangely safe. They're replacing their cliched metalcore sound from "Heartbreak" to now a cliched pop/EDM sound.

Things get really bad very fast after this song. The title track is very painful to listen to. It's easily one of the worst moments on the album. The song builds its title off of the generic phrase "misery loves company". It does nothing that interesting with this phrase, and instead just uses it verbatim in the chorus. If that isn't "playing it safe", then I don't know what is. The chorus is insufferable for another reason. It also uses vocal manipulation, and somehow it's even worse than on "Feels Like I'm Dying". Like with the aforementioned song, the title track is trying to use these manipulations to get across a feeling of detachment or hopelessness. But once again, the manipulation is so ridiculous and overbearing that I couldn't help but laugh. Plus, Joel Birch's screams in this song don't sound fitting up against the clean electronic sound ("clean", in this case, is not meant to be a compliment). "Kick Rocks" doesn't fare much better. It's mainly stripped away of unneeded synths, which is a nice change, but the song is still just dull. The chorus is reliant on Birch's scream/sing combo that he does over and over again on the album. It was a cool idea for a track like "Ivy", but at this point it starts to be more like a crutch. I suppose the band is trying their best to find a way for Birch to contribute vocally against this less heavy sound, but they aren't utilizing him in the best form. After this comes the forgettable track "Black Cloud"; nothing much to say about it. And then there's "D.I.E." This band is known for doing their text message styled song titles with every album. Every one of them has had varying success ("FML" is the best, and "OMGIMY" is insufferable). This one may actually be the worst of them all, just because of how unbelievably repetitive it is. There's hardly any other lyrics other than Ahren/Joel literally spelling out the song's title. This song also has one of the most awful lyrical moments I've heard in any track this year: "D.I.E., D.I.E. M.Y. D.A.R.L.I.N.G". I promise I'm not joking. Ahren spells out every letter like he's teaching the listener the alphabet. It's so woefully misguided. Frankly, I'm shocked that every band member was okay with it, and not a one of them suggested that maybe, just maybe, they should work on the song a little bit more.

The closing song "The Gifthorse" is hardly worth mentioning. I can tell it has some personal value to Birch who lost someone. I just can't feel the weight of the track at all, as it's very bare in structure. The usage of only booming synths takes away any potential impact. I'm not gonna lie, I'm very disappointed in this release. I may even rank it as my most disappointing release of this year so far. I was actually pretty optimistic about this release after hearing the lead single. I thought that The Amity Affliction might just be able to pull off this experimental sound. Unfortunately, they really fall flat on their faces more often than not. There are some great songs here, and they show what this album could've been like in a perfect world. But there are also some really awful moments, ones that are among the worst of the band's career. I really hate to say this, but I think that "D.I.E" is one of the worst songs I've heard this year. It will most likely make my top 10 worst songs of 2018. For the most part, I just can't get behind "Misery". Besides the good songs I mentioned, you'd be better off skipping out on this one.

Favorite Songs: "Drag The Lake", "Ivy (Doomsday)", "Holier Than Heaven"
Least Favorite Songs: "D.I.E.", "Misery", "Feels Like I'm Dying", "Burn Alive", "Kick Rocks"

"God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

I continue to be confused by how successful the God's Not Dead franchise has been in regards to explicitly Christian films. The first movie is an insulting tirade against atheists, contains Islamophobia and unrealistic portrayals of a college setting, and presents one sided "debates". The second movie is even worse in my opinion, with some of the most dirt poor acting I've seen in any film to date. The movie continues to paint atheists as evil old people in suits, while Christians are young, attractive, and perfect in every way. Even their few flaws ultimately add to their perfection. The second one puts politics and religion together in a very uncomfortable way, and felt wrong with the idea that church and state (in the view of the movie) should actually be intertwined. I have been wanting this series to die off, but there was yet another movie this year. This time it's centered around Reverend Dave (played by David A.R. White, one of the heads of Pureflix Studios), who is fighting for his church to stay up following it being tragically burned down. He loses his best friend Jude in the fire, and suffers a crisis in faith. There's a few other characters focused on as well, including Dave's atheist brother Pearce, Keaton and her boyfriend Adam, and the head of the University in which this movie takes place.

Let's first talk about the few things that work about this movie. Probably the most primary is that there are actually some decent performances in this film. I've found David White to be insufferable in the previous two movies playing Reverend Dave (who's obviously meant to closely resemble him, so he's not really acting much). He tried to have all these comedy bits in the previous films to lighten them up a bit, but nothing with him was funny; in fact it was often cringe worthy. However, he actually does a fairly good job in this film shouldering the lead role. He gives Dave some dramatic weight, and- believe it or not- brings some flaws to the character. This is positively revolutionary for this series, as with the other installments, the Christian characters might as well be flawless. It should be a given that you have a complex main character, but the other films didn't understand this. While Reverend Dave is far from a great protagonist, I still found myself at least somewhat sympathizing with him in moments (moments is the key word here). The best performance goes to John Corbett as Dave's brother Pearce. He was consistently pretty good in the movie, and even gave me a few laughs. His lines weren't well-written at all, but Corbett at least knew how to deliver them. I also felt that Samantha Boscarino, Mike Manning, and Shwayze actually brought some realism to their respective college-aged characters. These characters aren't always spouting off politically or religiously charged nothings, and feel a little more like actual people. This movie also looks like a movie. The past two films did not have any visual moments that stood out, instead feeling very plain and plastic. This film doesn't suffer from that too much, and even has some shots that impress (a wide shot of trees in the fall, a look at Dave's church after it's burned down, a character screaming underwater). This is Michael Mason's first directing credit, and he at least knows how to make a movie look good. If only he could write as well as he can shoot.

This movie tries to do something that neither of its two predecessors did: it attempts to address both sides of a debate. It specifically focuses on how much influence Christianity should have in secular realms, such as a college setting. The film's main thesis is stated by real life judge Jeanine Pirro: "Everyone is shouting, but no one is listening". On the very surface level of this quote, I completely agree. In the age of social media charged "debates", it often feels like everyone has a radical view point they want to hold on to, and there is no room for expanding their perspective. We will argue with each other without actually listening; this is very much so a present reality. But the real question is this: is the film listening, or is it doing its own form of shouting? There are very sparse moments in this movie where it feels like it's addressing both sides of the spectrum. There is one legitimately great scene in this film (easily the best moment in any "God's Not Dead" movie) where Dave is expressing to a Ghanaian pastor how he feels no one could possibly understand how he's being oppressed. The pastor sort of laughs and tells him that, as a black man in the deep South, he's been far more oppressed and beaten down than Dave ever will be. This scene is so quick, though, and there's not really another single scene like it. Dave doesn't ever get truly challenged by an opposing perspective. Let's be clear: this movie is romanticizing Pastor Dave for a white, evangelical audience. He's a martyr, but the movie doesn't seem to make him a martyr for God. Instead, he seems to be a martyr for a conservative agenda with religious tendencies.  This movie gives in to the paranoid notion that Christians (specifically white Christians) are one of the most marginalized groups in America right now, which is just not the case. This movie has some diversity in it (Dave attends a church with African American individuals, Teo is a black student who leads a protest saying that the church should be torn down). But this movie, even more significantly than its two predecessors, makes these diverse people out to be tokens rather than actual voices. Once again, this film is just an echo chamber for the most insecure Christian demographic possible. This demographic will only be satisfied with a movie than panders to their views, rather than challenging or legitimately conversing with them. PureFlix entertainment knows this, and so it exploits this fact in service of being a safe, easily digestible movie for the target audience.

There are many, many points in this movie where it feels more like a badly delivered sermon. The mini-sermons this movie has feel even more half hearted and shallow than in the previous films. People talk about God. But, as a Christian, it was somewhat frightening to me to see that there were hardly any moments where people were praying to God, or even keeping one another accountable for their faith journey. This movie tries to show that the Christian walk is tough. And yet, it hardly ever shows a moment where any Christian is legitimately grappling with their faith. When a character is grappling, there's a quick, easy resolution that is reached very quickly. In the beginning of the film, I was actually quite intrigued to see what the film might do with Pearce, Dave's brother. He's an atheist, and rejected God partly because of how the his family treated him when he was questioning his faith. The same goes for Adam, who is disenfranchised by the church because of the way it treated his mother after discovering she was sexually abused by her ex-husband. I was almost leaning forward in my seat when both of these characters were presented. For once, the movie seemed to be wanting to humanize atheists. I had a small hope that maybe, just maybe, this film would be able to show them as anything other than cartoonish villains in business suits. But, what it does with the atheist characters in this film is problematic. By the end of the movie, both Pearce and Adam are happy with where they're at, and both are Christians. Dave is never held accountable for his role in making Pearce feel unwelcome into the family because of his beliefs. save one brief, underwhelming scene. The amount of criticism the church is given in this movie for its treatment of Adam's mom (which is dishearteningly reflective of things going on in certain church communities now) is akin to a slap on the wrist. I feel like real life atheists would be more forgiving of a movie like this if it actually held people within its own religion accountable for the sins that our body has engaged in. But "God's Not Dead 3" just doesn't. Instead, the atheists in this film become more like pawns. They are only here so PureFlix can say, "Hey we developed a non-Christian character- well, sort of!". Other awful moments include almost anything with the return of Josh Wheaton from the first film. He could have been completely absent from this film, and nothing about it would've changed. He says perhaps the worst line in this film: "Jesus would have been a Social Justice Warrior". I audibly groaned at this line, as it goes against literally everything about Jesus: He wasn't a political figure, and he isn't in line with your pseudo-progressive political affiliation. There's yet another cameo from the Newsboys. They thankfully don't end off the film with a concert like in the first two movies. They still serve as a sad reminder for a big reason why these movies exist. I just hate that this band rallies behind these films. But it's not surprising, since they have made songs that unnecessarily marry politics and religion together in a incredibly heretical way.

This movie once again tries to bring everything together at the end by making one main theme: God's Not Dead. That is the main "point" of all three of these films. The very fact that atheists do not believe that God is dead shows all of these movies' thoroughly lacking abilities to engage in conversation with other views. The fact is, these Christian propaganda films barely even try. As the film's ending proves, the creators of the series would much rather everyone just hug it out instead of actually engaging in conversation. I agree that yelling and violence aren't the answers. But neither is deafening silence. Neither is favoring an idealistic world in which everyone is happy go lucky, and nobody ever argues or debates about anything at all. I am hoping that this franchise is done now. It doesn't align with God's message. It's poorly made, with the acting and filming being average at best. This third installment tries to show some self-awareness. It even wants to try to have a meta-textual conversation with its previous installments. However, this attempt at self-awareness is constantly contradicted by close-mindedness and a refusal to actively engage. Please don't watch this movie. I ask you, fellow Christians, the same question I asked when I reviewed the previous installment: Would God really be for a film like this one? Just think on that.

Time,The Valuator "How Fleeting, How Fragile" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Every once in a while, a band comes along to you by luck. Other times, you find a great band by recommendation. Time, The Valuator was a band I discovered with a combination of both. A friend in a Facebook group that I'm a part of was heavily promoting this band constantly, and at first I didn't really think much of it. Then I saw this group in my YouTube recommended feed with one of their singles, "How Fleeting". So, I decided to give this album a listen, without hearing any of the songs in advance of the album. This is not something I normally do. I thought it would be an interesting experiment to go into an album completely unaware of the band's sound or their lyrical style. And let me tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised. What I got here is what I would truly call a masterpiece of an album from a very exciting new band.

As you go through this album, it will become clear that the album's title "How Fleeting, How Fragile" is in reference to the nature of time and our lives. For a new band to tackle such a huge concept as the fleeting and fragile nature of time/life is risky to do. But I think the band nails it, especially in this album's ending moments. That doesn't mean that the beginning of this release is weak or anything- far from it. We get off to an excellent start with "Terminus". This cut showcases exactly what you're in for on the rest of this album: intricate guitar riffs, surprisingly effective inclusion of the piano, interesting drumming patterns, and a jaw dropping performance from lead vocalist Phil Bayer. I was quietly stunned the first time I heard all of these elements together in this nearly 5-minute opener. You get a real sense of urgency in this cut as Bayer sings "Take me back to where I came from/Open up the ground beneath my feet/Take me back to where I came from/Please take me back, mother earth". It's an intriguing idea to begin an album discussing how so many of us are disconnected from the idea that our time on this world is inherently limited. Because of that we aren't connected to the world- or to each other- in the way that we should be. The chorus in this song is absolutely ethereal, and there's a rare moment of screaming from Bayer in the bridge of the song (one of the only things on this album that I wish there was more of in quantity). "Out of Control" finds a similar urgency to its predecessor, as the guitar riffs go to very interesting places, and the drumming hits hard. Phil's performance here is one of his most impressive on the album as a whole (which is saying something, since his vocals are flawless throughout). This track's thematic arc of wanting control of the self-destructive parts of yourself really compelled me. The way this theme is drawn through the musicality, especially as Bayer lets his vocals go to new heights in the chorus, is clever and well thought out. The band clearly knows how to draw the emotional heft behind the album's main concept in both textual and sonic ways. I also can't go without mentioning Nico Schiesewitz's guest vocal performance, as he actually blends pretty well within this song.

Out of all the tracks on this album, "The Violent Sound" was one of the ones that I had the hardest time figuring out whether I enjoyed it or not. I've come around on the song significantly with more listens. Believe me, I gave this album plenty of listens, since the more I heard it the more I thought this album would most likely be my first 5/5 of 2018. But back to the song now. This one combines electronics, rock, progressive metal tendencies, and even rap/rock all together. It sounds like trying to put all these genres together could be a little confusing. But, it makes sense to have all these seemingly disparate genres in one song. This track is about how hard it can be to figure out what the right thing to fight for is, when there are so many voices telling you so many different things. At the end of the day, with how limited our life is, should we truly care about anything? Is it all just violent noise? Bayer begs these questions of the listener, but he never answers them. I like this choice, as it makes the song have an appropriate complexity behind it. I actually like the rap/rock section of this song the best, as it reminds me of Linkin Park. My favorite song on this album comes in the beautiful, haunting, and emotional track "Fugitive". A song like this makes me really anticipate all that this band could do in the future. Bayer shows some incredible vocal range in this track. I had to do a double take at the beginning of this song, as it doesn't even sound like him. He's so versatile in this song, having some lower moments as well as moments where he really shows the boundaries of his higher vocal range. The ending of this song is particularly unbelievable, as Bayer just keeps going higher and higher, and the guitar riffs keep building and building. Featured vocalist Matteo Gelsomino brings some fitting intensity to this track with some guttural screaming. He also sings on this track, though, and he holds his own against Phil; I particularly like when the two of them combine their vocals at the final chorus. The lyrics in this song touched me, as Bayer describes his desire to escape this futile cycle of darkness that he's thrown himself into: "This won't just fade away/And I can't keep it silenced/For the rest of my life/The path that I chose to tread". This song plays into the album's central theme of the fragility of life a little more subtly, and that is why it stands tall as the best moment here.

There are still plenty more moments to talk about on this album. "Cloud City" is an atmospheric, dream-like track. I feel like the instrumentation is more the star of the show on this cut. Just listen to all the intricacies of the piano, guitar work, and drumming in the background. It sounds quite complex and challenging. Whenever I hear "Elusive Reasons", this album's lead single, I have to remind myself that this is just this band's debut album. If you went into this song not knowing anything about the band, you'd think they were at least three or four albums into their career. This track proves Time The Valuator know exactly how to write a good hook. The chorus of the song has been stuck in my head for weeks. This is the perfect, seminal lead single. It would be criminal if this song doesn't cause people to pay attention. Thankfully, this single is moderately popular, so I think people have definitely taken notice of this group. Everything about this song works, from Bayer unleashing on his vocals in interesting ways to Yunus Proch's pounding drum work. "Heritage" starts out with an almost jazzy piano playing, which shows how much this band is willing to be experimental. This will make them a band to continue to look out for in a genre that has become somewhat diluted with similar sounding content. Remember how I said in the beginning of my review that I feel the second half of this album is even better than the first? Well, this song is early evidence of that. Bayer struggles with whether we inherit the flaws of our ancestors or if our flaws are simply choices we make of our own volition: "A little light/Slipping through my hands/Just like the smallest grain of sand/Meant to guide me/But merely a burden/Dragging me back to the ground". That lyrical moment is one of my favorite parts of this album as a whole. I can't emphasize enough how I love, love, love the bridge of this song. It just keeps on building, with Bayer's vocal performance becoming more and more intense. It then explodes in this epic climax with some beautiful vocal harmonies and djent-inspired guitar work from Rene Mollenbeck. I think almost anyone could find something to love in this track.

And yet, despite how much I love "Heritage", I might love "How Fleeting" even more. In its 4-minute run time, this song is actually quite unpredictable. It goes through several different musical movements. The chorus of this track is my favorite on the album. With how much I've been praising the choruses of the rest of the tracks here, that's saying something. This is the first track that hints that there could be redemption beyond life, and that maybe we should accept that life is inherently short. The track has a simplistic acceptance of what our ultimate fate is: "In the end we all turn back into dust". However, that doesn't stop Bayer from still wanting to pursue everything he has right now to the fullest: "Don't hold me back now/I need to live this dream again". But, believe it or not, we are not even to the best moments of the ending half of the album. There are three tracks back to back that are so masterful, starting with "When I Meet Death". This song made me tear up when I first heard it, and was an immediate favorite of mine. This song's bittersweet acceptance of death draws both heart wrenching and heart warming emotions from the listener. This song feels deeply personal, as Bayer is clearly talking to a specific person. Whether it's a lover, friend, or even parental figure is a bit unknown. But that adds to the beauty of the track. The chorus of this song soars as Bayer sings out "I'm not afraid anymore". It seems fitting after this somber moment to get a more intense, fun track in "Onryo". This is definitely the most hard hitting song on the album, especially in its INCREDIBLE ending where the guitar riffs will certainly get your head banging. If this band were to do a more metalcore tinged album in the future, you wouldn't see me complaining.

I've discussed several moments in this album that shocked me (and the fact that this album is pretty shocking as a whole for a fresh, new band). But, "Starseeker" takes the cake for the song that surprised me the most. This track is over six minutes long, and it goes to some amazing heights. The song is about the afterlife, and reaching a new plane of existence. The song itself is attempting to musically, lyrically, and vocally evoke this theme. I would say that it succeeds in doing just that. The song begins with some subtle piano and ambient electronics, with Bayer showing off the beauty of his lower vocal registry. There's a real progression to this song. Strings start come in, as well as a haunting choral effect. It feels like everything just continues to build. I got the impression in this song of a individual literally ascending from the earth into space; it's ethereal. This song reaches several climactic points, with the choruses being the moments that accentuate each subsequent climax. But then there is a sort of ultimate climax, where the guitars, drums, and Bayer's high vocals explode in combination with some excellent electronic effects. My mouth was hanging wide open when I first heard this, and it still impresses me now. I don't know if there's much else I could do to describe this song to you; it's really an anomaly you have to experience for yourself! The album ends out on "How Fragile", which is rather understated in its beauty. On my first few listens, it felt to me like maybe "Starseeker" instead of this track should have ended the album. But, then it started making sense to me why the band wanted to end on this note. For one, this is part two of their title track sequences. For two, at the end of the day we have to come back to earth to consider two questions: "How fleeting is a moment in time?/How fragile is the essence of life?". They are both profound and simple questions, unanswerable and answerable at the same time. So is the very idea of life and time itself. What a profound revelation.

In every year, I'm always looking out for an album that can define a year in a way that feels positive, powerful, and encompassing. For 2016, it was RED's "Of Beauty and Rage", an album that chronicled an individual's journey from the darkest parts of themselves to beautiful redemption. For 2017, it was While She Sleep's "You Are We", which expressed the importance for all of us to overcome our differences and unite together in common, human goals. I feel like the year 2018 has been a particularly dark one for the world as a whole. We have been more divided than ever, and it only seems more hopeless by the day. We needed a band like Time The Valuator to remind us of who we are at our very human core: we have fragile lives, and our time in this world is fleeting. Those two facts apply to all of us. I don't know if this band has any belief in God, but I felt as though He was working through this album in many ways. This is one of my longest reviews to date. But this group- and this album- deserves it. This is almost certainly going to be my favorite album of 2018. I just don't see how another release is going to beat it out. I may even like this release better than my favorite of 2017. Please, listen to "How Fleeting, How Fragile", and give this band your support. I am indescribably excited to see where they go next!

Favorite Songs: "Fugitive", "Starseeker", "When I Meet Death", "How Fleeting", "Heritage", "Onryo"
Least Favorite Songs: NONE

The Rise and Fall of Modern Worship/CCM

By: James Southworth

I have nostalgia and affection for the Christian genre. I grew up in a Christian family, went to church,  was in church plays, and attended youth group. I'm still a Christian now, of course, and I still listen to plenty of Christian bands. The thing is, though, I'm more a fan of Christian rock. At a young age, I wasn't allowed to listen to secular stations, which I didn't ever really consider a bad thing, and I don't now. So, I was always listening to either K-Love or Air1. This could be my nostalgia speaking (and I'm certain it is partly), but I remember always loving the music they played on the stations when I was relatively young. A lot of it even ranks among my favorite music now. I'll be thankful that both stations introduced me to groups like Skillet, Kutless, Third Day, Switchfoot, Anberlin, MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Relient K, and even my favorite band Disciple (hard to believe with the state the radio is now that there was ever a time either station played Disciple). I would be lying if I said there wasn't a time when I loved listening to these stations. But, I also can't deny that it feels like there has been a decline over the years, at least in a big portion of the Christian mainstream.

It's somewhat hard to say when the genre of CCM (or Christian Contemporary Music) got its full start. In fact, CCM in its infancy was referred to as simply "Jesus Music". But, the genre as it's called now became become truly renowned within the 1970s and 80s. Artists like Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, and DC Talk were primary influencers of the genre. I like all of those artists. Almost all of these artists are still working today. Michael W. Smith even released two albums this year, one of them being more CCM based and other being strictly worship music. One can't say that CCM music hasn't had longevity. If some of its original acts can still stay around and be relatively successful, then it's an assured fact that this subset of Christian music will be around for decades to come. I don't think this is a bad thing inherently. This is especially true when it comes to the earlier CCM artists. Even though DC Talk isn't together anymore, most of the individual members are innovating in their own careers (one exception, more on them later). TobyMac had a bit of a decline with some of his middle albums, but has gone about making more interesting pop music with "This Is Not a Test". I'm anticipating his new album coming out soon this year due to the two solid singles. Kevin Max has been making huge waves in the indie Christian scene for years now, and is still considered to be one of the more underrated artists out there by many. Even though I'm not as big on artists like Jars of Clay or Amy Grant, I still respect them for bringing a lot of interesting things to the table in this genre's heyday.

One of the key things that define the best potential of CCM, to me, is interesting music styles that have God focused lyrics. Groups like MercyMe and Kutless drew some controversy with their hits "I Can Only Imagine" and "Strong Tower" (respectively) when they first came out in the early 2000s. Why was this? Well, a lot of traditional Christians felt that music should be strictly on piano and with hymnal-structured lyrics. Elements like guitars, drums, and other instruments could almost have been considered heresy back in the day, as they were associated with secular culture. MercyMe's hit even ended up crossing over into the Billboard Hot 100, which made a lot of Christians cry out that it may not be even a truly God-focused song. This mindset hasn't been completely eradicated over the years. In fact, there's still a significant group of people out there who would say that hymns are the only way to go, in regards to how to best worship God. However, songs in the vein of "I Can Only Imagine" or "Strong Tower" are undeniably more accepted in the modern day. I respect songs like these for being groundbreaking changes in what was acceptable as Christian music. The fact that certain genres are even questioned as to whether they are inherently Christian or not is just insane to me. CCM took risks even up to the early 2000s. It was considered edgy and rebellious at one time; an emerging form of music that was shocking and unprecedented on religious radio stations. CCM even helped make other genres of music more popular in the Christian sphere for a time, especially rock and metal. Petra and Stryper don't fit the label of CCM as it is now, but I would say they did in its early years. They popularized the ability for rock and metal to at least be viable sources of music within radio stations. For the longest time, Christian music was behind with secular music in regards to its progression. It can certainly be debated in some ways that it is behind the times now, but not nearly to the extent that it was in the early 60s.

Now, let's talk about the more modern tendencies of CCM, as well as worship music. I think that CCM is almost inextricably tied with worship at this point. This became especially the case when groups like Hillsong United, David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, and Passion came into popularity. A lot of these bands became tied with what is now known as "worship music". Now, you may be asking yourself, how can "worship" be a genre? I've asked myself that question many times. After all, shouldn't any genre within the Christian genre be classified as being inherently worshipful as long as it is honoring God? The obvious answer to that is a clear "yes". But, with the way that stations like Air1 and K-Love have gone, it seems like ever since about 2010-2011 the only acceptable genres have stayed strictly within some safe boundaries. "Worship music" incorporate a lot of piano (so as to keep older and more traditional Christians more accepting), soft acoustic guitars, catchy choruses, and lyrics that are easy to sing along to. They will also incorporate the occasional use of electronics to try to have a bigger/more epic feeling sound. On its own, none of these elements are horrible. The unfortunate thing is that these musical boundaries are stayed in so frequently, even up to this day. Now, I certainly don't blame a group like David Crowder Band for this. They were one of the earliest innovators of worship, never once keeping to a singular sound. I don't love all their music (and I'm not a fan of David's voice at all), but I can't deny they did some interesting things that went beyond the genre's confines. The same can't be said for someone like Chris Tomlin. He could almost be considered the trend setter for what worship music is like right now. He has penned or covered some of the most well-known worship songs today: "Our God", "How Great Is Our God", "Good Good Father", "Whom Shall I Fear". Those all have something in common: they're meant strictly for a group worship setting where people can sing along to them. They're built on simplistic worship chords, and notes that an average population can hit easily.

Let's talk now about what is one of the most problematic things in worship: the lyrics. Just consider this line from "How Great is Our God": "How great/Is our God/Sing with me how great/Is our God/And all will sing how great/How great/Is our God". Or how about these lyrics from "Good Good Father" (which was covered by Chris Tomlin): "You're a good good father/It's who you are (3x)/And I'm loved by you/It's who I am (3x)". And look at these lyrics from the chorus of "Hosanna" by Hillsong: "Hosanna, Hosanna/Hosanna in the highest/Hosanna, Hosanna/Hosanna in the highest". Or how about these from "King of My Heart": "You are good,good/Oh/You are good,good/Oh". Do you see the problem yet? If you answered something along the lines of "repetition", then you hit the nail on the head. I know what some people will debate: that worship songs should be simple so an audience can remember them, and that even some hymns are built on simple choruses. I can see where people are coming from, but only to a small extent. Since when did God want us to make songs that lack such creativity in describing him? "Worship" lyrics like these use some of the most basic, simplistic adjectives in describing who God is. "Good" and "great" have to be some of the most frequent lyrics I've heard in evaluating God's character. You can go ahead and look up how many of them do that. It's disappointing to see just how many of them there are, even in worship songs that I somewhat enjoy. Something like "King of My Heart" gets me really mad, as it is just so vague. God is just called "good". What deeper truth is revealed in that? It's just disheartening to me that worship music lacks so much creativity. We are made by a creative God. Is this the best way we can honor him? God calls us to challenge ourselves in our attempts to understand Him. Lyrics like this keep us from an arm's distance. On a darker note, simplistic lyricism can make the worship seem like it's all about us from an outsider's view. Lyrics that talk about how great God is seem to do so in context of what he does for us- not what we can do for him. That feels a little self-serving to me. In its most extreme sense, worship music can even be against God's teachings. Vague lyricism can lead to controversy or even be truly heretical. Newsboys did a horribly misguided thing where they married politics and religion together on tracks like "God's Not Dead" and "Guilty". The latter is even more problematic as it talks about how God isn't in schools anymore because you're not "allowed" to pray in a learning setting anymore. This simply isn't true. Cory Asbury's song "Reckless Love" has stirred some debate amongst people as to whether its lyrics are really true to who God is. I have nothing personally against this song. I generally disagree with people who are so against the word choice of "reckless" to describe God's love for us. However, the fact that it is stirring up debate because of the lyrical vagueness is reflective of a problem that's universally apparent in modern day worship music.

I think there might be an even deeper, and possibly more saddening, reason as to why worship music is a genre so many bands are doing right now. The answer is almost too obvious: it's an easy money maker. It will likely be played on radio over genre-pushing pop/alternative music. Worship will definitely be pushed over playing a band that's dedicated to rock, metal, and even rap. Jeremy Camp had moderate success with his debut grunge rock-fused album. When he released a worship centric album, though, he had at least three or four lucrative singles on there that received immense radio success. Kutless got significantly more radio play with their worship albums "Strong Tower" and "It Is Well". For the most part they've played it safe ever sense, releasing a worship album last year that was so apparently trying for radio success it was embarrassing. Even though Switchfoot is far from being generic, you'll see a more CCM leaning hit like "Live It Well" being played over "If The House Burns Down". On their most recent album, Skillet released some blatantly obviously CCM fused songs like "Stars" and "Lions". They were clearly meant to be played for Christian radio stations. The fact that Christian radio stations have created a culture where only the same genre of music is mainly played is sad to me. The Christian Hot 100 is worse than the Billboard Hot 100 in some ways, which I can't believe I have to say. At least the secular charts will occasionally have risk-taking artists present. Go and look at the Hot 100 for Christian music right now. I saw a couple artists I generally like, but the songs that even those good artists have on the chart are some of their safest and most basic. I think most Christian artists do have generally good motives when doing worship music. And I understand that there is a need for starving artists to make money. But, why does every CCM song have to be same sounding? Worship and CCM revolves around such similar subject matter, and stays comfortably within the realm of easily digestible sentiments of God. This is a trend that needs to stop.

There is hope. It's not like worship music or CCM is too far gone just yet. There are a lot of bands out there innovating. Just look at a group like Kings Kaleidoscope, who have some of the most artful and poetic God centric lyrics out there. Their album "Beyond Control" is most certainly my favorite worship album to date. Gungor keeps the simplicity of worship music in tact, but has some of the most theologically intriguing lyrics out there. Rend Collective are probably the best modern worship band ever, and have only gotten better with time. They are making significant waves. They're also one of the few bands who seem to actually have a voice in trying to make worship more upbeat, more interesting, more risk-taking, and more powerful. Even groups like Hillsong United and Hillsong Young & Free are starting to break free of the confines they stayed within for so long. They're actually pushing their respective sounds. I hope that these more popular groups start getting other bands to do the same. I looked at the top 10 on Air1 today just out of curiosity, and it was what I was expecting to see, which is unfortunate. We still have a long way to go in the Christian mainstream before things truly change. Don't dismiss the Christian genre entirely, but don't also give in to its every generic whim. It's time for the Christian mainstream to start giving credit to more bands out there who are promoting God's message in interesting- and truly creative- ways.

"Eighth Grade" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Even though I never actively followed him, I still remember all the buzz and popularity that surrounded YouTuber Bo Burnham. He was known for his original comedic music that he played on his YouTube channel. It was a simpler time in YouTube history, when video and production quality were rougher around the edges. Bo was one of the first people to get viral on YouTube. He became so well-known that he eventually left this site and became a stand up comedian, and then his interests started to go towards film. Burnham has actually directed two shorts, both of which were comedy specials of his. "Eighth Grade" is his full-length directorial debut. This movie, starring relative newcomer Elsie Fisher as Kayla, is about one introverted girl's struggles to try and survive the final week of eighth grade, as well as dealing with the pressure of transitioning into high school.

I have a hard time imagining that there won't be at least one part of this movie that a viewer can find relatable. It's incredible how viscerally accurate Bo Burnham is in depicting the middle school experience. He doesn't romanticize it at all, but he also doesn't show it in an entirely nihilistic light, which would be easy to do. We see Kayla having to deal with a lot of awkward, and sometimes even cringe worthy, issues as she is finishing her final year of middle school. But, middle school is inherently cringe worthy, so this makes sense. Whether it be Kayla trying to have a successful YouTube channel, attempting to impress a boy, wanting to make friends, navigating a relationship with her father, or understanding sex, all of it is awkward. What makes all the awkwardness work is that Burnham masterfully covers a lot of it up with a comedic touch. There are so many moments here that, in a real life situation, would be put into a "Try Not To Cringe" compilation. But, because we as audience members understand what Kayla is going through since we've been there ourselves, it comes across as funny. I particularly enjoyed watching Kayla's arc with her YouTube channel. That part almost feels like Burnham's personal love letter to YouTube, and how it gives a place for so many people to express themselves. Kayla's videos are far from perfect: they have rough video quality, she says a lot of filler words, and she has a facepalm worthy outro ("Gucci!"). What makes it all work is that it comes across as charming and honest. Finding a balance between those two extremes can be difficult. It's amazing how Burnham does it. He does the balance so well to a point where I think that a middle school aged audience should go and see this movie. Even though it's rated R, the film's frankness about the highs and lows of middle school could be a comfort for those currently experiencing middle school. They will almost certainly be able to relate to Kayla.

Speaking of Kayla, let's talk about her. Now, in many ways, this movie is about the middle school experience. That is certainly a big portion of it. But, what lies at the heart of this movie is a deep character study of this young girl. I can't go talking about Kayla without talking about Elsie Fisher's performance. Even though she has been in other films (with her being most notably known for voice acting as Agnes in the "Despicable Me" series), this is her first starring role. She has quite the demanding role to play, as the camera is almost solely focused on her throughout the film's runtime. And wow, Fisher knocks it out of the park. This is one of the best (if not the absolute best) young performances I've seen. I can confidently say it rivals that of Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense" or Amiah Miller in "War for the Planet of the Apes". Fisher demands your attention every minute she's on screen. That's because she so fully realizes every nuance of the character Kayla. It can be so easy to make an introverted character a stereotype. So many TV shows and movies have done it, either making them into a punch line or practically asking the audience "Isn't this character so relatable?" But, thanks to the combined work of Burnham's direction and Fisher's dedicated turn, this character is fleshed out in every way possible. While she is quiet and shy, I liked seeing that this character didn't want her introversion to be the thing that defined her. As someone who leans more introverted (and was definitely more socially awkward in my middle school years), I love how Fisher presented Kayla's desire to be a more social and outgoing person. The journey she goes through has a lot of bumps along the way, of course, but where it ends up is a place that's inspiring and touching. This should be something that goes without saying, but it is nice to see an actor being the actual age of the character she's playing. It gave a sense of realism to the film; she actually looked like a middle schooler. Additionally, Fisher herself could actually give her performance authenticity, since she is in- or has recently been in- eighth grade. I can't go without mentioning that Josh Hamilton also gives a pitch perfect performance as Kayla's father. He has lines that aren't necessarily funny in their own right, but the way Hamilton delivers them makes them funny. He has a natural charisma to him, and I loved every scene he shared with Fisher. The relationship Kayla and her father go through is so sweet, and once again, feels real. There's not a moment between them that rings false, which makes their arc together all the more realized.

I mentioned the deft balance Burnham puts between honesty and comedy earlier, but I wanted to talk about it more specifically here. Pretty much all of the subjects here are addressed in comedic moments and more honest, sometimes even dark moments. Let's look at one of the most heavily tackled arcs here: Kayla's struggle to make friends. In one moment in the movie, we see this in a more comedic light. Kayla is awkwardly trying to talk to these popular girls at school, but both of them are looking at their phones. The interaction here is comedic gold, with plenty of awkward pauses in between as Kayla desperately tries to find a way to talk to them. But then there's a more serious moment where we see her legitimately upset and crying at the fact that she has no one in her school that she can truly talk to. You can feel for her more legitimately. Burnham does so well at transitioning from the comedic potential to the dramatic potential in a way that feels earned. This is also done with what is probably the most awkward of middle school topics: sex. We see the badly done "educational safe sex" videos, or Kayla actually watching a YouTube video having to do with sex (won't talk any more about this portion because it's, in my opinion, the funniest part of the movie). But, the movie takes a much darker turn later on in the movie with the subject of sex. Once again, I won't spoil this, because it was surprising. I could tell Burnham was trying to deal with this particularly dark scene in a delicate manner. It's definitely a heavy moment, but it thankfully doesn't cross the line in a way that keeps Kayla from having her optimism or innocence stripped entirely. I really appreciated that Burnham made that choice. If this scene had taken another direction, it may have made the film conclude on an unavoidably disheartening note. This scene could've ended in an unsatisfying way in another director's hands. But Bo knows exactly where the line needs to be drawn. That is true for every scene in this movie. He never makes the comedy too inappropriate or raunchy, and he never makes the more dramatic scenes too dark or hopeless.The balance is achieved to near perfection.

"Eighth Grade" is, simply stated, the first masterpiece of a film that I've seen this year. This movie does exactly what it set out to do: it chronicles the journey of an eighth grade girl on the cusp of a new time in her life, and it truthfully depicts what it was like to be in middle school for a majority of people. Pretty much everything about this movie works. Elsie Fisher's performance should get both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination, in my opinion. It's one of the best turns I've seen this year, and one of my favorite performances from a film of this genre. Bo Burnham has made a directorial debut nothing short of fantastic. This film has received immense critical and audience acclaim in a very quick span of time. Burnham is going to be on people's radars for years to come. I'm definitely excited to see what he does in what is sure to be a lucrative career in the movie industry. Please, go see this excellent movie. It may be my favorite of the year so far!

Punch Brothers "All Ashore" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

If there has been any band that I think deserves the high recognition they have received over the past couple years, Punch Brothers may well top my list. This group of talented musicians includes lead vocalist and acclaimed mandolin player Chris Thile, banjo player Noam Pikelny, acoustic guitarist Chris Elridge, bassist Paul Kowert, and fiddle player Gabe Witcher. I don't typically name all the band members when I do a review, but I just have to with the Punch Brothers. All of them are considered to be top notch within their instrumental fields, particularly Thile with his mandolin skills and Pikelny's impressive abilities on the banjo. It's complicated to pin down what genre this group is exactly. They are part of a new wave of bluegrass music, which has some tendencies of the old genre while also incorporating things like electronics and different vocal styles. This band also frequently incorporates their love of classical music, acoustic music, pop, electronic, and even Americana. I've loved all of this band's albums, particularly "Who's Feeling Young Now?" (still my favorite by them) and "The Phosphorescent Blues". The latter release really launched them into mainstream acclaim three years back. Now the band has returned with "All Ashore". Like their other releases, this one is a concept album. This album desires to discuss the dark world of hate and divide that America inhabits right now, and how complex it is to navigate this period. This album is incredible. Filled with absolutely expert instrumentation, some of the band's best lyric writing, and a powerful thematic arc, this is handily one of the best releases of the year.

Talking about this year's political and emotional landscape can be a very tough thing to do. After all, people in 2018 now hold more firmly to their opinions than ever. Trying to adapt a balanced approach is such a delicate thing to do when there are so many out there who are close minded. In fact, even before I delved into this album fully, I saw many people criticizing this release as having a completely anti-Trump/conservative agenda. Now, I won't deny there could be some points where a listener could interpret that as such (especially in the weakest song on the album-more on that one later). But, I think that's being far too dismissive of this album. There are so many subtleties to navigate in this album. Some people may miss the nuances, on both a musical and lyrical level. I was immediately impressed by this album with the subdued yet powerful 7-minute opener, which is the title track. Now, while this song is no "Familiarity" (then again, I'm not sure Punch Brothers would ever be able to create a track again that quite matches up to the sheer mastery that song has in nearly every way), it still holds up just fine on its own. I couldn't help but smile as I could already see evidence of this band's chemistry. The way that the mandolin and fiddle interplay on this track is particularly fascinating. I think what's most effective about this song in the lyrical department is that it creates an emotional landscape from the perspective of two different parents. Thile describes that the mother "Cuts like a man-of-war/Through the fog of an early morning/With nothing more than a coffee filling up her sails". What a beautiful but heartbreaking description of someone who is at the end of their rope in trying to live through such trying times. The father has a much more brutal yet equally disheartening description, as Chris says that he "Burns like a meteor/Through a night of his own diversions/Hoping to blaze half a second of a glowing trail". This song shows both of these characters', and to an extent, the band's desire for what they want: a place where there can be found a semblance of peace, love, and hope. This track touched me, and actually made me very emotional upon first listen. The musicianship of this track brings the emotion home, especially as the instruments highlight the feelings of both of the parent characters in a visceral fashion. This is definitely the best song on the album, as well as one of my favorite songs of the year.

It would be hard for the band to match up to this quality for the rest of the album, but somehow they do it. "The Angel of Doubt" marks Punch Brothers' most experimental song to date, having some of their most pop centric tendencies to date. That doesn't mean that this song is musically lacking though, as Elridge really gets to show off his guitar playing in a way he hasn't been able to do on the band's previous works. This song is about exactly what its title implies: doubts. Whether it be doubts of your morals, doubts of whether things will truly work out at the end of the day, or just doubts in yourself, this song has it all. Thile does an interesting thing on this album where he speaks in different characters, sometimes even speaking as the antagonist. That is the case for portions of this track, as Thile speaks as the Angel of Doubt itself. You can tell when he's speaking as this entity because he raps when he does. Yes, you read that right- he raps. You may be asking how a band who has primarily bluegrass and classical influences could possibly pull this off. I was a little taken aback by this song myself the first time I heard it. But even on my first listen, I found that Chris's rapping style actually works quite well in context of this track. It's surprisingly intense for a Punch Brothers song, which is fitting of the dark content this track has to offer. After this, we get the superb and fun instrumental "Three Dots and a Dash". The song's title references an alcoholic beverage created during World War II, which continues to show the band's affinity for alcohol. This song shows off the band's love for classical music as well, as there are so many moments on here that feel musically complex to me. This track goes through several musical movements, and all of them are equally interesting. They keep this track constantly unpredictable. This cut is so much fun, and warrants more than one listen. Instrumentals have a bit of a harder task in keeping listeners engaged, but Punch Brothers has always been good with their instrumentals. It's no surprise this one works so well.

"Just Look at This Mess" marks what is almost definitely the band's most angry song to date. Musically, it's quite intense, and the interplay between fiddle, guitar, and bass keeps on amping up as the track goes on. The lyrics in this song made my jaw drop a little, as they are effectively provocative in nature. Thile has a statement he wants to make on this song, and he clearly is passionate about it. This song could be interpreted as being anti-Trump, but I feel as though it's just more anti-government or anti-entitlement. Chris says that the mess America is in right now isn't due to just one person. In fact, we are complicit in the mess because of our refusal to actually address it: "This mess wasn’t made alone/Our sandlot antagonist-cum-king/Builds throne after gilded throne/On the rock of our disbelief in the thick of it". The multi-faceted meanings that could be drawn on the phrase "Sandlot antagonist-cum king" in particular impressed me. This descriptor is vulgar and disgusting. It's supposed to be, in order to show the brutality of the world we're living in. And yet, the Punch Brothers don't embrace hopelessness. Thile says: "Don’t let him get to you/Don’t let him put you off your game". After this song, we get the beautiful track "The Gardener". Thile's vocal performance in this track is soothing and rather gorgeous. This is one of the more brighter moments in an album that delves into very dark subject matter. This track expresses a working man's desire to just be able to follow after the American Dream- not only for him but also for his children. There is a real sincerity in this song as this character expresses appreciation for the nature that God has provided to him. He hopes to show that same sense of beauty to his children. It can be so hard to find beauty in simplicity, and yet this song shows how important it is to do so, especially in a world where simplicity is so easily lost on us.

This album's final moments are just as good as the beginning ones. "Jungle Bird" is the second, and more upbeat, instrumental on this release. It offers a good bit of fun, and is really just a song that you can clap or dance along to. I could see this one getting crowds very excited in a live setting. I thought this track's placement was fitting after several songs in a row that were lyrically complex and thought provoking. There needed to be a moment of release, and this band knew exactly where to put it. "It's All Part of the Deal" is this album's absolute low point. Thile goes into the mindset of this greedy, egotistical person, who eagerly wants everyone to be at his mercy: "And I've been doing just as I please/Since I found my skeleton key/God I love my skeleton key/You'll never guess who sold it to me". For the whole of this song, Thile's vocals effectively take on this character's personality, as he exudes arrogance, which is trying to disguise itself as confidence. The instrumentation in this track is indescribably impressive; you just have to hear it for yourself in order to get the full weight of it. This song ends on an intriguing note. This character seems to be trying to convince himself that this "deal" is worth all the evil things he's had to do: "The torment is fake/The glory is real". On its own, those lyrics seem to be assured. But, Chris's more delicate and falsetto vocal performance convinces me otherwise. I almost feel pity for this character, who doesn't even truly realize how their evil deeds are destroying them on the inside. After the darkness of this song, the album ends on a optimistic note with "Like It's Going Out of Style", the softest cut on the album. This track acknowledges that though we are in a dark place as a country and as individuals, there is still good and beauty out there. We can still love people, we can still be present for each other. We should love constantly... like it's going out of style. The sentiments of this song are beautiful. The simplistic plucking of the banjo and acoustic guitar help make the feelings of this song all the more real to the listener. This was a perfect way to end out the album.

There was only one song on this nine-track release that I felt was a low point, and that's "Jumbo". I wouldn't call this song awful. In fact, in the musical department, I appreciated how it really delved back into this band's bluegrass roots (the rest of this album feels like a deviation from the band's progressive bluegrass style, which I obviously don't think is a bad thing). This track is a bit disappointing, as it's the only song on here that feels so obviously anti-Trump. It's not that I am against a track with this subject matter. However, I feel like with how nuanced and balanced the rest of the album is, this song didn't fit the release. Still, the track doesn't hurt the album as a whole significantly. In fact, at this point in the year, it's really a free-for-all as to which album will get my best of the year for 2018. "All Ashore" is certainly a contender for that spot. Every time I've come back to this album, I've only been more impressed by it. As a literately inclined person, I adore almost all the lyrics here. They deserve deep analysis and introspection. The thematic arc of this album is something that I feel was needed for this year. Yes, we are living in dark and trying times. But, we can find ways to connect with each other through our very human essences. This album easily rivals the band's best, "Who's Feeling Young Now?", which I never thought I'd be able to say. Well done, boys!

Favorite Songs: "All Ashore", "Just Look at This Mess", "Like It's Going Out of Style", "The Gardener", "It's All Part of the Plan", "Three Dots and a Dash"
Least Favorite Songs: "Jumbo"