By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
In the world of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), it has
become harder and harder as of late to pick out quality artists. It seems like
every day there’s a new solo artist joining the fold, and each one feels even
more indistinguishable than the last. The veterans of CCM are not as plentiful
as they once were, but thankfully TobyMac is still around. He has been one of the most consistently talented artists in the Christian scene ever since his days back in DC Talk. He's also been immensely successful, having singles that are still household names in many Christian homes, and for good reason. TobyMac was one of the first artists that ignited my passion for music in a new way at a young age, so I will always be grateful to him for that. I will say that he had a slightly weak point in his career with "Tonight" and "Eye On It". Neither are awful albums, but they saw him beginning to lean into some Christian radio cliches. Thankfully, he went back on the right path in 2015 with "This Is Not a Test", an album that I like even more now. Toby has returned yet again with "The Elements". This album turns out to be his most surprising release yet, having some very personal songs and a deeper introspection on Toby's relationship with God.
Even though I generally like Toby's newer material, something I've always missed from him is the intensity that he could bring in some songs. Songs like "Extreme Days" and "The Slam" seem like they couldn't possibly happen with his stylistic choices now. So, my surprise when I heard the opening song, the title track, was massive. This song doesn't have blistering guitars or drumming like the two aforementioned songs, but it does boast some harsh electronics and Toby sounding absolutely passionate in his vocal performance. It didn't surprise me to see that producer Tommee Profitt worked on this track. He's also produced for NF, and the cinematic feel this track has is very much reminiscent of something you'd expect from NF. This style works very well for TobyMac. He sounds very at home against the thumping electronic soundscape. He even brings back his rapping style that he had on his debut album "Momentum", which brought a big smile on my face. The title track does a good job at summarizing the main theme for this album: that everyday we have to face the harsh elements of the world, but God is right there to help us, and we need to rely on Him. It's only fitting that a song about the toughness of life would be followed up by an honest and heartfelt prayer to God in the lead single "I Just Need U". When I first heard this track, I was very excited to see what the rest of the album would hold. I still actually think this is the best song on the album. It sees Toby embracing mainstream pop, but still innovating within that genre. Never once does this song feel boring. Toby marries the genres of electronic/pop with a classic gospel sound, especially present in the chorus. It interestingly gives the song a sense of timelessness, and the chorus is endlessly catchy. The simple honesty of the track is refreshing, and Toby lets his voice show some rawness. There's a certain sense of real desperation for God that permeates this whole track, especially as the song ends. Toby lets his voice go to some places I haven't heard it reach previously. So many singles by CCM artists on the radio right now feel very interchangeable. It's nice to see that while Toby accepts some of the conventions of CCM, he never does cliche things with those conventions. He instead chooses to upend them. This makes "I Just Need U" one of the best Christian contemporary songs I've heard in years- and quite possibly even one of the best songs of 2018.
There's still plenty of other great songs to talk about. I like how I was constantly in a state of awe and surprise with the first five tracks on this album. All of them coming one after the other makes the beginning half of this album feel like some of the best material Toby has put out in general. "Scars" is one of the most personal songs I've heard from Toby. Often he's talking about his relationship with God, but this song is a love letter to his son. I obviously can't ever know what their relationship is like completely. Still, Toby is vulnerable enough to let the listener know that he and his son Truett aren't on the best of terms currently: "Now you won't take my phone calls/You won't text me back at all/I just want to see you/I can't stand to see you gone/Yesterday I missed you". That part of the song actually made me tear up a little, as the lyrics are poignantly written and the way Toby sings them makes you feel for him. And yet, despite the fact that Toby feels disconnected from his son (seemingly because his son has fallen on hard times and can't connect with Toby because of that), he reminds Truett that everyone has had struggles in life, and that God can help you get through them. It's a message that a lot of people need, but I like that Toby targeted this song at his son. It makes the sentiments behind the song resonate more fully. After this cut, we get the incredibly fun second single "Everything". This song was released at the perfect time in the summer, as it's just a perfect anthem for that time. Toby expresses his joy in the fact that he sees God working in everything around him, in things both big and small. The playful beat, the lively brass instrumentation, and the occasional usage of backing vocals make this one of the most fun songs of the year. It is admittedly a bit jarring to go from this song to the deep cut "Starts With Me", but it's not too distracting. Anyone who's followed Toby from his beginning knows that his main message is that diverse people from all walks of life are accepted into God's grace (he even made a song called "Diverse City", so this message is clearly important to him). Toby has spoken on how we need to accept people of all skin colors, but I don't think he's ever done it quite in the way he does in "Starts With Me". This track has some brave commentary on racism, as Toby acknowledges his responsibility in fixing the racism that his ancestors started: "I was born with two dirty hands/Somethin' my daddy didn’t understand/Somethin' his daddy didn't understand/So it starts with me." Just consider this- Toby's audience is primarily evangelical and white. Some of his audience may really need to hear this uncomfortable but ever so present truth. Aaron Cole, a man of color, also sings in this song, offering his own perspective on how being a black in America has affected him. Toby and Aaron sing together in the chorus, saying how we need to come together to fix the divide. The two of them singing in unified harmony is nothing short of powerful. The sampling of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech only serves the song's message that much more. Musically, the track is very simplistic, which works in giving both Toby and Aaron distinctive voices when telling their stories.
Though the album doesn't really have many other moments that are awe-inspiring like the opening five songs, there are still plenty of other tracks to commend here. "Edge of My Seat" fits in comfortably with the the type of music that Toby was doing on "This Is Not a Test". This is, of course, a good thing. The jaunty piano playing is a nice touch, and the chorus is one of the most irresistible on the album. "Hello Future" is a quirky, off-kilter track that feels unique in context of this album and Toby's discography as a whole. It combines brass and electronics together to a really cool effect, and the beat is easy to nod your head along to. The song exudes a natural sense of hope about the fact that we will be alright at the end of it all, despite the fact that things might seem hopeless right now. "Overflow" features a delightful reference to the Newsboys song "God is Not a Secret", which Toby was featured in. The song once again has some creative usage of electronics, and there's a bit of a reggae flow to the track as well. The subtle incorporation of acoustic guitar is a nice touch. Toby's talent is really on display in every department here, making this song the best bit of the second half of the album. The album ends off on "See The Light". While it's not a favorite of mine, this song is still solid and ends this release out on a positive enough note.
I don't have a whole lot of significant complaints about this release. I suppose that I wish I'd seen some more of the type of stuff that appeared within the beginning five tracks of the album. The pure excellence that comes from those songs makes everything else feel a little bit pale in comparison, but not in a bad way. The rest of the songs here are good, they just don't match up to those other tracks. There are a few specific weak points I can touch upon. "Horizon (A New Day)" does feel like a song that's meant just to have radio success. It has disappointingly generic lyrics, and the sentiments it expresses are pretty cliched. "Hello Future" expresses the themes this track has in a much better way. The worst song is "It's You", which in its nearly five minute run time just doesn't do much to justify its length. The song feels incredibly repetitive, with the chorus simply repeating the song's title to the point where it can get a little annoying. I feel like the song doesn't have a lot of depth spiritually compared to many other tracks on this album. This one honestly feels like an outlier when you compare it to the overall quality of the rest of the album. Thankfully it's the only track on the album that I'd call "bad".
Even with some of the slight problems this album has, I am glad to see that Toby is continuing his streak of returning to the energy of his earlier releases. The rocking energy that was in "Momentum" and "Diverse City" is present in a totally unique way in both "This Is Not a Test" and now "The Elements". I think I still like "Test" a little more than "The Elements", but it's not by a large margin. There are so many things to love about this album. It reminds you exactly why Toby has had so much deserved success in the Christian music industry, and the fact that others need to look to him as an example of what makes quality CCM. I don't know if this album quite reaches top albums of the year status for me, but it is at least deserving of an honorable mention. TobyMac continues to impress and innovate. I can't wait to see what he does next!
Favorite Songs: "I Just Need U", "The Elements", "Starts With Me", "Everything", "Scars"
Least Favorite Songs: "It's You", "Horizon (A New Day)"
Even though I generally like Toby's newer material, something I've always missed from him is the intensity that he could bring in some songs. Songs like "Extreme Days" and "The Slam" seem like they couldn't possibly happen with his stylistic choices now. So, my surprise when I heard the opening song, the title track, was massive. This song doesn't have blistering guitars or drumming like the two aforementioned songs, but it does boast some harsh electronics and Toby sounding absolutely passionate in his vocal performance. It didn't surprise me to see that producer Tommee Profitt worked on this track. He's also produced for NF, and the cinematic feel this track has is very much reminiscent of something you'd expect from NF. This style works very well for TobyMac. He sounds very at home against the thumping electronic soundscape. He even brings back his rapping style that he had on his debut album "Momentum", which brought a big smile on my face. The title track does a good job at summarizing the main theme for this album: that everyday we have to face the harsh elements of the world, but God is right there to help us, and we need to rely on Him. It's only fitting that a song about the toughness of life would be followed up by an honest and heartfelt prayer to God in the lead single "I Just Need U". When I first heard this track, I was very excited to see what the rest of the album would hold. I still actually think this is the best song on the album. It sees Toby embracing mainstream pop, but still innovating within that genre. Never once does this song feel boring. Toby marries the genres of electronic/pop with a classic gospel sound, especially present in the chorus. It interestingly gives the song a sense of timelessness, and the chorus is endlessly catchy. The simple honesty of the track is refreshing, and Toby lets his voice show some rawness. There's a certain sense of real desperation for God that permeates this whole track, especially as the song ends. Toby lets his voice go to some places I haven't heard it reach previously. So many singles by CCM artists on the radio right now feel very interchangeable. It's nice to see that while Toby accepts some of the conventions of CCM, he never does cliche things with those conventions. He instead chooses to upend them. This makes "I Just Need U" one of the best Christian contemporary songs I've heard in years- and quite possibly even one of the best songs of 2018.
There's still plenty of other great songs to talk about. I like how I was constantly in a state of awe and surprise with the first five tracks on this album. All of them coming one after the other makes the beginning half of this album feel like some of the best material Toby has put out in general. "Scars" is one of the most personal songs I've heard from Toby. Often he's talking about his relationship with God, but this song is a love letter to his son. I obviously can't ever know what their relationship is like completely. Still, Toby is vulnerable enough to let the listener know that he and his son Truett aren't on the best of terms currently: "Now you won't take my phone calls/You won't text me back at all/I just want to see you/I can't stand to see you gone/Yesterday I missed you". That part of the song actually made me tear up a little, as the lyrics are poignantly written and the way Toby sings them makes you feel for him. And yet, despite the fact that Toby feels disconnected from his son (seemingly because his son has fallen on hard times and can't connect with Toby because of that), he reminds Truett that everyone has had struggles in life, and that God can help you get through them. It's a message that a lot of people need, but I like that Toby targeted this song at his son. It makes the sentiments behind the song resonate more fully. After this cut, we get the incredibly fun second single "Everything". This song was released at the perfect time in the summer, as it's just a perfect anthem for that time. Toby expresses his joy in the fact that he sees God working in everything around him, in things both big and small. The playful beat, the lively brass instrumentation, and the occasional usage of backing vocals make this one of the most fun songs of the year. It is admittedly a bit jarring to go from this song to the deep cut "Starts With Me", but it's not too distracting. Anyone who's followed Toby from his beginning knows that his main message is that diverse people from all walks of life are accepted into God's grace (he even made a song called "Diverse City", so this message is clearly important to him). Toby has spoken on how we need to accept people of all skin colors, but I don't think he's ever done it quite in the way he does in "Starts With Me". This track has some brave commentary on racism, as Toby acknowledges his responsibility in fixing the racism that his ancestors started: "I was born with two dirty hands/Somethin' my daddy didn’t understand/Somethin' his daddy didn't understand/So it starts with me." Just consider this- Toby's audience is primarily evangelical and white. Some of his audience may really need to hear this uncomfortable but ever so present truth. Aaron Cole, a man of color, also sings in this song, offering his own perspective on how being a black in America has affected him. Toby and Aaron sing together in the chorus, saying how we need to come together to fix the divide. The two of them singing in unified harmony is nothing short of powerful. The sampling of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech only serves the song's message that much more. Musically, the track is very simplistic, which works in giving both Toby and Aaron distinctive voices when telling their stories.
Though the album doesn't really have many other moments that are awe-inspiring like the opening five songs, there are still plenty of other tracks to commend here. "Edge of My Seat" fits in comfortably with the the type of music that Toby was doing on "This Is Not a Test". This is, of course, a good thing. The jaunty piano playing is a nice touch, and the chorus is one of the most irresistible on the album. "Hello Future" is a quirky, off-kilter track that feels unique in context of this album and Toby's discography as a whole. It combines brass and electronics together to a really cool effect, and the beat is easy to nod your head along to. The song exudes a natural sense of hope about the fact that we will be alright at the end of it all, despite the fact that things might seem hopeless right now. "Overflow" features a delightful reference to the Newsboys song "God is Not a Secret", which Toby was featured in. The song once again has some creative usage of electronics, and there's a bit of a reggae flow to the track as well. The subtle incorporation of acoustic guitar is a nice touch. Toby's talent is really on display in every department here, making this song the best bit of the second half of the album. The album ends off on "See The Light". While it's not a favorite of mine, this song is still solid and ends this release out on a positive enough note.
I don't have a whole lot of significant complaints about this release. I suppose that I wish I'd seen some more of the type of stuff that appeared within the beginning five tracks of the album. The pure excellence that comes from those songs makes everything else feel a little bit pale in comparison, but not in a bad way. The rest of the songs here are good, they just don't match up to those other tracks. There are a few specific weak points I can touch upon. "Horizon (A New Day)" does feel like a song that's meant just to have radio success. It has disappointingly generic lyrics, and the sentiments it expresses are pretty cliched. "Hello Future" expresses the themes this track has in a much better way. The worst song is "It's You", which in its nearly five minute run time just doesn't do much to justify its length. The song feels incredibly repetitive, with the chorus simply repeating the song's title to the point where it can get a little annoying. I feel like the song doesn't have a lot of depth spiritually compared to many other tracks on this album. This one honestly feels like an outlier when you compare it to the overall quality of the rest of the album. Thankfully it's the only track on the album that I'd call "bad".
Even with some of the slight problems this album has, I am glad to see that Toby is continuing his streak of returning to the energy of his earlier releases. The rocking energy that was in "Momentum" and "Diverse City" is present in a totally unique way in both "This Is Not a Test" and now "The Elements". I think I still like "Test" a little more than "The Elements", but it's not by a large margin. There are so many things to love about this album. It reminds you exactly why Toby has had so much deserved success in the Christian music industry, and the fact that others need to look to him as an example of what makes quality CCM. I don't know if this album quite reaches top albums of the year status for me, but it is at least deserving of an honorable mention. TobyMac continues to impress and innovate. I can't wait to see what he does next!
Favorite Songs: "I Just Need U", "The Elements", "Starts With Me", "Everything", "Scars"
Least Favorite Songs: "It's You", "Horizon (A New Day)"
No comments:
Post a Comment