Kings Kaleidoscope "Zeal" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I've kept it no secret that my views on the worship genre as of right now are quite conflicted. There's so much stuff out there that is the same regurgitated boredom we've heard over and over again. But there is also so much innovation out there, and a lot of the artists making actual change are being recognized. Kings Kaleidoscope has always been one of the heads of the movement to make worship music more interesting, in my opinion. "Beyond Control" remains to be the best worship album I've ever heard, and probably one of the best albums by any Christian artist in general. If anything, I cherish it more now, and the vulnerability that appears on tracks like "Dust", "A Prayer", and "Lost?" can make me feel quite emotional. Of course, I was very excited when the band announced they were releasing a new album, this being their third, entitled "Zeal". This title is quite fitting for this album, as it is incredibly upbeat, fun, and even most accessible album by the band. While this album can't match up to "Beyond Control", it actually comes closer than I ever thought it possibly could.

Like KK's other albums, this release has a rather clear concept. The concept here will seem quite simple on initial glance: the journey of rediscovering joy in one's relationship with God. I think the band really does well in talking about this concept over and over again. The album starts off with "The Coma", which has lead singer praying to God to get him out of this sinful, apathetic state he's in. The song has a fittingly minimalist feel to it, matching the plaintive and vulnerable tone the lyrics have. After this, the album gets into what can be described as its overall sound: wildly exuberant. It's hard not to smile while hearing "Hero Over My Head", which is one of the most naturally joyous songs I've heard in quite some time. As usual, Chad Gardner is a compelling vocalist, really just giving it his all in this track, particularly in the powerful bridge. This song has a really cool piano part in it, and the drumming patterns are quite interesting. I could see someone characterizing this song as "messy" on initial listening, but I think repeated listens will show how purposeful this song's structure really is. I think it's a great track to officially start off the album. We get an even better track after this with the legitimately surprising "Naked Feet & Holy Fire". I would've never quite expected this group to do a straight up rock track, but they did it here. This is just further proof that KK is constantly looking to expand their boundaries. Most would be satisfied if they'd kept with the general sounds of their debut album, but this band has never done so, and this is a positive. This song uses the bible story of Moses and the Burning Bush to symbolize God's calling to everyone to live up to their greatest potential in serving him. You can feel the urgency of this song, as Gardner spits out every lyric like it could be the last words he's saying. It helps that the guitar and drumming work are right on your face. I didn't expect that Kings Kaleidoscope would be releasing one of the most interesting rock songs of the year, but I'm very glad it happened.

If you liked this band's hip-hop effort "The Beauty Between", then you'll really like "Backwards". This song has such an interesting fusion of jazz and rap. This is not an uncommon genre combination by any means, but I do think that KK deliver an ace with their turn at it. This song is easy to nod your head along to, and it has such a chill atmosphere. Even the slight trap elements that appear here work to the songs effort. But as far as hip-hop influenced efforts go on here, the insane "About to Break" might be even better. This song makes you literally feel like everything's falling, as the song goes at a pretty urgently fast pace, not ever once letting up. The lyrics here are some of the album's best: "Jaded wrath, clashing praise/Vain attack, blades ablaze/Won’t hold the line 'cause hope will reign/And breach the walls about to break". I've always said one of the best things about this group is the way they utilize vivid visual imagery to bring about a legitimate feeling of spirituality, and these lyrics are proof of that. But for as good as all the other songs have been up to this point, nothing can quite beat the gorgeously epic "Aimless Knight". This is one of the band's most ambitious songs, as big portions of it are accompanied by a backing orchestra, and the verses are more hip-hop influenced. Somehow, the band is able to transition between these two genres in a rather effortless way. This song is one of the most thematically deep on the album, as Gardner admits they wrong ways he's gone about pursuing his faith: "Demon diamond, where you hidin'?/Keep me on a mission like a singin' siren/Rippin' up roots, diggin' up truths/Hacking at the vine, stacking up dead fruit". I can't emphasize enough how breathlessly beautiful the chorus to this song is. It's just something incredible to behold. I adore the way this song ends out as well, as Chad's singing style reminds me of "Beyond Control". It also sees Gardner finally asking God for the most simple thing he truly needs: rest. This song embodies what is great about this album's thematic arc of happiness: discovering it is paradoxically simple and tough.

"Same Blood" has a really nice message to it about Christians of all types need to come together and learn from one another. This song might sound like it doesn't directly apply to the theme of the album, but I think that it is important for us to rely on one another as Christians in the journey of finding a sense of zeal. After this song, we get a really incredible arc of three songs that are all part of "The Rush" series. These three songs all served as an introduction to the album, and I still like all of them quite a bit. The one that stands out the most of the three is definitely "Breathing Infinity", which sounds like the embodiment of transcendent joy. This song feels like it gives the thesis statement of the album, as Chad discusses the potential of what can happen when we finally let go of our insecurities and trust in God: "Jump into the wonder/And dance on the thunder/We're crying in color/Breathing infinity/Flying free". The idea of infinity is rather hard to comprehend, but it still is a beautiful thing to think about, especially in the way this track presents it. The other two songs, "Jumping From the Jaded Heights" and "On To The Light", do a great job at rounding "The Rush" series out and making it feel like a cohesive product. "Oxygen" is probably the closest this album gets to a straight up worship track, but it's not without its unique flourishes. I think it's interestingly appropriate to put this song after "The Rush" series. "Oxygen" contemplates on the simplistic truths of our faith, while "The Rush" pondered on the concept of the infinite. I think the simplistic truths about God are just as important as the complex ones, and so does KK. This song makes it clear that childlike faith is the best way to embrace a redemptive relationship with God, and it does this with "Jesus Loves Me". It seems like it would be rather cheesy to do this hymn, but it actually emotionally gripped me the way it was used. This track reminded me just how much I forget the childlike aspects of my faith, and that we all need to return to them in a way.

The only track on this album that rubs me the wrong way is the transition track "Flat On the Inside (A Word)". This cut basically has someone directly state what the theme of this album is, which I didn't think was necessary at all. I think the rest of the album makes it clear what the band was trying to say. While I don't entirely dislike "A Little Bit of Faith", this song does feel lyrically a little lacking for Kings Kaleidoscope. I get why the album ended with it, but I think "Oxygen" states the idea of childlike faith better.

It's amazing how much analysis pretty much every Kings Kaleidoscope release warrants. The idea of rediscovering your childlike faith in God may not seem as complex as "Beyond Control"'s conceptual arc of just how much control and autonomy we have as human beings. However, the band still analyzes childlike faith in rather powerful ways, both in context of the infinite and of the simplistic. I love that KK really takes a concept like this seriously, rather than drowning this concept in cliched platitudes like so many CCM artists have done in the past. Yeah, this album isn't quite on the level of "Beyond Control". But I wasn't expecting it to match that level of mastery. This album is still quite excellent, and easily the best Christian released album I've heard so far this year. Check it out!

Favorite Songs: "Aimless Knight", "Naked Feet & Holy Fire", "Breathing Infinity", "Oxygen", "About to Break"
Least Favorite Songs: "Flat on the Inside (A Word)", "A Little Bit of Faith"