In my last post I reiterated a complaint that has been going on for years now. Christian music is awful. But why say it again when it’s been said so many times before? Well, because nothing has changed. Nobody is listening. And I care about that.
But there are always exceptions.
That is why I would like to draw your attention to musicians who write songs reflecting their Christian beliefs that, for the most part, maintain some shred of originality. Feel free to add more or bash me in the comments (but don’t be too mean, k?). For those of you who have extensive knowledge of the music scene, enlighten me as to what I am missing. Maybe I’ll let you write a guest post! I don’t intend to offend, I’m just sharing my opinion on a really subjective topic.
Anberlin – This band has hit a bit of a snag since leaving Tooth and Nail Records and signing with Universal Republic Records, but it’s never too late to bounce back. Their third album Cities is widely considered the pinnacle of their music thus far. I eagerly anticipated their growth only to find they got stuck and have stayed (relatively) the same for their fourth and fifth albums. The band’s affinity for soul-searching lyrics and Stephen Christian’s rich voice packs the perfect punch for any listener. Now if only they would stop trying to recreate Cities and try something new. I believe in you, Anberlin! You can do it!
While Anberlin doesn’t refer to themselves as Christian, their albums often possess what I like to call “Christian flavoring.” What does that mean? I dunno, probably what it sounds like.
Cold War Kids - Well, this was the scandal of all scandals. Back in 2006 Cold War Kids’ debut album Robbers and Cowards received a scathing review from Pitchfork for the religious undertones found throughout. This caused a fury among critics and religious folk alike — was the review deserved? Did Christian undertones really ruin the music? Or was this Pitchfork guy just a huge jackass with a chip on his shoulder? You decide. I haven’t kept up with the Cold War Kids much, but felt this incident should be included here. (Apparently they’re still at it — whatever “it” is — and Pitchfork still doesn’t like them.)
Edison Glass – Rumors have been swirling around that Edison Glass broke up, but I can’t find anything official. One site says they have not broken up but are currently not working on any music together. Their MySpace looks relatively abandoned and their domain name has been bought by someone else.
Despite this unfortunate lack of activity, there are still two excellent Edison Glass albums in existence, A Burn or a Shiver and Time is Fiction. Perhaps the most distinctive quality about them is their avoidance of generic 4/4 timing — math rock ftw! For a band named after Thomas Edison and Phillip Glass it only makes sense to have an atypical sound in the Christian music scene. Come back, Edison Glass!
Jon Foreman – While Switchfoot’s career peaked with The Beautiful Letdown (okay, apparently their latest album is decent? I haven’t listened to it much), lead singer Jon Foreman showed us where his heart is with his solo EP’s, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Foreman took Psalms and created beautiful melodies one could imagine David singing out in the field as a shepherd, not marketed or performed for Sunday morning audiences.
Jordan Klassen – This local enables music lovers of all stripes to hear his decidedly Biblical lyrics and still admit, “Damn, that’s good music.” In my mind, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. Klassen’s music meshes folk with ambience in such a way you’re physically aware of the space the sound occupies, like smoke or water filling a room — minus the distraught feeling, plus joy.
Joy Electric – Joy Electric is Christian music’s ever-present underground synth-pop solution. Sometimes light and upbeat, sometimes dark and dreary, Joy Electric is a forever-pleasant oddity. While I haven’t listened to the entire discography (and it is extensive), I am quite the fan of their 2007 release The Otherly Opus.
Kevin Max – Ohhh Kevin Max. What an enigma. While Toby Mac went on to be an uber successful solo rapper and Michael Tait is now frontman for the Newsboys — both fellow former DC Talk members — Kevin Max still operates out of obscurity. Often referred to as the “Black Sheep” of Christian music, Max has always been a bit of a rebel who doesn’t like playing by the rules. He’s an avid poet and spoken word artist as well as musician — not to mention he’s working on a novel/graphic novel called Fiefdom of Angels.
Max is also quite the label-hopper and seems to have had difficulty finding the right creative team to help harness his talent. Despite being the “Black Sheep,” Max still exclusively markets himself towards the CCM audience, but I feel like he has what it takes to bring his message outside the Christian scene.
Mute Math – Take Paul Meany’s soulful voice, catchy drumloops, keytar riffs, and a touch of ambience mixed with spiritually-laced lyrics and you’ve created one of the best Christian bands in existence.
Okay, backtrack — there’s a complicated history here. For those unfamiliar, Mute Math is one of those bands that has tried — and achieved — to break free of the Christian industry and exclusive fan base. As I stated in my last post, the CCM industry often shackles creativity so I understand Mute Math’s decision to distance themselves from the “Christian” label.
What I don’t understand is the dramatic shift in tone between their first two albums, Mute Math and Armistice. Their self-titled debut is brilliant and, while not overtly spiritual, there’s definitely a message reminiscent of Earthsuit, the band’s earlier overtly-Christian persona. Their second album, Armistice, is amazing, but downright depressing. Are they simply musicians exploring the darker side of human emotion or are they purposefully trying to distance themselves even more from Christian labels? I suspect a third album will give a definite answer.
Sufjan Stevens — Sufjan doesn’t talk overtly about his faith in interviews, but neither does he avoid overtly Biblical themes in his music. Sin, death, redemption, forgiveness, hope, salvation — it’s all there. Why is he so popular among secular listeners then? Well, he’s just a damn good musician and that kind of thing can’t be ignored.
I guess one might ask, why does this matter? Isn’t music music? Why must we label things?
I’m a bit of an idealist in that I’d like to see musicians be able to express their Christian beliefs without alienating secular fans. Mute Math is almost paranoid to have any affiliation with Christianity now because they think it will put them in a box or something. Pitchfork seems to have vendetta against the Cold War Kids over ideology. It’s absurd.
I’d also like Christian artists to fully express their creativity within the CCM industry without feeling like they are trapped and have to go mainstream to be unique.
It basically brings us back to what I said here.
