SELECTIVE HEARING
[ NEW RELEASES | Robert Berman ]
MICHAEL SWEET
One Sided War
NYVES
Pressure
ANGELICA GARCIA
Medicine for Birds
After a fallow period, Sweet
Nyves surfaced last year as
Alt-country
has roared back into action.
a moody electronica side
heroine.
With seven albums in the
project of De mon Hunter
mix
last six years between his
vocalist Ryan Clark and
with
work
a
Project 86 guitarist Randy
quirky
collaboration with George Lynch, and a solo
Torres. They’re back with a five song EP that
the production by Charlie Peacock (aided by
career, with another Sweet/Lynch album and
lands somewhere between Depeche Mode
familiar names like Scott Dente, Jeff Taylor,
another Stryper album in the pipeline for 2017.
and Nine Inch Nails. Clark’s sepulchral baritone
and Matt Slocum) achieves the bluesy orbit
Where Sweet’s previous solo efforts veered
lends gravitas to Torres’ beats. The collection’s
of Lucinda Williams. Lyrics are a mixed bag:
away from Stryper’s trademark hair metal into
central track, “The Pain”, seethes with synth
songs about intercessory prayer (“Pray”) and
adult contemporary styles, this time around
energy. The brooding lyrics befit the EP’s title
resisting Satan (Buddy Miller would be proud
Sweet aims for Against the Law territory,
but would benefit from more specific and
to have made “The Devil Can Get In”) sit
relatively free of keyboards and of Stryper’s
evocative imagery.
confusingly alongside casual use of spiritually
fronting
Stryper,
stacked vocal harmonies.To differentiate this
album from his band work, Sweet works in
tandem with lead guitarists Joel Hoekstra
RON BLOCK AND JEFF TAYLOR
Trouble Go Down
Newgrass
(Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and
(piano,
have preserved their upper range as well as
the danger of being overly uniform. The track
“Radio” represents a missed opportunity: A
critique of rockers-gone-country would be more
memorable if done in country style, not just with
ten seconds of Dobro bookending a standard
metal track. The lyrics cover spiritual and
romantic themes. Highlights: “Bizarre”, “OneSided War”, and the bluesy, autobiographical
“One Way Up”.
accordion)
a
Garcia’s
Sheryl
vocals
Crow’s
Regina
new
rasp
Spektor’s
mannerisms,
but
potent terms like “damn,” “hell,” and “God.”
“Twenty” chronicles the instabilities of young
adulthood, showcasing Garcia’s observational
lyrical prowess in the process.
NF
Therapy Session
step
away from their work with
Sweet, who retains his power to bring the
the songs are uniformly heavy, which carries
Block
(banjo, guitar) and Taylor
Ethan Brosh (Burning Heat). Few 80’s vocalists
thunder and the goosebumps. No ballads here;
whizzes
has
the likes of Alison Krauss
Occasionally
a
Christian
and Elvis Costello to present this homespun
concept album comes along
collection of hymns and original tunes. And
which opens an honest and
they don’t come alone; guest singers include
eloquent door into an artist’s
Suzanne Cox, Ellie Holcomb, Skye Peterson,
personal life. Bob Bennett’s
and several Square Pegs (Andrew Peterson,
Songs from Bright Avenue (concerning his
his daughter Skye, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn,
divorce) and Billy Sprague’s Torn between Two
and Randall Goodgame) while Buddy Greene,
Worlds (about his fiancée’s death) come to
Stuart Duncan, and Barry Bales offer their well-
mind. This is one of those albums. The album
respected skills. It’s part-instrumental, part
cover says it all: Nate “NF” Feuerstein sits in
vocal, and all immaculate.
two chairs with his stage persona talking to
his “real” self. Rap music is uniquely suited
to extended introspection since its syllable-
Featured Tracks
MICHAEL SWEET
“BIZARRE”
28
THE CHOIR
“WHAT YOU THINK I AM”
Nov Dec 2016
RELIENT K
“RUNNING”
ChristianMusician.com
CASTRO
“AUTOMATIC”