NEW MUSIC
SELECTIVE HEARING | Robert Berman
NEWSBOYS
STARFLYER 59
United
Young in My Head
That was 2009. The ten years since then
have seen a string of hits and songs for films,
including two worship albums and several pop
ones. Since 2017, the band has been touring
in a “kitchen sink” version that including almost
everybody except John James. Peter Furler is
back, co-producing and trading off lead vocals
with Michael Tait. Phil Joel is back on bass.
So that’s the history of how the Newsboys
united. But how’s the album? In brief, it sounds
great, one anthem giving way to another as
surely as one domino topples the next. Ace
A super group has become a supergroup. songwriters like Colby Wedgeworth, Steve After 15 albums, Jason Martin is taking some
Coming to America from Australia in the late Taylor, Mia Fieldes, and Seth Moseley lend a time to take stock of where he’s been, and
1980s, they squeezed themselves into an hand to this filler-free collection that already feeling like he’s still back there in the past. “I
appearance at the legendary Cornerstone sounds like a greatest hits. Dare I say it could remember in 2000 when I was 28, because
music festival, then made a series of albums use a few risk-taking tracks that go in another I’ve always been that age.” When his shoegaze
with acclaimed singer/songwriter Steve Taylor. direction, leavening the infectious, fist-pumping albums Gold and Silver hit the Christian alt-
With the departure of original lead vocalist John anthems with an occasional non-radio oriented rock scene in the mid-90s, who thought
James, drummer Peter Furler stepped right sound? Tait’s old bandmate Kevin Max adds his Martin would be the last man standing? Yet
up to the microphone from behind his Motley golden voice to the fiery “Love One Another,” here he is, sounding better than ever, and no
Crue-inspired rotating drum kit to lead the band which manages to be rock and disco at the one seems more surprised than he. Martin
through years of successful albums. same time. That’s a step in the right direction. shows how Christians can embrace the aging
process confident in better things ahead.
The addition of singer/songwriter Phil Joel on Some tracks are more directly worship-oriented “It’s been 25 [years] since I wrote ‘Blue Collar
bass further burnished the band’s reputation than others, but this is an unimpeachably Love,’ man. I need to go. I had my turn,
as a center for both creativity and professional Christ-centered album from start to finish. “You stayed longer than most.” He writes with
showmanship. Furler married the daughter of broke through the curse of death, took hell upon beautiful, honest simplicity about the joys of
80’s Christian music superstar Mylon LeFevre, Yourself, Jesus, the ever-risen Son.” “Read the collaborating with his son Charlie (this album’s
co-founded Inpop Records, and pursued words that Jesus said and then let them free drummer), of relationships broken along the
a solo career, later joining Steve Taylor’s your mind. Forgive the ones who’ve hurt you way. “We hardly ever talk. There’s so much junk
supergroup The Perfect Foil. The Newsboys most.” Few bands with thirty years under their between us now.” As with 2016’s Slow album,
were the beneficiaries of DC Talk’s prolonged belt are still producing work that makes one instrumentation is basic guitar rock, loaded
“intermission,” picking up a powerful new lead ask, “I wonder how they will follow this up?” with surf reverb. Vocals recall the baritone sigh
vocalist in Michael Tait. The Newsboys are the happy exception. of OMD’s Andy McCluskey, though closing
track “Crash” dips into a sepulchral bass range.
If you want to see why Starflyer 59 is one of
the few Christian artists to get the attention of
mainstream tastemakers like NPR, this album is
a great place to start.
Robert Berman
Robert is a Sunday School teacher, music nerd,
and acoustic guitar enthusiast. He lives in rural
Tennessee with his wife and three boys.
74
June 2019
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