Tracy Darlington

Let's Not Forget the Story by Foolish Things

Reviewed by Tracy Darlington

 

"Fresh group with a modern 80's sound."

 

 

“Foolish Things sort of stumbled into being a group,” Isaac Jorgenson (vocals/guitar) says. Nate Phillips (bass) agrees. “It’s actually a really good name for us. We have absolutely nothing to boast about. We’re just a group of friends who wanted to serve our youth group.” But things mushroomed far beyond the youth group’s walls. It wasn’t long before Foolish Things was playing in coffeehouses and area youth events. In 2000 the band won the acclaimed “Seminar in the Rockies” music competition in Estes Park, Colorado. Soon after, they recorded a four-song demo with the help of Ronny Cates, former Petra bassist.

Released on Peter Furler’s Inpop label, Let’s Not Forget The Story marks a new season for Foolish Things—their chance to speak to the masses. And speak they do. Right off the bat this album resonates. Kicking things off with the worshipful “Who Can Compare”, they’re off and running strong. The first five tracks are fast-paced, pop/rock numbers that manage to avoid the repetition so often found in young bands, while still maintaining a consistent, recognizable sound. Think Delirious meets Downhere. Throw in some early U2, a dash of Edison Glass, and a slight melancholy feel, and you have their winning recipe. They’ve pulled out some unique instruments and novel electronic effects in several cuts, such as in “Fight” which opens with harmonic tinkling bells. “Spirit Come”, the band’s first single, is definitely radio friendly with worshipful lyrics and tenor vocals eerily similar to Martin Smith of Delirious. In fact, many of the tracks remind me of Delirious’s crisp, 80's rock sound.

Lyrically, the band is straight forward. “First Lie” talks about killing off the sinful nature, and “Hey You” encourages the light of Christ to shine in our lives. “Capital P” challenges believers to stay pure in their relationships and has some unexpected skillful, stoccato guitar crawls. One thing is certain---Foolish Things is unashamed of their faith. Says Nate Phillips, “From the beginning, we’ve used music as a tool to strengthen and challenge the body of Christ, as well as to reach out to the lost.”

Sometimes it’s hard to believe Let’s Not Forget the Story is this band’s first album. Their mature instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics shout quality. Foolish Things is one band you’ll want to keep watching. And listening to. There’s enough top-ten material on this album to keep their songs rotating for years to come.