The Altar and the Door by Casting Crowns

Reviewed by Michael Ehret

 

 

"Casting Crowns comes out of the gate on The Altar and the Door with another of those 'smack-the-church-upside-the-head' songs they do so well."

 

Casting Crowns come out of the gate on The Altar And The Door with another of those “smack-the-church-upside-the-head” songs that they do so well. Previous discs have had similar songs, “If We Are The Body,” from 2003s Casting Crowns and “Does Anybody Hear Her” from Lifesong in 2005.

This time around, Mark Hall and the gang smack the church with the disc’s opening track, “What This World Needs.” And the lyrics are every bit as sharp and convicting as Casting Crowns has ever written:

What this world needs is not another sign-waving super saint that’s better than you / Another ear-pleasing candy man afraid of the truth / Another prophet in an Armani suit / What this world needs is a Savior who will rescue, a Spirit who will lead, a Father who will love them in their time of need.

And then for the church, for Christians who profess to believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance / Blending in so well that people can’t see the difference / And it’s the difference that sets the world free

This is using the scalpel of truth to cut out the cancer of complacency in the church. But Hall is far from done. His earnest, prophetic voice continues through five more amazing songs, back-to-back: “Every Man,” “Slow Fade,” first single “East To West,” “The Word Is Alive,” and the title track.

In this incredible suite of songs, Casting Crowns points out that the world is full of normal, everyday people who are listening, waiting for someone to speak words of hope (“Every Man”). With the children’s rhyme, “be careful little eyes what you see,” Hall addresses the moral failure of fathers in this generation (“Slow Fade”). But God’s forgiveness is an amazing gift, if only it is accepted (“East To West”) because God’s word, as Hall writes in the album notes, is “infallible, inerrant, inspired, and alive” (“The Word Is Alive”).

Because of the brokenness of this world and because of the sinful choices of man, God has provided the way (“The Altar And The Door”).

Musically, this is exactly what you’d expect from Casting Crowns – heartland rock and roll with power ballads mixed in. Listeners don’t come to Casting Crowns for platitudes about the beauty of the Christian life. Although that’s true, too. Hall and company want to have an impact. They want to move the Church to action. Specifically, to action that more closely fulfills Jesus’ call on those who claim His name – to go into all of the world and share the good news and minister to those who are hurting. That’s all the group wants – and it’s everything.

 

Kingdom of Comfort by Delirious

Reviewed by Susan Lloyd

 

 "Sonically fresh and lyrically challenging, the album features thirteen tracks that leave the listener wanting more…"

 

Listening to Kingdom of Comfort is somewhat of a bittersweet experience, because the latest offering from the UK band Delirious? was released shortly before the band announced that 2009 would be the year of its last tour. That makes KOC the last album of new material that Delirious? will ever put together. For fans of the enduring UK based band, the announcement must come as a shock, but they may be comforted by listening to what is arguably the band’s best album of its career. Sonically fresh and lyrically challenging, the album features thirteen tracks that leave the listener wanting more… and knowing that’s all Delirious? has left to offer makes one want to savor this CD.

The title track “Kingdom of Comfort” is a hard hitting honest look at the creatures of comfort we have all become. The plea to be saved from “The kingdom of comfort where I am King” is one we should all cry out, and the introspective view point of the song speaks volumes about the transparency of song writers Smith, Garrard, and Thatcher. Musically, the song has an interesting texture and marries acoustic instrumentation with experimental percussive sounds in a way that somehow manages to keep the lyrics pushed to the forefront. Lyrically, the three collaborating band members who wrote all the tracks on KOC seem to have laid bare their souls as they dig through their own struggles with materialism.

“God is Smiling” relies on a distorted guitar hook followed by an equally distorted bass line to lay the foundation for the more upbeat and hope laden song. Delirious? brings to mind the styling’s of U2 and the insanely popular Coldplay on this particular track, and haunting synth work serves to transport the listener to a solid European rock feel. The track is followed by the raucous “Give What You’ve Got”. Smith’s vocals seem to mirror Queen’s Freddy Mercury on this particular track, and the band manages to make the most of an earlier 80’s rock style that just gets inside your head and makes quite a statement.

Unique, far from manufactured, and passionate, songs like “Love will Find a Way”, “Eagle Rider”, and “Wonder” give full validity to every reviewer who has given kudos to Delirious for the sheer creativity of its songs. These songs in particular showcase intelligent lyrics as well as experimental instrumental layering that is seldom heard in more commercially successful music. Thankfully, even though the band was accused on several occasions of “selling out” in order to secure a higher mainstream profile, they truly did not sell out. These songs in particular explore content that isn’t so comfortable for the listener to confront, and the boldness of lines like:

“I stare in the eyes of this flesh and bone. I’m a tourist here so tomorrow I go home.

I try to make sense of the things I’ve seen between the poverty and the five star dream”

are concrete evidence that Delirious? is not as interested in selling a song but as in serving a Savior.

Another standout on the track listing is “All God’s Children”. The rolling synth and stark use of guitar work gives the song a landscape feel that lends itself well to the worshipful attitude of the song. However, as stunning as “All God’s Children” is, the real jewel on this CD is “How Sweet the Name”. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a song that treats the name of Jesus with such awe and reverence and at the same time makes the person of Jesus seem so real and close at hand. The song begins by going in a more traditional praise chorus direction and tends to stay there throughout both verses and the initial chorus. But when Smith’s voice jumps an octave on a choral repeat, the song begins to take a more dramatic turn that explodes into a soaring compilation of well woven sound. The climax of the piece showcases all that Delirious is capable of on a musical level, but somehow it manages to usher the listener into a holy moment where he is forced to reckon with his own desperate need for a Savior.

There are so many well crafted, well engineered songs on Delirious?’ last CD, and there is no question in my mind that “How Sweet the Name” is the piece de resistance. I’m left to wonder if Delirious has not stopped their work together long before they should have because of the richness of the music they’ve put together for this last session in the studio. But, if Delirious? is going to call it quits, it’s a good thing to be able to go out on a high note leaving fans with a CD that justifies the years they’ve followed this impressive, cerebral, and always faithful band. If you don’t own any music by Delirious, Kingdom of Comfort is the one Delirious? CD that belongs in your collection. It is a fine example of how music can be transcendent, timeless, and cerebral without becoming obtuse and misunderstood. God bless the members of Delirious? as they go their separate ways. We are grateful for the years this band has spent creating music that brings us all closer to the One who loves us best.