Nobody told me how rotten the latest album by The Darkness was! Not even a clue. I had some cash, so I picked up their album on a whim. I'd laughed and had so much fun with their video that I'm sure I'd enjoy their album.
Not even close. Can't stand it. I have to admit, I'm only about 7 or 8 songs into it, but the thing is awful. As far as old school 80s metal/rock goes, I'm enjoying the new Scorpions album, Unbreakable, a LOT more. The fun-time retro schtick album by Nineteen88 is better than The Darkness. Take away that lame "Metal Pokey" song and you've got a solid album of AC/DC riffage with actual good hooks. This Darkness album? Sigh. It's a chore just to get through it.
Am enjoying the new Lost Dogs album right now. Hearing a new, slower take on the classic song, "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" is pretty fun. Such a super song. There's something about authentic words when they're approached in a slowed-down, take-a-moment-to-think-about-it pace like a good country song. It's unassuming. There's not the pressure of a speeded delivery or bombastic power chords to shove a message down your throat. It's a gentle invitation to listen and hear. It always seems to work. It seems only veteran musicians catch on to this, but it's also a genre thing. Rock and rollers don't listen to country, or blues, or folk, or any number of world music genres. The good thing with the current musical landscape is that a lot of rockers (and fans of other genres, too) are listening outside their comfort zones and learning by exposure.
That beautiful Choir song, "Like A Cloud," is also on this album (Mutt). These talented individuals finally dug into their catalog to spice things up. I think the Lost Dogs should tour 20-25 dates opening up for Pedro the Lion this fall, culminating in a CMJ appearance. Then they should headline those exact same venues in the spring, culminating in a SXSW appearance. Is anyone listening? Would Pedro's people do it? I think this is the sort of thing Lost Dogs should do. But that's just my opinion.
Hey, Dear Ephesus is recording a new EP. That's right! How cool is that?
In Daniel 9:20 Daniel has a vision while he's praying. What was he praying? Oh, only confessing his sin and the sin of his people Israel and making his request to the Lord. How often do I confess my sin before the Lord? Not often. How often do I confess the sin of God's people around me? Rarer still. I should take note of this.
God is called the Morning Star.
Revelation 22:16 states:
"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
Like many of His Names (the Door, the Truth, Lamb of God), this one is interesting.
Back to rating albums. David Allen and I give each album in the Album Reviews section a rating from 1 to 5. 5 is a classic, and I've only given one of those in the last 3 years. This is as it should be, unless, of course, there was a flood of excellent output all of a sudden, but that is very rare. A 1 is "amiss," meaning it's just bad. A 3, which may surprise some, is actually quite good. 3 means "solid," and solid is good. The reason it's in the middle is that there is a lot of competition around and the level of art is good. 3 is what you'd hear on the radio. A 4 is "fabulous," which means it stands out from the pack. It's the song on the radio, for instance, that goes high on the charts. It's that album you can recommend and not feel even a tinge of regret or guilt or 'I hope they don't listen to track 3 first. It's bad. A 2 or 2.5 means there is something "suspect." It means it would be a solid album if it wasn't for a track or a few tracks that bring the whole album down. The Switchfoot album, The Beautiful Letdown, for me received a 2.5, because while some of the material is outstanding (especially "Meant to Live"), there are a few songs that just make me sick -- typical CCM radio dribble. A "filler" song or two exists on an album like that. Tracks that keep the album from being a solid listen from beginning to end. Now, sometimes a hit can be so powerful that the album gets a higher rating even though there may be some "throwaway" tracks on it. That's where the whole rating system gets a little subjective and a judgement call is simply made.
There, that's enough text for one day.