Andrew Osenga

Item: Photographs
Author: Matt Windham

Photographs

(2003)

Reviewed by Matt Windham

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Label independentOpus2003

acoustic rock americana folk singer-songwriter

Originally published at Opus

Andrew Osenga is back, ladies and gentlemen. He just forgot to get a record label and bring along his former band, The Normals. Apparently he recorded this album in Nashville in a room above his garage, and actually he did bring a few guys from The Normals to play on a track or two. Andrew takes things a bit slower on this record than he did with The Normals, opting more for the acoustic guitar than the effects-laden stuff we saw on the last 3 Normals releases. And even when he does pick up the electric, it is decidedly slower and mellower than anything he's done with his old band.

However upset you might be at the break-up of The Normals, whose second album Coming To Life was critically acclaimed as one of the best records of 2000, you will love this album. Andrew has the songwriting ability to bring the listener into the lives of his characters. This is an album of both fictional and non-fictional characters throughout their journey called life. For those Normals fans out there, expect songs that tell tales just as he did on the last two Normals albums, but very different musically.

In "We Were So Sure We Could Change The World," Andrew laments about the fact that he and his old band mates no longer play and live together, but admits that his new married life is not that bad at all. Sentimental sidenote: A good friend of mine just got married, and ignorantly I had this CD in the player on the way to the wedding. This song came on right before I pulled up to the church, and needless to say, I cried like a little girl and felt stupid walking in with bloodshot eyes. All of which shows how powerful Andrew's writing is.

On "Kara," Osenga talks of a failed relationship early in college that he wishes would have worked out. A very well-written piece. In fact, Grassroots Music Distribution is carrying this song on their latest compilation album, a testament to his songwriting ability. On "When Will I Run," he gets help from ex-Caedmon's Call frontman Derek Webb, and sings of longing to run to God but not knowing when he will.

Sure there are a few flaws. "High School Ban" runs on a little too long and "Vegas" is a little weird for a Christian artist to write, but he has put together a tremendously real album. The reason I say "Vegas" is a weird song for a Christian to write is due to it being about a man leaving what he calls "normal" to go to Vegas and get married. The line "I'm going down to Vegas, I'm going to find a girl/Won't ask any questions, won't expect the world/I know that she won't love me, but I don't really care/She might not be The One but she'll be there, there in Vegas" doesn't sound like something a Christian should be doing. I would say that this song is the weakest on the album, and it seems a bit out of place when considering how Andrew's writing comes off as "real life."

This is an album that has the potential to be the soundtrack of your year or even your life. "Too Far To Walk," "Beautiful Girl," and "New Mexico" (the last 3 tracks) tend to drag the album down a bit; but if and when the album gets picked up by a major label, they will reposition the track listing to get the greatest effect of his slower songs.

So you've read the review and you've never heard of Andrew Osenga... not even The Normals... get it anyway, you won't be let down. From one to ten I give Photographs a solid 8... no if's, and's, or but's about it. Do note that Andrew has no label, so you will probably have to get the album from his website: www.andrewosenga.com. That is, unless you have a really cool music distributor in your town.