Taking their name from the directive in Ephesians 4:29 to encourage one another, vocalist Jason Roy and bassist Scotty Beshears formed the nucleus of Building 429 in North Carolina in 2000. After recruiting Paul Bowden (guitar) and Michael Anderson (drums), the band toured heavily throughout the South and along the Eastern Seaboard before meeting up with modern worship artist Jason Ingram in late 2002. Through Ingram, Roy and his cohorts were introduced to Jim Cooper, who produced a demo recording for the group which led to a deal with Word records in December of 2003.
On the musical side of the coin, the better portion of the Glory Defined EP pulls from the band's Southern roots. Roy's voice is a dead ringer for Third Day's Mac Powell, and songs like "All You Ask of Me" and "Show Me Love" feature a decidedly Third Day-influenced Southern pop/rock aesthetic. Elsewhere, the darker tone and heavier guitar textures of "Free" fall somewhere between the melodic post-grunge of Collective Soul and the swaggering '80s-era hard rock of artists like Honeymoon Suite and Bad English. And the shimmering "The Space in Between Us" highlight the band's dexterity with slower, acoustically-based fare.
Lyrically, Roy and his cohorts concentrate on the dual themes of human frailty and divine grace. The anthemic title track points to the assurance of life after death which carries Christians through hard times. "Free" is a post-salvational declaration of dependence on Christ. "Show Me Love" highlights God's patient understanding regarding the believer's struggles to consistently do what is right. And the austere, best-of-album "The Space in Between Us" is a simple song of longing to draw closer to God.
In fairness, the 429 collective breaks little new ground, musically. And some might consider the group's concentration on human weakness a bit excessive. That said, Roy and his partners go to great lengths to point to God as the ultimate source of hope and change, rather than focus exclusively on human failing. And while the band's influences are admittedly rather easy to tag, its ability to turn out infectious, instantly memorable compositions is both admirable and rare. While the length of the group's musical tenure may well be determined by its ability to forge a more singular musical identity, the Glory Defined EP is a solid first effort that stands up quite nicely alongside the work of those who inspired it.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis March 2004Reviewed by Phil NicholsGenerally, in the Christian music scene, record labels look for bands that they could market as Christian alternatives to mainstream artists. When this is done, the results are rarely admirable, and Building 429 is no exception. Catering to the fans of the all-too-common radio rock genre, Glory Defined is a bland and uninteresting EP that lacks originality and diversity. There is a prevalent…The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Olin JenkinsOkay, by now you've heard the title track to this EP project. Don't run out to get it without fair warning. Slap Glory Defined in your CD player expecting to hear the radio version of this number one song, and you'll be surprised! This North Carolina former indie band reminds me of FFH in only one aspect: before that band made it big as Far From Home and changed its name to FFH, it released an EP…
