It would seem that the three siblings that front Chasing Furies come by both their spiritual and musical inclinations honestly. Lead guitarist Joshua Meeker and his sisters, vocalists Sarah and Rachel, are second-generation preacher's kids, and both their father and grandfather are church worship leaders. The Dallas area band began by making the rounds at local coffeehouse open-mic nights before performing at the annual Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, Colorado in 1997. For their Sparrow Records debut, With Abandon, the trio deftly mines the last three decades of rock and pop music, taking its cues from an eclectic set of influences. The soft pop of "Throw Me" and "Enchanted" is a ringer for the contemporary alternative soft rock of artists like Out of the Grey and Considering Lily, while the majestic acoustic texture of "Fair Nights Longing" is along the lines of White Heart and Bon Jovi's late '80's and early '90's power ballads. The laid back, improvisational groove and bare instrumentation of "Nothing" are pure crossover jazz, while the thick guitar texture, swaggering backbeat and piercing vocal work on "Thicker" hark back to Heart's finest work during the mid-and late '70s.
The album deals chiefly with relationships, employing mostly romantic language and a sometimes obscure writing style which tends to initially render a good number of the album's topics nebulous. Oddly enough, though, it is precisely this type of shaded wording, together with Sarah Meeker's beautiful and well-crafted poetic imagery, that makes the release so engaging. Clever word portraits, such as that of God's wooing of man in "Whisper Softly" (Lilacs filling our senses looming/Moonlight indigo swoons around us/You thought you'd lie and wait/For me to whisper softly/'You are mine') and of man's yielding to God in "I Surrender" (I'd quickly forgotten what I'd once so adamantly proclaimed/With no one left standing I am the only one left to blame/I was so strong yet so blinded/Now you've taken my heart to where I'll never find it) seem virtually bound to nudge listeners towards a closer examination of the album's themes.
For all of its impressive musicianship and lyrical work, the debut effort isn't perfect. The inordinate amount of sonic treatment on "Writhe for Hearing" is mostly relegated to noise and comes across as more gratuitous than contextual. And the energetic wall of distorted guitar and bright orchestral flourishes on "I Would Drown" are still not enough to overcome an overly dissonant texture and unimaginative chord structure on what is essentially a weaker song. Still, the effect of shortcomings such as these is minute in the overall context of the album. It is more than offset by the trio's stunning vocal work, tight harmonies and topnotch songwriting, all of which contribute to making With Abandon such a sparkling and cohesive musical statement and, indeed, one of the better releases so far of 1999.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Josh HurstCaptivating. Enchanting. Enthralling. These are words that I seldom use to describe an album. But in the case of With Abandon, the debut album from 3-piece brother/sister/sister rock band Chasing Furies, I cannot think of any better words to use. Musically, this record is excellent. Fusing the sonic diversity of Earthsuit with the haunting, other-worldly feel of Sixpence None the Richer or Plumb,…HM Magazine #75Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernThis eclectic and very talented new group takes seriously the need to present non-Christians with quality art. Sounding like nothing you've heard in the Christian market, the band brings to mind groups as varied as Radiohead and Over the Rhine. A beautiful piano interlude and earthy dueling vocals (a la Sarah Masen) are, on occasion, interrupted by the freedom of a rock guitar, none of which are…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinAccording to classical Greek mythology, the Furies were avenging goddesses that punished criminals through life and beyond death. Usually limited to three in number, they were often described as horrible, hideous creatures with snakes for hair and really nasty attitudes, which is probably the (super)natural result of either spending most of their time in Hades or haunting offenders, murderers,…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartLush, textured art-pop with a few aggressive moments. Both male and female vocals take the lead at different points and the overall effect varies from earthy to ethereal. Some listeners may find a couple of the songs a little contrived, but it's a relaxing album that rewards careful listening. 3.5 tocksThe Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Tommy JollyEvery now and then a major label latches onto an act residing just outside the borders of the status quo. Chasing Furies are the latest such act, a trio of siblings playing modern rock with worshipful lyrics. That might not sound terribly unusual, but it's done terribly well. Sarah and Joshua Meeker's songwriting reflects how troubled pasts give way to total devotion to God in the present. Some…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Israel KlossChasing Furies' first five songs start out with an ethereal sound. The most striking among these is "Throw Me." The song starts and stops like a roller coaster jolting you, forcing one to listen. As if one is on an airplane, every time the song seems to be taking flight, it grinds to a stop and is silent; then starts into passionate flight, then silence. It is actually a pleasant roller coaster…Similar sounding releases
2004MarillionMarbles
2002LaRueReaching
2002David CrowderCan You Hear Us?
2005RPWLWorld Through My Eyes
2004Andy ZipfI Stole the Morning Sun
2003Tom WehrleSomething You Can't Find
