Dakoda Motor Co. (formerly Dakoda) is one of the newest rock bands to appear on the Christian rock scene, and they easily make themselves stand out with a sound that is both distinctive and fresh. In terms of musical style they combine 90's head-banging rock with late 70's and early 80's rock, while adding a touch of the blues and surf music to round it all out. The mix is very smooth-one minute you can be thrashing to an interlude of staccato drums and electric guitars, and the next minute be bopping your head to a melodic California cruising song and not miss a beat. Throughout the changes, the lyrical content is not compromised a bit nor is it anecdotal or trite. Songwriters Peter King and Davia Vallesillo make a powerful duo, and artfully steer the lyrics away from the standard and the drab and into the realm of poetic and vivid imagery. For baby-boomers of yesterday or the twenty-somethings of today, Into the Son is an album that skillfully meshes 3 decades of rock styles into a new blend that is sure to be enjoyed by a lot of people.
One of the aspects that makes this album attractive is the use of strong imagery combined with simple expressive lyrics. In the song "Grey Clouds," Vallesillo, handling lead vocals, describes the faithfulness of God in tough times using a metaphor for cloudy days and the hope of sun (or more directly the Son). "Grey clouds in the sky, clutter up my mind. Blue skies aren't a part of me, as far as I can see. You are the light, guide me through the night..." Imagery relating to God and aspects of nature, particularly using the comparison of Jesus, to the sun, run through several songs on this album like "Wind 'an' Sea" and "Ocean Seems" which give the album an earthy feel that's appealing and refreshingly honest. The main theme of this album is Jesus; who he is, what he has done, and what he still does for those who trust in him, and Dakoda Motor Co. skillfully communicates this from a perspective that is both fresh and novel. The lyrics tend to be simple, but the addition of solid acoustic and electric guitars, tight drum work, and an occasional harmonica, transform something that would otherwise sound a little bland to an enjoyable experience.
One of the key strengths of this album is that the band is in a field all by themselves in terms of style compared to the rest of Christian music, and the change is very refreshing. The music is actually a lot of fun, a quality sorely lacking in a lot of other genres, while at the same time it sacrifices none of the same truthful retelling of the Gospel. This is an album for anyone interested in new and interesting sounds, or just some good cruising music for the car.
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