Okay, we see new hair styles? How about new musical styles? Well, not really. Jimmy Brown and Co. pretty much keep traveling in the direction that was first charted with the Stay of Execution album. We still hear a theatrical "David Bowie meets Eric Clayton" vocal sound layered on top of a full and heavy bottom end and progressive chord structures -- almost like mixing the dreamy high end with the doomy low end.
Lyrically, Jimmy Brown seems to be continuing down the road of more and more introspection juxtaposed with the character of God. Sometimes Jimmy will write about darker themes, such as the casual non-value of life and ongoing destruction addressed in "Belltown," but that's certainly not the focus of the entire album The enduring love his wife gives him is revealed in the touching and musically haunting ballad, "U Still Smile," and the bigness and awesomeness of God and His forgiveness is explored in the title track and "After I Fell," which reminds me of the tune "1990" from the Learn album.
The hallow guitar tones in "After I Fell" add to the track's somber tone, and give it a U2-like atmospheric mood. This seems to musically emphasize the vulnerability of man, while the keys in the title track add a similar feel, albeit more power oriented, which seems to help emphasize the awesome grace of God.
The searing lead guitar playing in "Speed of Light" still show the band's roots in classic metal, which could have just as easily been found on a Rainbow, Maiden, or Queensryche album (I'll bet Jimmy tires of seeing that last band's name in his album reviews!).
"A Little Sleep" is the long-awaited full-on collaboration with rap group 12th Tribe. The result is a lot heavier than anything you'd hear on MTV rap slots. The crunching rhythm makes sure of that. The song takes a real look at the Bible's warnings about laziness, with Jimmy's self-harmonized voice tackling the chorus and the 12th Tribe dudes doing a cool job of delivering the verses.
As with the past two Deliverance albums, the production direction of Terry Taylor can be felt. It is most obvious here in the Deliverance original "Map," which sounds like a Daniel Amos tune played at the heavy Deliverance decibel levels. While it's harder to pick the standout cuts than it has been on past Deliverance albums, since this one is moodier, but it keeps a consistent vibe for over 48 minutes. Call it a good album with few surprises.