downhere

Item: So Much for Substitutes
Author: Josh Hurst

So Much for Substitutes

(2003)

Reviewed by Josh Hurst

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Label Word RecordsThe Rebel Base2003

ccm modern rock pop rock

You know the old saying, right? The one about a band having a lifetime to record their debut album but only a year to make the follow-up? Well, that may or may not be true, but after spinning So Much for Substitutes, the sequel to downhere's superb 2001 debut, I'll be the first to say that, however much time these guys had to record this disc, they used every minute to fine-tune their hooks and their melodies. It's a wicked-cool rock record, even if it does fall short of their debut's greatness.

And let me emphasize that Substitutes really does have big shoes to fill. Downhere's self-titled freshman project was my favorite debut of 2001, mixing a disarming, down-to-earth humility, diverse influences, and contagious passion into a delicious concoction that restored a bit of my faith in the Christian music juggernaut.

If there's one thing that Substitutes does well, it's taking that infectious energy and cranking it up a notch. In their press material, the band mentions a desire to duplicate the energy of their live gigs onto a disc, and at that they're madly successful. Opener "What It's Like" serves up a steaming plate of good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll intensity, downhere style, and uses Marc Martel's ferocious Kevin Max-like vocal and kick-butt guitar chops to prove the following point: Downhere is a guitar band to be reckoned with.

Sound too good to be true? Well... it kind of is. In order to make room for their beefed-up, jam-style rock sound, downhere and producer Jimmy Lee Sloas trimmed away many of the eclectic influences and instruments that made the group's debut so very charming. In other words, don't expect to hear much of the whistles from "Reconcile" or the harmonica from "Raincoat."

Also disappointing is the songwriting, which is, again, not necessarily bad, just a cut below the quality of the band's debut material. Ever dive into a cool swimming pool on a hazy summer day, momentarily bask in the refreshing shelter from the sweltering heat, and then realize that there's a bunch of nasty algae or something floating in the water? That's kind of the deal here; these lyrics, penned by the dynamic duo of Martel and Jason Germain, look appealing at first glance, and are ultimately worth diving into, but a few isolated lines leave me feeling dirtied by the disgusting fungus of mediocrity.

As is so often the case with modern rock records, the most obvious lead single leads off the album (why break from tradition when conformity is so much more fun?). "What It's Like" is at least as fun as a barrel of monkeys, with a no-holds-barred sing-along chorus from Martel and a sugar-coated but oh-so-fun "whoa whoa" break in the bridge that might tempt Jimmy Eat World to sue for plagiarism. The lyric, a reminder that Christ knows as well as anybody what it's like to suffer, to be "one with the dust," is slightly more interesting than the words from the song's downhere counterpart, "Larger Than Life"; the rest of the song isn't. The following song, "Stone," another infectious pop/rock ditty that's just begging for radio play, gets cool points for some clever lines ("So much for the strain of playing a game/ where champions always lose everything"), but it ultimately leaves me hungry for some of the more diverse arrangements found on the band's debut.

So goes the rest of the record. These songs would be wicked cool if they came from another band; from this particular band, though, they seem like a step backwards. There are some real gems to be found, especially in the lyrics department ("Feels Like Winter" is a beautifully gritty, honest portrayal of depression, and "In America," a wistful song of loneliness, oozes the kind of genuine emotion that is far too rare in the sanitized, plastic land of CCM). But even downhere's poetic well seems to be running a bit dry sometimes; "Starspin" is a glaringly generic worship song, a far cry from the last album's charming highlight "Great Are You." And with such straightforward, mundane arrangements and instrumentation, I don't foresee this one demanding frequent rotation the way the band's first album did. Still, these tracks are fine as rock songs; they just don't quite cut it as downhere songs.

Review Summary:

1. What does the album sound like?

Fairly standard pop/rock. Downhere is not dissimilar to Jars of Clay.

2. Is the album well made?

For a pop/rock project, yes, somewhat, though the songwriting is weak in places. Unfortunately, it's something of a creative step backwards for the band.

3. Will you enjoy the album?

Perhaps, if you like pop/rock and you won't miss the band's more diverse side.

Final Score: 3 out of 5.

3/5