Readers of the Usenet newsgroup rec.music.christian have likely heard of Farewell to Juliet and producer/guitarist Jeff Elbel. I had heard about the band in that forum for some time before I actually ordered their disc, and when I finally heard it, I kicked myself for not having ordered it sooner. Grace and Dire Circumstances is a solid album, and is doubly impressive for being a self-produced independent release.
Musically, the band blends acoustic and electric guitars in such a way that neither dominates the overall sound. The result is a sound that's more aggressive than Jars of Clay and not as noisy as many of the "modern rock" bands that currently abound, though "Thermostat" shows that the band can crank it up when they want to. Several disparate influences stand out in the band's sound, from 80s Rush to early Sixpence None the Richer to FTJ's "favorite band," the Choir, from their Chase the Kangaroo period. Vocalist Brant Hansen turns in some good performances here, though his vocals seem to sound somewhat better suited to praise songs like "Fear the Lord" than to rockers like "Seven Three One." One complaint is that the lead vocals sometimes sit a bit too far out in front of the mix and overpower the excellent background vocals and instrumentation.
Lyrically, the album is somewhat uneven, even within individual songs. For every pleasant turn like "Stagger through and curse the dark/Or light the midnight oil/A land of milk and honey lies/Beneath this northern soil" from the band's cover of the Choir classic "Chase the Kangaroo," there's a jarring lyric like "Hello, my name is daddy/I'll be your sitter for a while/Don't mess yourself/Don't mash your peas/And please don't lose that smile" from "Justice." Still, the band aspires to a more poetic approach to lyric writing, and even if they don't always succeed, the effort is to be commended. In many cases, even when the lyrics don't quite measure up, the music is good enough to carry the song through.
Standout tracks include "Holiday on Ice," the joyfully Sixpence-esque "Browning's Pearl," the intense "Ever Be," and the aforementioned remake of "Chase the Kangaroo," in which the band reworks the song musically and lyrically, and turns out a surprisingly good take on it.
While not without flaws, Grace and Dire Circumstances is a pleasant listen with some legitimately good songs. Pick this disc up now, and when the band gets discovered by a major label, you can say "Yeah, I knew them when..."
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Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #72Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernBack after its highly respected and sought after debut, Echoes of Laughter, Farewell to Juliet bring to the table a highly credible, mostly pop-oriented record entitled Grace and Dire Circumstances. Jeff Elbel is a great producer, guitarist, and writer, so it's a blessing to have his name show up in the credits before I even hear the record. The song "Justice" appeared as "Bean" on a project by…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by James StewartAnybody who follows the internet discussion group rec.music.christian will almost certainly have come across the band Farewell to Juliet, if not through the participation of guitarist/vocalist Jeff Elbel in the group, then through the ravings of other discussion participants. The band's second full album, Grace and Dire Circumstances, is a well-presented project released on their own label,…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Titi Ala'ilimaAfter five years and a bout with band mitosis, Farewell to Juliet is back with their second album, Grace and Dire Circumstances. No sophomore jinx here. The cover depicts a butterfly beset by flames, grace under fire as it were. These guys certainly display that with this new album. Their debut record, Echoes of Laughter made quite an impression on those of us fortunate to have heard it, but even…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinFarewell to Juliet's reputation as a Choir clone is not helped by their reverent remake of "Chase the Kangaroo," but that connection seems to suit this band just fine. The Choir-esque sounds aside, the real question is: is there room for another intelligent, artsy modern rock band with a familiar sound? Farewell to Juliet makes a powerful case. Despite their obvious veneration for their favorite…Similar sounding releases
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