Human

Item: Out of the Dust
Author: Mark J. Aylor

Out of the Dust

(1998)

Reviewed by Mark J. Aylor

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Label Organic RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1998

alternative rock hard rock

Organic Records has really put out some good stuff lately, and their newest band, Human, is no exception. This debut album Out of the Dust is smoking!

Human's music is an interesting blend of the harder alternative genre (almost, but not quite grunge). You can hear shades of Grammatrain, King's X, Skillet, fellow label mate Bride, and several others including even some heavier Bloom era Audio Adrenaline. When it comes right down to it though, Human really has its own style. Saying they sound like any of these bands just isn't fair to them. It's like saying apple pie just tastes like apples--they have a well-blended sound all their own, and it really jams.

Human is: lead vocalist Randy Kinnet; rhythm, lead, and acoustic guitarist Carl Sapp; bassist Vic "Vixter" Sapp; vocalist, rhythm and acoustic guitarist Dean Martin Vanderwoude; and drummer Erick "Turtle" Garcia. Several others help out on various tracks, the most notable being Steve Hindalong playing percussion on four tracks.

From the poignant "Read Your Mind" to the final song, "Feel" the entire album challenges us in our search for the Truth and then to tell others about it. A common theme running through the lyrics is our need to have God in our lives as seen in the Bride-esque "I.O.U":

Try and try as I might
Try as I may
But without my whole heart
I could never compensate

I owe You for my life
Without You
I can't survive
I owe You for my life
Without You
I'm only half alive

"In the Name" also takes up the theme of our need for God in our lives, but the plainest is the melancholy acoustic "I Can't Live":

A chill is in the wind
It's catching me again
Three words softly spoken say it all
I can't live, I can't live
One more moment without You
The door is open walk on through
I can't live, I can't live
One more moment without You
I can't live, I can't live
I can't live without You
I just can't live

A chill is in the wind
It's catching me again
Three words softly spoken say it all
You've always been near
But soon you'll be here
To fix what I've messed up in my fall

The lyrics won't leave you stunned with their depth, but the delivery will. The heartfelt, soulful singing of Randy Kinnet makes the words come alive. His talented and skillful vocalization weeps, pleads, and demands your attention. It makes you wonder what he would be able to do with verse like the kind Stavesacre writes. A good vocalist can't save everything though. Even with this artistic vocal performance, the whole thing would flop if the music were less expertly played. Every member of the band is an excellent musician and does an outstanding job making the tunes come alive. From the heavier "Lemonade" and "Fat Man's Delicacy" to the near acoustic "I Can't Live" and "Disguise," Human demonstrates their versatility and proficiency on a wide range of styles and emotions.

With the stunning vocals and music talent, the only thing left that could hold this back is the production, and the crew at Organic has come through again on this one. Human's vitality and emotional charge are left wholly intact, and given that little extra kick to take the sound over the top by the masterful production. A nice touch is a new twist to the now old hidden track trick. After the end of the fifth song ("Hand Me Down") there is an excellent tribute to U2 in a remake of "Bullet the Blue Sky." Don't try to find it, because it isn't mentioned anywhere in the liner notes, and if you try to find it by sampling the first minute of each track, you will miss it. Neat trick, nice remake, a fresh idea for a fresh new band.

If the lyrics had a little more depth, this would be complete for me. There's always next time though, and Human is good enough to be around for a while.

4.5 tocks