Resurrection Band
Lament
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
I'm terrified of hype. I don't know if it's because I've been disappointed so many times before or not. You know how it is: You hear that "this is the band's best album to date," and you have to wonder if they say that with every album. Now that I've heard the album, I'm glad to report that I'm not disappointed.
This album finds the band returning to its basic roots of gutsy, blues-inspired hard rock coupled with acoustic textures to create swell dynamics. The sound achieved warrants the name change back to Resurrection Band. To address the hype once again, it's a consistently good listen all the way through, and would qualify as the band's collective best, but they haven't topped the greatness of a tune like "Shadows" with any cut here. One of the best tunes here, "Mirror," suffers from a dramatic delivery of "over and over and over and over a cross," where Glenn's strained voice helps conjure the right desperate emotion, but it's just not aesthetically pleasing. The rest of the tune, though, throbs with emotion and power - thanks in part to the cool lead guitar fills.
The concept of this album is written with an introspective honesty that makes the easy-to-follow plot interesting and deeper than a simple story. "Been sorry for the past/sorry for the war/sorry for the pain/for the day I was born...but in change/could be admission of regret/and I don't know if I'm ready/ready for that yet."
The harmonies in "Surprised" capitalize on Wendi and Glenn's strengths together. This will probably be one of the spots where the influence of producer Ty Tabor is felt. The drum cadence in the bridge could even be a progressive nod to King's X.
The harmonica and romping rhythm of "On The Move" find the band in boogie mode rather comfortably. The tambourine adds more depth as the song sizzles with a spiciness and subtle energy that would befit a movie soundtrack. The loud and raucous "Summerthrow" launches soon after, finding the band rockin' a la AC-DC.
The overall impact upon the band's fans will be the same as the impact upon skeptics and new listeners - big smiles and nods of approval. This ain't the best album in the history of rock music, but this Grrr release is dog-gone good!
Other coverage for this album
7ball #1Reviewed by Chris WellAfter more than 20 years and scads of albums, it must be really hard to be Resurrection Band. Although they really have turned out solid product all these years, it's been a while since they actually surprised anybody. Lament may change all that: Although their experiences as members of the Chicago inner-city ministry Jesus People USA has always infused their music with a natural sense of drama,…