Grind your teeth for a long time, and eventually they will erode away. The habit is a strange one, but there are some people that cannot help it. Every night in their sleep, their teeth grind back and forth until nothing is left. Now dentists know to prescribe mouth guards, but for a long time, there was nothing anyone could do.
Consider Strange Occurrence as a mouth guard. Since the late nineties, the Christian rock scene has not only been stale, but it's been grinding itself downwards. Making the exceptions of P.O.D., Chevelle, and possibly Pillar, there was not too much hope for young Christian rockers. Even with the bands that had some potential--at least in the minds of optimists-- they never seemed to last.
Thankfully, fresh from Seattle, Strange Occurrence offers a new taste to Christian music. With a mix of watery and distorted guitars, their sound will certainly be a hit. Those knowledgeable of modern rock will notice the influence of Pillar, 38th Parallel, Puddle of Mudd, and Creed, but their debut is far from being a replica. Most distinguishing is the voice of T.J. Harris. His tone has an edge, but refreshingly, is not as thick and muddy as what is common in the secular scene. A close comparison might be Seven Day Jesus, just with an updated sound.
Highlight tracks are "Fear" and "Inside." The former ends a female vocal duet, which is a sweet touch to a hard rock album, and the latter leads from a simple electric introduction to a crisp distortion groove. Both rank among the better Christian songs this year. In addition, most listeners will recognize "Reach," which has quickly made a dent on Christian rock charts and TVU's Ten Most Wanted.
Regretfully, however, lyrics are the weak point of the album. Clichés abound, with words about holding hands, running and flying away, flipping a coin, breaking from a cage, dancing in the rain, tearing down a wall, etc., etc., etc. As a writer, those things 'grind' at me, but looking at the modern music selection, apparently most listeners do not seem to mind elementary content. Excluding that weakness, though, this is a great primary release. The sound alone is probably worth the buy.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #75Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernHere's some driving hard rock from the Northwest, though the sound transcends most regional stigmas. The music, however, is decidedly modern rock, with very gutsy singing, heavy guitars, and some nice melodic hooks.
