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Reviews - D
Jody Davis - Self-Titled
Delirious - Glo
Deluxtone Rockets - Green Room Blues
Desert Fathers - The Spirituality
Dizmas -
On A Search in America
Dogwood - Building a Better Me
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 Jody
Davis - Self-Titled
By Chelsea - 2001
Yet another Newsboy puts the
spotlight on a solo project outside the band. Jody Davis' self-titled
debut exhibits his wide range of abilities, including songwriting,
guitar and singing. His choice of music is rather different than the
typical Newsboys sound, displaying Davis' will to make his own sound
heard. The modern rock/pop tracks are heavily laced with guitar, drums
and bass, with the addition of horns in some songs, contributing to the
unique sound.
The subject matter of his songs never strays from a firm hope in God,
seeking His presence and putting our faith in Him. His vocals are
impressive, with a wide range not ever heard on any Newsboys album. A
song that definitely stands out is the opening “Believe,” a song
with an edgy, rocking sound that sets the stage for the rest of the
album. The following tracks are all enjoyable, and it's easy to listen
to the entire album without skipping a song. He puts forth a substantial
record, but his release may still be overpowered by his band mate Phil
Joel's release, even though it's a different sound. Davis goes beyond
the constraints of the Newsboys’ traditional sound, creating his own
sound that sets him apart from the other guys in the band. It's
definitely not what you're expecting, which can be a good thing, or
depending on your outlook, a bad thing. |
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Buy Jody Davis
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With their latest release,
Glo, Delirious has made a
comeback to the worshipful songs heard on King Of Fools and
Cutting
Edge, after
their
record Mezzamorphis left Delirious' signature worship sound and
explored more of a heavy rock element. Glo comes back with the refreshingly, familiar rock, worship style. The hit song off the
album, "Everything," addresses the fact that God is everything & without Him, we are nothing. One drawback is with the exception of two or three
tracks, most songs on the album could not be used for a church worship service.
But with Martin Smith's remarkable British accent and their awesome
lyrics, they are a band like no other, and with this album they lead
their fans to Gods throne, worshiping at His feet.
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Official Delirious
Site
Buy
Glo |
The Deluxtone Rockets have adopted a new sound on Green Room Blues,
with more rockabilly and less swing.
With no horn section, the band sounds different and their lyrics
have taken a great leap from their debut.
In addition to a new sound, the band has two new members and
although they are still called the Deluxtone Rockets, they seem to be a
new group.
Overall, the
songs are enjoyable, but sometimes it seems the band is exploring too
many different kinds of music all at the same time.
This makes the album a little choppy, but lets the listener see
the Deluxtone Rockets experiment in areas they hadn’t before.
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The
Desert Fathers - The Spirituality
By Chelsea 2004
Popping
this CD into the player, I had no idea what to expect from the disc that
came from a brightly colored, uniquely packaged case. The Desert Fathers
is a group on Three Spheres Records, composed of Acquaman (guitar &
vocals), The Real (bass) and Levitas (drums). The opening track, Agnus
Dei, greets the listener with
just a soothing chant and no music. The next track, A Practical Joke, is
nothing like the previous song and is full of unique guitar work and
silent moment when someone says “I think I’ve fallen out of a
plane.”
This release is one of the most bizarre, but intriguing CDs I
have ever heard. Vocals are strong throughout the track, the guitars give
each track a distinct identity and the drums keep the songs moving
smoothly. It took 2 engineers working over 3 years in 7 different studies
to help The Desert Fathers create their musical work. Each song is a dive
into a new experience, as they each have a common background, but a
totally different style and sound. An upbeat song leads right into a
somber, reflective piece. It’s a definite “must hear” simply for its
unique qualities and excellent musicianship.
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Official
Desert Fathers Site |
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Dizmas -
On A Search in America
By Lissy Berg 2005
 As
I cranked up the volume on my stereo, I didn't know what to expect.
Dizmas. That was all I knew, which didn't exactly help me, considering
I'd never heard of them, much less their brand new debut album,
On A Search in America. Within seconds, though, my room was
overwhelmed with the soulful screams of lead singer Zach Zegan.
Personally,
it didn't take long for me to get tired of track after track of
unintelligible shrieks. With some variety here and there, it wasn't all
redundancy, but all the screaming lyrics were practically mind-boggling!
Taking a look at the words (I had to read them, since I couldn't for
the life of me understand what they were saying), I saw the basic,
God-centered, Christian lyrics. It didn't seem like they really took a
lot of effort to write meaningful lyrics, which was disappointing.
Taking a
break from my negativity, Dizmas is obviously a talented new band, with
lots of potential for becoming even better. The chaotic, screaming
music doesn't appeal to me personally, but fans of Blindside and Taking
Back Sunday will appreciate what Dizmas has to offer in On a Search
in America.
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Buy
On A Search in America |
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Dogwood’s release, Building a Better Me, captures a sound not previously
heard of the band. The album is gentler than the other releases, but
still has a gritty punk sound, giving it two aspects that will appeal to
a wider audience. Lyrics deal with heavy issues but the messages come
across clear. Musically, Dogwood is at their best, adding an acoustic
guitar in some places to mix up the sound. All 16 tracks are
worthwhile listens. Overall, a great album for
old followers of Dogwood as well as new fans of modern punk.