Tooth & Nail Records has to be one of the best record companies in the industry. With their ubiquity of quasi-Christian bands, they provide not only good music but also good morals. Their newest addition, Search the City, certainly conforms to the good music part of the company. Their style has drawn comparisons to bands like Anberlin and Mae (two of my favorites); and although all of the songs on the their new album, A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It, may sound similar, they all sound great. However, it seems that Search the City is more “quasi” than “Christian.” Nearly all of their lyrics deal with the pain and anger of break-ups, but they offer no real solution to the problem. It is this repetition of lyrical subject and failure to at least more indirectly point to Jesus for hope that dampens my enthusiasm for the album slightly. The album is appropriately named, as basically the words reflect a history of relationship burnouts. Regardless, all of the songs sound amazing, and it’s definitely one of the best albums I own.
1. Son of a Gun – This song was the band’s first single released from the album. Musically, it represents what much of the album consists of: sugary guitar riffs, harmonious vocals, and pounding bass lines. It also represents what the rest of the lyrical content will be like: “Marionette, (are your strings tied tight for proper movement?) Take a deep, deep breath. (I'm dying just to wrap these strings around your neck.) I'll stitch my eyes wide open 'cause I don't want to miss the look on your face when I drive away.”
2. To the Moon for All I Care – Here, the lyrics express a disappointment in one’s life. “Tell me about my future cause I already know my past, let's make up for all the time we've missed, so let's just get this over with, this is just one more mistake I have to live with, so please forgive the escape from the world I hate.” But again, there is no solution provided to this disappointment.
3. Detroit Was Built On Secrets – This is one of my favorite songs on the album. The chorus is addictive, the kind that will get stuck in your head. The bridge just sounds awesome. The lyrics deal with the secrets in one’s life that come back to haunt one, and how one rarely does anything about them: “This city was built on secrets, it's where all the good ones come from, you must have missed me, cause you don't have a thing to say every time I go away, so this is what we're up against in this city of secrets, oh my God, forgive me for who I’m not, we all steal looks when we can, driving by the accident, but we never stop.”
4. Ambulance Chaser – This is one of the most popular songs on the album. It opens with a really cool guitar riff/solo sort of thing, whatever it is, it sounds cool. The lyrics deal with the pain caused by the end of relationships (not exactly new ground there). “Now I’ve come undone just so you could stitch me up, this damage seems to suit you, if I’m going down then you're going down.”
5. Talk Is Cheap and I’ve Got Expensive Taste – Besides being cleverly named, this song sounds pretty good. Not one of the best, but not bad either. I won’t go into the subject of the lyrics, as they’re basically the same as the last few songs. “If things were better without me ever knowing the truth, these ties we'll sever so long forever, I hope everything works out for you.”
6. The Rescue – This is another one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s also one of the more popular ones. The quality of the lead singer’s voice really comes through on this one. The lyrics deal with the same stuff. Interestingly though, the album’s title is mentioned in this song. “And there you go again with all the trouble that you get in, it's pins and needles, we'll start a fire so big the Heavens can see it, you give going up in flames such a good name, and now I’m paying for all the mistakes that you made.” The chorus goes on to mention being rescued, by whom or towards what is unclear.
7. Bigger Scars Make Better Stories – This song incorporates some cool synth elements. The lyrics seem to reference the regret of leaving someone. “So close, so close forget it, cause close doesn't count when you're counting on me, this is how we'll ruin everything, I wish that you could see how this is killing me, if bigger scars make better stories then you should see the scars on me.”
8. Streetlight Diaries – This song opens with an awesome drum solo. Musically, it’s one of my favorites. Lyrically it again deals with a break-up, this time with someone who clearly needed to be left. “You've got heart shapes in ink, Yeah, you wear it on your sleeve, You're so the one-liner, I'm such the critic, We've all been cynics once in our lives, You talk about the hard times, Like you've had such a hard life, Should I be impressed, with how easy you undressed?”
9. In This Scene You’re Just an Extra – Rather than blaming others in this song, the lead singer blames himself for problems in the relationship. “I took a shot in the dark but I came up short, and I swear to God this time it's gonna hurt, can we pretend that it never even happened?, I will sing myself to sleep cause you've made a liar out of me.”
10. Clocks and Time Pieces – This is another of my favorites on the album. It features a rapidly pounding bass line throughout. The song pretty much summarizes the themes of the album. It begins with the whispered lines, “We’ve all got a past, and these ghosts are holding us back.” These lines are whispered throughout the song, before entering the chorus. Overall, the song seems more encouraging than the previous numbers. “I look out on the city lights, Wonder where you are tonight, There's so much that I wanna' say, Will you ever let me, And if I pour my heart out, Do you want the truth?, Yeah, I'd pour my heart out, I at least owe that to you.”
Overall, Search the City’s A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It is a good album. I really like the musical tone of the songs. As stated, they have drawn comparisons to Anberlin and Mae; however, these bands offer much more lyrically than Search the City. They delve into deeper subjects than the pain following break-ups and offer at least an indirect eternal perspective. This is where Search the City falls short, but they’re talent still earns my recommendation.
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