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In September DC*B released its ninth studio album, entitled Church Music. While the band has always had electronic vibes in most of its music, this album features even more programming, particularly in the drums. Although I generally like most of DC*B's music, this album  does not really live up to A Collision (or 3+4=7), the band's 6th record.

                               

Most of the drumming on Church Music is programmed. Listening to the album, I missed a lot of the “signature beats” from drummer B-Wack. The band also didn't try to fuse together different styles of music, as they have in the past. “Eastern Hymn,” “The Nearness,” “The Veil,” and “We Are Loved” have the same general sound, which features more synth and less guitar, and similar chord progressions. On A Collision DC*B combined elements of bluegrass, rock, and electronica to produce an interesting sound. Church Music is more of a pop album that stays within one genre (for the most part). However, DC*B can't help but add some different styles, such as the disco delvings of “Church Music (Dance!)” or the rock-ish sound of “God Almighty, None Compares.”

 

Curiously enough, there is no end to the flow of music in this album. All of the tracks have small outros that lead into the next song. This album also features a couple of guest vocalists, including Lacey Mosely of Flyleaf and the female singers of the band Eisley.

 

Lyrically, David Crowder (vocals, guitar, piano, and lyrics) keeps things simple. Unlike Remedy, the band's 8th studio album, which included  several plays-on-words and elaborate phrases, Church Music is straightforward. Here are the highlights of the record.

 

“Shadows” — This song has an irresistible groove. During the pre-chorus some synth-bells play a melody separate from Crowder's vocal melody. The chorus of this song best sums up its message: “When the shadows fall on us / We will not fear / We will remember . . . / We're resting in the shadow of the cross.” This song is refreshing due to the lyrical simplicity and beat.

 

“All Around Me” — Many of you readers will recognize this song from the band Flyleaf. DC*B provides an excellent cover using only piano, vocals, violin, and some atmospheric noises. Crowder's voice really shines on this song. The simple and airy sound truly lends depth to the lyrics. I think the goal of the cover was to make it sound like a presence is in the air around the listener. The feel of the song brings out the line, “I can feel You all around me / Thickening the air I'm breathing.” This cover is one of my favorite tracks on the record.

 

“Birmingham (We Are Safe)” — The opening line to this song is a combination of synth and string melodies. This machine noise resounds while Crowder sings the first verse. Although the beat is electronic (except in the chorus), it resembles a spastic B-Wack beat from earlier albums, which might be my favorite aspect of the song. The lyrics are amazingly simple. I especially love the first line of the verse: “Your love is relentless / And I'm glad for it.”

 

“Oh! Happiness” — This song is probably one of the “happiest” songs DC*B has ever recorded or written. From the opening synth-intro to the closing chord, DC*B captivates the listener. The choir accompanying Crowder's voice during the choruses sounds wonderful and makes the song more full. The chorus lyrics are again simple and catchy. Crowder and the choir sing, “Oh Happiness / There is grace / Enough for us / And the whole human race.” I love that rhyme.

 

“God Almighty, None Compares” — Violinist/DJ Hogan takes his violin playing to a whole new level on this song. As the song bursts into a long musical outro, Hogan plays scales on his violin, surpassing even the guitarists' riffs and licks on this track. After the first verse the band shifts beats for the chorus. This song is the only track on the record to feature acoustic drums throughout the entire song.

 

While Church Music is not a bad record by any means, it contains more mediocre songs than good ones. DC*B has always been one step ahead of most of the Christian Contemporary genre. However, this record seems more Christian radio-friendly than past albums (especially their cover of “How He Loves”). Overall, Church Music is not terrible, but it leaves much to be desired from fans of A Collision.

 

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