Just in case I didn’t make it clear the last time around, I love The Benjamin Gate. The five-piece South-African band really blew me away with their 2001 debut, Untitled. Perhaps it was a mistake for me to review that one so soon after purchasing it last summer, because it did take a few listens for me to fully appreciate their “wall of noise” approach to a vertically-directed set of Christian rock songs. I’ve done my share of ranting and raving about the band since then - that’s for sure. Maybe part of it’s because there aren’t a whole lot of credible female-fronted rock acts out on the Christian market right now. Even fewer of those acts are fronted by women younger than I am, and who keep the artistry in-house by handling the songwriting. (In case you didn’t get the memo, Plumb appears to be in limbo.)

I was so intrigued by what I had read about The Benjamin Gate, in fact, that I picked up their debut on the strength of sound clips alone (this was during a brief hiatus from downloading music online, as Napster was in crisis at the time and I hadn’t yet discovered AudioGalaxy). Once the full force of the album sank in, it ended up topping my list of albums released in 2001, and year after its release, I haven’t gone more than a week without listening to it at high volume. And this was the band’s debut. Certainly they had nowhere to go but up, right?

Well, sort of. I was excited to hear that the band would be releasing a follow-up album with an actual title, Contact, in the summer of 2002. I guess it never really occurred to me that a year and two months was generally a little soon for s sophomore record. To be honest, the lyrics were a bit minimal throughout most of Untitled - which sometimes led to vagueness or repetitiveness, but their sound was strong and diverse enough that it rarely bugged me. Besides, the band had a way of grabbing my attention with a phrase or two, drawing my attention into a song that might have otherwise been filler material, and then slamming me over the head with a deliciously singable chorus. And I can safely say that this approach hasn’t changed on Contact.

So what has changed? Well, for better or for worse, not all of the lyrics are “vertical” this time around - some of the songs address other people (usually fellow Christians) rather than addressing God directly. They still have a way of snagging me with an intriguing line here and there. Overall, the musical approach has changed slightly. There are still a lot of layers to their sound, but this time around, the band has taken a lighter approach to their shimmering brand of modern rock, which will likely make them fit in a little better on Christian Hit Radio. It’s this change that worries me the most. While I still love their overall sound, there aren’t as many songs about which I can boldly proclaim, “THIS ROCKS!!!!!”

And yet, on the flipside, there aren’t any slow, contemplative moments like “Hands”, the lovely piano ballad on Untitled. Towards the end of the record, there seems to be little variation in the straight-ahead pop/rock sound, up until the last few songs, which are more aggressive, but seem wildly out of place. Maybe there’s a purpose for that approach in the grander scheme of things, but honestly, I had to wait longer than I would have liked to review this album, because I found myself getting impatient and not allowing those last few songs to sink in. I thought that maybe listening to the album on random would help a few of those songs to stand out more (which I can do, by the way, because thankfully, this CD doesn’t have its hidden track at some insane number like 77 with a ton of 15-second tracks of silence in between!) But for the most part, it didn’t.

Still, make no mistake, a good 2/3 of this record is solid Gate goodness. But there are parts of it that feel like some rushed decisions were made because ForeFront Records was pressuring the band to (a) get this record out and keep their name in the spotlight, and (b) make more songs that were palatable to a mellower audience. I can’t verify those facts, but I have my suspicions. I said last time around that they’d probably be an even better band if they weren’t on a major CCM label, and I’m gonna stick with my guns on that statement.

Lift Me Up
Sunrises in black and blue
Sunsets say “I love you too“…
The album starts off with one of its strongest tracks - a good segue between the Untitled material and the new stuff. Starting with a confident guitar riff and quickly breaking into a frenetic, dance-styled beat, this song immediately had me grinning from ear to ear. It’s classic Gate (if a band can be considered to have a “classic” sound after only being around for a year or two) - a combination of the blatant catchiness of “All Over Me” and the infectious dance-ability of “Nightglow” (which were my favorite tracks from the last record). Right out of the gate (pun intended), lead singer Adrienne Liesching grabbed me with one of her intriguing lyrics - “Seeing through a hole in time”. She has this way of painting God’s image with a certain mysticism that transcends space and time (which is what God really does, hence why I like her lyrics despite their sometimes repetitive nature). Despite a somewhat generic title, the futuristic language of the song really captures her longing to be taken away to be with her Lord, and I can really feel that longing when she asserts during the quiet bridge that “Every day away hurts a little more.”

This Is Not
I‘m not losing hope, I‘m not laying blame
I know we both want love, I know we feel the same…
Here, the Gate kicks their sound into high gear while taking a slightly different approach than what worked on Untitled. The mood here is light and quick, even though the track really rocks - that and the subject matter remind me a bit of Superchic[k] or maybe even No Doubt. Here, Adrienne is singing about the pressure the world places upon her to “be the right girl”, and she’s realizing that perfect in the eyes of the world is “not what I need to be”. I love the playful, almost punk-ish nature of the song, as well as the guitar effects used to mute certain segments of the song. It does end a tad suddenly, though.

The Calling
I felt the softness of your inner core
All your intentions so pure and so raw…
I get the feeling that track #3 is going to be the big pop single on every Benjamin Gate record. “All Over Me” was #3 on Untitled. But comparing that song to this one will surely lead to disappointment. I don’t know what it is, but this song seems far too light and pedestrian for what I know the band is capable of. I like the audible inclusion of acoustic guitars, but overall, the song just doesn’t quite have enough oomph to really get going before it ends at just before the three minute mark. It almost seem like a radio edit of a more solid song. The melody also isn’t nearly as interesting as “All Over Me”. I like the lyrics, since they seem to be addressed to a person who feels called to use his/her talent for God’s glory, but is afraid to get out there and take risks. Adrienne reminds this person that she admires him/her, and informs them that “Isolation won’t be your protection.” But that isn’t enough to save the track from disappointing mediocrity.

Do What You Say
In one moment He will make me complete
Do I talk about it to be a part of the elite?
The album’s hardest rocking track (and first single released to rock radio) was actually the only song I heard before purchasing the album (which was rare these days, but I decided to exercise my faith in the band and not download anything ahead of time). It’s certainly a bit sassier than anything on the band’s last album, approaching “Scream” and “Lay It Down” in its level of intensity, but instead of being addressed to God, it’s a warning directed at Christians who try to coerce others to conform. I love Adrienne’s enunciation on the verses when she confidently remarks, “We’re here to love and not to be manipulated/To each his own, and that should never be understated!” That last line might ruffle a few feathers, but I understand it to mean that we’re called to love each other and not to distort the Gospel with petty rules that restrict the diverse personalities God gave us. One thing that really distracts from this song (and it will become a trend on this album) is the chorus, which is simply “Oh, oh-oh-oh, do what you say, oh, oh-oh-oh, do what you do.” I can see what it means in the context of the song, but taken on its own, it’s little more than bubble gum.

Overkill
I can‘t get to sleep, it only brings exasperation…
Now this is cool… The Benjamin Gate manages to pull of a cover of 80’s band Men at Work. (For those who missed the memo, I hate most 80’s music… especially new wave.) I’ve never heard the original, but the band did a good job at picking a song with intelligible lyrics - the song is a strong reminder that worry doesn’t help much of anything. The band makes no attempts (that I know of) to “Christian-ize” the song by adding lyrics, but it works just fine in the context of the rest of the album, addressing the stress created by unnecessary anxiety. I love how the song effortlessly flows between its solid, “Bullet the Blue Sky”-style drum beat and sweet “ooh”s in the intro to the quieter, detached-sounding verses, underpinned by Costa Balamatsias‘ chugging bass riff. Adrienne certainly makes good uses of her sassy, modern-rock-chick warble. I haven’t heard her cut a bad vocal yet (though I’m guessing her voice will irritate those who expect female vocalists to be sweet and pristine and nothing else). I also love how the song fades out on peaceful, ambient keyboard tones, leading purposefully into the next track.

Need
I wanna be close to You
So close I disappear into You…
Though it might be considered a mistake for the band to place two mid-tempo tunes back-to-back in the front half of the album, both of them have a definite overflow of energy, and this one’s got a massive, space-age guitar riff guaranteed to lodge in your brain. At least, it’s going to take some pretty advanced surgery to remove it from mine. Lyrically, this one’s fairly simple, as Adrienne passionately promises that she will give all her needs and feelings up to God, and refuses to be “bound by anyone’s opinion”. (I’m sensing a subtle theme of identity woven into this record.) The musical structure of the song is alarmingly simple - after fooling around a little on my guitar, I realized that the verse and chorus were little more than a constant shift back and forth between F sharp minor and D, but it’s the dual guitar attack from Mac Pautz and Chris Poisat that make it work, along with some fiery drumming from Nick Volsteedt (man, these South African names are tricky!). This is one of those songs that works best sung at the top of my lungs while flying down the freeway through downtown L.A. (Not during business hours, obviously.)

Light
I said a prayer for you tonight
To be strong for the weak in heart…
Another confident pop-rocker slices in just as “Need” fades out, this one slamming the listener immediately with a stop-start drum beat and another processed guitar riff. The lyrics here are a little thin, though I love what they have to say - Adrienne is addressing another believer and promising to be strong when that person is weak. (The song kind of makes me think of my girlfriend, in that respect, since she’s someone who is able to kick my butt when I slack off spiritually.) The chorus is almost annoyingly repetitive, boldly declaring “I’ll be your, I’ll be your, I’ll be your light/I’ll be your, I’ll be your, I’ll be your love”, but it redeems itself with the line “Together we will be one”. It’s another short, radio-ready number, but it’s feisty enough to still win me over.

Your Kisses Blind Me
I‘m breaking up, my walls are coming down now
This gravity pulling me towards You…
This song certainly has one of the most compelling titles I’ve ever seen on a Christian record! Given what I know of The Benjamin Gate, I knew that this would be a fairly intense love song to God, since it seems out of character for the Gate to address human romantic love (though it’d be interesting to see them try one day). Sure enough, the music fit’s the lyrical mood, as a few “oh”s from Adrienne echo off into the mist while a spacey guitar riff swirls around her during the song’s intro. The drumming is more restrained, adding to that sense of being detached and floating in the dark… these guys are good at creating ambience! The song still kick in with a solid beat during the chorus, so I can’t exactly refer to the song as a “ballad”, but whatever the case, it’s pretty sweet. The only things that seem out of place are an annoying sound effect during the bridge (ir’s not too obtrusive, just rather odd) and the chorus, which is simply “Na na, na na, na na-na na-na-na (repeat 2 more times), Your kisses blind me”. I like how the chords change during that part, but the song could have been 10 times more compelling with some real lyrics there. In any case, it’s easily apparent from this song that Adrienne is madly in love with her Savior, and it’s hard to communicate that in a song without being extremely cliché or pretentious.

Tonight
I will light my candle
And burn it bright in an endless night…
Here begins a run of three songs that sound almost too straightforward pop/rock for what I’ve come to expect from The Benjamin Gate. “Tonight” is arguably the strongest of the trio, starting off with an appreciated guitar riff and some lower-end vocals from Adrienne, as she puts out a call for unity in the face of adversity. Her vocals are pretty sweet when the verse climaxes just before the chorus and she’s simply singing “Tonight, tonight” over and over (don’t worry, it’s not a Genesis cover, though I think of that song often when I hear this one). I like the image of “lighting a candle” - it makes me think of a lot of prayer vigils that took place around September 11th. I’m guessing something tragic inspired the song, though I don’t think it actually was 9-11. If I’m wrong and it was, I hope the band never says so, because I don’t tend to like quick, easy, and somewhat vague songs written specifically on that subject.

Gratitude
Overwhelmed, love so free
I‘ll drown inside the tears You weep…
Interestingly, this song wasn’t on some of the original track listings I saw for the album. There were only supposed to be 12 tracks at first, so I’m led to believe that this was an 11th hour tune recorded right before the album’s final pressing. To be honest, nothing about this song really grabs me and it should have been left to simmer a little longer. It’s not that there’s anything bad about it per se - it’s a fairly fast-paced song of gratitude to God for salvation. I guess there’s just nothing here that I haven’t already heard done better by the band, and many other Christian bands before them. It’s far too easy for this song to run together with the ones surrounding it, and no Benjamin Gate song should ever do that. I think a ballad would have fit in here nicely to break up the frustratingly fast but gentle pace of the back half of the record.

The Way You Are
Careful you don‘t turn away
You‘ll soon be screaming to this beautiful display…
This song fares a little better than “Gratitude” - it’s got some shimmering keyboard sounds to set it apart. The overall sound is a little too light, but I like the use of percussive syncopation during the verses. To be honest, I haven’t quite figured out what this song’s verses are about in light of its fairly simple chorus (“The way you are couldn’t bring more joy, couldn’t free me more to give.) I’m not sure what the “beautiful display” and “beautiful delay”, which are mentioned in the verses, are supposed to be. While Adrienne’s snagged me with a difficult lyric, the song itself doesn’t grab me that much, and by this point the first time through the record, I was honestly very annoyed that the band seemed to be taking the easy way out in terms of composition.

Violently
Whispers, I can hear You screaming silently
Cries of joy, pain, or is it healing?
The rock factor kicks back in here as another effect-laden guitar riff is set off, somewhat like an alarm, and dark bass chords begin to swirl around it. I love how Adrienne’s voice manipulates the lyrics around during the verses, undulating up and down between a few notes on the same syllable here and there. The first few lines are really attention grabbing - “White lights flashing, blood pouring violently” - unfortunately, most of what you hear during the rest of the song is some variant of “Gotta fight ‘til we reach You” or “Gotta reach ‘til we find You”. It really drags down what would have otherwise been a stellar song. I was fully prepared for lyrics that approached the graphical intensity of Jars of Clay’s “Liquid” or Third Day’s “Thief” in describing the crucifixion of Christ, and I certainly don’t mind poetic vagueness as long as I have a lot of lyrics to work with. Unfortunately, I don’t have that here, and it keeps this song from being a Gate classic. I’m sure it’s still going to be a concert highlight, though.

Fall Away
A heart full of hurts, a life needing healing
A mouth full of words with so little meaning…
It was quite a surprise to see that the Gate saved one of their most rocking songs for the end of the album (though “True”, the hidden track on the last album, was pretty intense). A lower, buzzing guitar tone starts this one off, and then a tone sounds off as if an elevator has arrived at its destination floor, right before the drums kick in and Adrienne begins singing rather anxiously. I don’t know, I like the musical mood of the song, but it seems really weird when posed as the last track on the album, especially when it abruptly ends in under three minutes (once again!) It just doesn’t seem to bring closure to the album, or a final thought to really walk away with, since the chorus is simply “I fall away, away, I fall away, away, I fall away, away, away.” (At this point I’m realizing that the band doesn’t seem to like including lyrics in the bridges of their songs, which pretty much means you’re not gonna hear anything new after the second verse). I like how the drum beat switches between single and double-time in the song - it’s certainly a lot of fun, but I guess I was hoping for more of a slow-burning ambient fadeout to “officially” close the album, as “Live Out Loud” did on Untitled.

The Calling (original version)
There is a hidden track on Contact, and thankfully, it’s not buried after endless minutes of silence - just about a minute or so, and it’s still part of track 13. What we seem to have here is the original rendition of “The Calling” before the band mellowed it out and made it more radio-friendly. The tune is still the same, so it’s still pretty poppy, but it’s got more of an electronic feel that fits better with the band’s usual style. I like having this here if only for the fact that I can rip it onto my computer and save this version as a separate mp3, so that I can swap it out with the radio version in an mp3 playlist. Still, listening to the album all the way through means I hear “The Calling” twice, and since it’s one of the least interesting songs on the record, I often find myself skipping track 3.

There’s also a CD-ROM portion on the disc (hey, they made good use of their extra space this time!), which features some current info on the band. A picture gallery from their time spent in the studio, a screen saver and other goodies for your computer, and the video for “All Over Me” (which doesn’t seem to have much of a point other than to familiarize you with the band’s look, even though Adrienne’s hair color has changed from red to blonde in between albums). It’s nice to have the extra stuff, though I long for the day when people figure out how not to make these things start up automatically when you stick the disc into your computer to listen to it.

Contact is definitely worth buying. I’ll stick behind it only slightly less than I stuck behind Untitled (which means I’m still a rabid fan of the band, and I’m just pulling for the next album try a little harder and now cater to radio play as much). A lot of people who didn’t care much for Untitled have found Contact worth their while, likely to the slight shift in lyrical focus (people are getting tired of an overload of “vertical” songs in Christian music these days, which is understandable). And I’ll agree with that stance. Some critics may still deride the band for not being altogether original (they owe a lot to the popularity of Plumb and Garbage, and also U2’s experimentation with electronic rock in the 90’s), but they’re good at what they do, and their sound is just tasty for modern rock aficionados like myself.

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Lift Me Up, Need, Overkill, This Is Not, Your Kisses Blind Me
Good: Do What You Say, Light, Tonight, Violently, Fall Away
Decent: The Calling (both versions), The Way You Are
Weak: Gratitude
Skippable: NONE

Band Members:
Adrienne Liesching: Vocals
Mac Pautz: Guitar
Chris Poisat: Guitar
Costa Balamatsias: Bass
Nick Volsteedt: Drums
Marc “Thux” Theodisiou: “Ghost” songwriter

P.S. Whoever thought it was a cute idea to make the CD booklet look like screenshots from an old Mac drawing utility should be shot!

Website: http://www.thebenjamingate.com


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving