Pros: Caedmon's Call has managed to stretch their sound and create some intriguing, fun new songs.
Cons: Sometimes these songs feel too produced.
The Bottom Line: Sometimes the changes in the band's sound work; sometimes the sound isn't as sharp and the lyrics aren't as compelling as on 40 Acres.
divad23's Full Review: Long Line of Leavers by Caedmon's Call
The story of Caedmon's Call is a pretty common one in contemporary music: Take a folksy independent band accustomed to playing coffeehouses and college auditoriums, sign them to a label, add water, and watch them grow. Not that these guys needed any help making good music, but when they signed on with Warner Alliance Records back in 1997, stuff happened. A huge buzz launched their name into the center of the Christian music circle before their first radio single had even been played much. Their blend of acoustic rock, three lead singers, a slew of good songwriters, and some fun production quirks and unexpected instruments here and there gained them a good deal of popularity, as did their excellent cover of Rich Mullins' "Hope to Carry On". What wasn't to like about this band? They were deeply spiritual and introspective, not to mention poetic, and at the same time, very simple.
Fast forward to 2000. Their first record label has fallen apart, and they've resigned with Essential, putting out two albums in rapid succession. 1999's 40 Acres didn't have as much musical variety as their first album, but it had some of their best songwriting ever. Then changes occurred in the band's personnel, as well as their approach to writing and recording, and a short year and a half later, we have Long Line of Leavers - Caedmon's Call version 2.0, which was been heralded for its return to more sonic diversity, and lambasted for sounding "overproduced". You wouldn't expect that from such a relatively short stint in the recording studio - the band has said that they went in with a batch of songs and recorded most of them live, instead of tracking each instrument individually and retaking everything a zillion times like they did during the 40 Acres sessions. There are simply different minds at work in the production here, so the results are more varied - a folk/rock band playing with an arsenal of poppy and quirky sounds. Most are welcome on this album, some are not.
The Only One is probably the most shocking example of the "new Caedmon's Call". It starts out with a light electric guitar strum, adds in some subtle electronic noises underneath the drums, and tops that off with a few horns blasting here and there. Come on, horns in a Caedmon's Call song? Don't worry, they're not attempting a ska motif here. It's really a catchy song, dealing with the seemingly endless line of people who have tried to love and failed, pondering how God continues to love relentlessly despite receiving the worst betrayal from His children. This is where the album derives its title, and it's one I can relate to, coming from a long line of disillusioned and dysfunctional families myself. Cliff Young takes the lead vocals confidently here, with some subtle backing from his wife Danielle Young - the two really are a superb team when combined with vintage Caedmon's Call songwriter (and former member) Aaron Tate.
Love Is Different shifts gears a bit too suddenly, back into the acoustic guitar and banjo-laden feel of past songs like "Faith My Eyes" and "Bus Driver" (without as much whimsy). Derek Webb, the band's other lead singer (yes, they have three!) takes control here, following the typical pattern of the band where he and Cliff switch back and forth, occasionally giving one to Danielle in between. It's a clever song, as most of Derek's compositions are, addressing a former lover and explaining why it didn't work out - love didn't exactly work the way they thought it did, and they both know better now. It's a wise sentiment instead of just a bitter breakup song, but the percussion is too light to keep the momentum going after the first song.
Prepare Ye the Way may sound a little more traditional, which is no surprise, since it was written by John Michael Talbot (who I believe is a Catholic monk). It is a call for unity, for believers to stop tearing each other down and miring themselves in hatred and self-righteousness, and though the language is a little more "Christian-ese" than Caedmon's Call is normally comfortable with, the message is one that needs to be heard by the church today. Like the previous song, it can also come off as being a little clunky due to the light percussion, but it has an incredibly memorable and singable chorus that should make it a fan favorite in future concerts. (And trust me, these guys - and girl- are really good live.)
Prove Me Wrong is a surprisingly short little ditty about struggling to hold on to your faith. The band has dealt with issues of freewill versus predestination and so forth in past songs like "Where I Began", but here the honesty is brutal - it's getting hard to believe, and very tempting to defect to some other religion that seems to offer more gratification. Cliff and Danielle harmonize nicely on the catchy chorus, and if you read the liner notes, you'll catch a clever pun and Biblical reference: "Before I Baal/Please prove me wrong." Of course, the band is not inviting Christians to rebel against the idea of faith. They are acknowledging that faith comes from God, and we can't conjure it up on our own.
Mistake of My Life, is a bouncy, Beatles-style song in which we get to bask in more of Derek's wit. His song tend to revolve around relationships, and this one is no different - he seems to be pondering whether a particular woman is the right one for him, and thinking through what might happen in the future if he decides to marry her. He wants so much to make things work, but he admits he is in way over his head and has no idea what he's doing, making us understand his plight and laugh at the same time: "Since we met, my life's been so up in the air/Here today, but by next week I could be there/On the street, struggling to support my newest vice/With a sign saying I will work for love advice/'Cause I will mow your lawn/If you'll tell me what I'm doing wrong." Underneath it all is a reverence and reliance on God - how else are we to know when something like this is meant to be, or how to handle it responsibly if it is?
Masquerade is a smoky blend of folk and jazz that provides an excellent chance for Danielle to leave the guys behind for a few minutes and shine on her own. The song draws a simple parallel between the light of a town on the horizon and the light of God, explaining that one looks pretty but is very deceptive, and the other will completely outshine and eradicate it. The instrumentation is very light here, but it works well, relying mostly on guitar strumming and some light piano playing from the band's newest member, Josh Moore (who is only 17 years old, but an excellent keyboard player).
What You Want is one of the most rocking songs the band has ever done, and one of a few on this album where the guitars are entirely electric. Unraveling this one is a bit difficult, but it appears to deal with how we mistakenly judge our worth by what other people like us and need us, especially in the context of romantic relationships. I've never heard Derek Webb sound so emotional before - he really lets it out on this song in a way we haven't heard since "Not the Land" from their self-titled album. Way to go, Derek!
Valleys Fill First sounds rather basic compared to some of the other music on this project, but the guitars have a slight country twang, and the harmony between Cliff and Danielle makes for a compelling chorus. Lyrically, this is one of the deepest songs (no pun intended) Aaron Tate has written for the band yet, dealing once again with doubt by way of the familiar Biblical "valley" analogy, and lamenting that nobody seems to understand why the Christian life should have these dark periods, but finding solace in the fact that when God rains His mercy upon the Earth, it collects primarily in the lowest spots. It's a clever use of an old analogy - something Caedmon's Call has quite a knack for. This seems to be "just another Cliff song" at first, but Danielle is more prominent in backing him up during the chorus, and Derek gives us a nice surprise by taking over for the bridge.
Can't Lose You is another of Derek's musings on singleness, this time a little more dominated by Josh's keyboards. It's not as bouncy as "Mistake of My Life", but still pretty poppy. Here he is a little bummed because he feels unable to go forward with his life or to even know where God wants him to be, while he watches all of his friends go off and do all of these amazing things. He admits that he has failed to appreciate his own role in helping all of it come to be, and that God is in control of all of it: "The older I get/The more that life is making sense/And it's similar to traffic or being President/'Cause I'm not the one in control." (That line always makes me chuckle, in light of the recent election drama.) Still, he wonders if he'll be stuck this way forever, possibly making a reference celibacy: "Maybe I've got the gift that everyone speaks so highly of/Funny how no one wants it."
Love Alone is a slower, acoustic ballad that seems a little lackluster at times due to its tempo and fairly basic tune and percussion, and the out of place electronic keyboard tones in the background. I like what the song is about - it deals with being overwhelmed by all of the suffering in the world and feeling like you're powerless to do anything about it, but understanding that God is the one who heals and would love to make you part of that process. Still, lines like "Swing Your robe down low" come off as a little contrived, trying too hard to be clever. I get bored with this song sometimes.
Dance is one of those songs that I think the band had more fun recording than I do listening to it. From its title, it seems like it should be more of a band-jam like "Thankful" from their last CD, but it just kind of lightly floats along with a slightly jazz-influenced musical backdrop, not packing as much of a punch. It's kind of a weird story - Derek sings from the point of view from an old woman in a convalescent home who received a weekly visit from a young bass player who cheers her up and makes her long for Heaven, where her husband and one of her children are waiting for her. Sometimes it strikes me as corny, but sometimes it convicts me that elderly people don't cease to be excited about anything just because they get older. Rather than be depressed that she is nearing the end of her life, this woman is excited to find out what awaits her on the other side of death - that's exactly where I would like to be when I am old.
Piece of Glass is another acoustic Danielle ballad (she seems to almost always get the slow songs thrown her way) with a couple twists - it was originally recorded a few years back on the band's Intimate Portrait CD-ROM, and I believe it marks Danielle's debut as a songwriter. It's a great collaboration between her and Derek, who is content to be in the background during the bridge. Lyrically, it's definitely one of their best songs ever, dealing with an anorexic woman who only sees her worth in terms of how she looks in the mirror. Of course, this is an important subject in society today, where an alarming number of women (and men) believe that they are "fat" and are locked in a constant pattern of drastically losing weight and gaining it back again, and feeling worthless all the while. Danielle finally stands up to this image, realizing that it is only a piece of glass, and has no real power over her happiness. I might still prefer the older version of this song - the guitar strumming has been replaced with a sparser picking here, and the percussive weird sounds in the background are a bit distracting. Still, it stands to become one of CC's signature songs, and I hope they give Danielle a little more room to show us her talent on future albums.
Ballad of San Francisco is a rather odd way to end the album. Though the past two albums also ended with upbeat songs ("Coming Home" and "40 Acres"), this one is a whimsical shuffle based around bass and accordion, in which Derek takes one last look at his single life. Perhaps he is becoming content with it and learning to trust God, but he is still hoping for a way out (which he has found since then - he's engaged now!), and so the song ends on a rather unresolved sentiment that there is a vague hope of not being lonely in the future.
A few folks have complained that Derek's relationship-heavy songs didn't seem to fit in on this album, but I think they add a much needed humanity to the more spiritual struggles dealt with in the "Cliff and Danielle songs", as I like to call them. It's just part of the band having two different songwriters turning out most of their material independently. I think they did a good job of tying all of this stuff together into a loose package, and placing a good label on it to explain that these are tales of confused, broken, and lonely souls who haven't gotten everything right, but still God will look after them. Musically, it may not be as tight as 40 Acres was, but the band's stepping into new territory, and I thank them for that, because the market is overrun with unplugged indie folk bands at the moment, and though I hope they don't go too pop (we don't need another FFH), I'll probably be in the long line of buyers for as long as they're putting albums out.
TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY Excellent: Valleys Fill First, Piece of Glass, Mistake of My Life, Masquerade, What You Want, Ballad of San Francisco
Good: The Only One, Prove Me Wrong
Decent: Love Is Different, Prepare Ye the Way, Can't Lose You
Weak: Love Alone, Dance
Skippable: NONE
Band Members:
Derek Webb: Vocals, guitar
Cliff Young: Vocals, guitar
Danielle Young: Vocals
Aaron Senseman: Bass
Garrett Buell: Percussion
Todd Bragg: Drums
Josh Moore: Keyboards
Aaron Tate: Not technically in the band, but he writes a lot of their songs.
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