Pros: Sonically sharp and somewhat diverse songs with challenging, meaningful Christian lyrics.
Cons: Steven is still trapped between two audiences, and not sure which to cater to.
The Bottom Line: One of the best Christian albums in recent years. Won't appeal much beyond the Christian market, but SCC has a lot to say with great music to back it up.
divad23's Full Review: Speechless by Steven Curtis Chapman
A friend of mine told me recently that I had to write something about Steven Curtis Chapman. Being a fairly frequent contributor to the Gospel music section of this site, I had to get around to S-C-squared eventually, right? You've got to give the man credit - years and years in the business, and he's still going strong, refusing to be drowned out by the booming population of new artists on the Christian pop/rock scene. His songs still soar high on the radio waves (which isn't the only measure of success in the Christian market, but generally, his songs earn the right to be played endlessly on Christian radio), and his artistic credibility remains solid despite a changing musical world. The man knows how to write a compelling lyric and play a guitar (or two or three...), and he knows when to make it fun and when to tone it down. He's done for guitar-based Christian pop what Michael W. Smith has done for piano-based Christian pop, except that Steven's lyrics are a tad more airtight, not stooping as often to the generic "love will pick you up and everything will be okay" cliches (and I love Michael, but I have that one grievance).
I personally felt for a while that though Steven had some incredible songs in his catalog, his albums were notably "hit and miss" - a number of great songs couched among a number of so-so songs that tried to be inspiring but musically, were a bit too standard. He finally broke free from this dilemma (for the most part) in 1996, when he recorded Signs of Life, an incredible album that saw him trading in his clean acoustic pop sound for something a little earthier. It worked, and the album was more consistent. Then, in 1999, Steven put out Speechless, which I consider to be his second best album only because he backtracked just a little bit. I suspected upon first listen that most SCC fans would be thrilled to hear a more lush, clean, and full sound after Signs, and I was right, but part of me misses those earthy days.
It's a seeming requirement on an SCC album that the first hit single must, without fail, be the first track. Dive is no exception, a song which surprised fans when he played it at the Dove Awards a few months before the album's release. The song begins with some perky programmed rhythms and bubbly electronica sounds, intermingled with some insistent acoustic guitar riffs from Steven just to let you know he hasn't gone totally techno. It's well-composed and catchy as all heck, with a chorus that suspiciously reminds me of Chumbawamba's song "Tubthumping", and the whole song radiates a feeling of excitement and anticipation, using an allegory of letting go and freefalling into the water far below to describe the freedom found in truly letting God take control of your life. SCC wrote it with his pastor, Scotty Smith, who also contributed to "Lord of the Dance" (my favorite cut from Signs and probably my favorite SCC song ever), and the result is an equal amount of brilliance.
Speechless fades in on a lush strumming pattern, backed by a soaring string section which completely fools you into thinking it's going to be a calm inspirational power ballad, but then... BAM! An electric guitar joins in and the full force of the song hits you, and you realize that SCC isn't ready to slow down just yet. I wouldn't say this song rocks hard so much as it rocks strong - it backs off for some quieter verses, in which Steven uses rain from clouds as a beautiful metaphor for the many frivolous words we use in vain attempt to understand God. By the end of the song, we find Steven's guitar, the strings, a choir, and a lovely chorus crescendoing into a heavenly experience that proves that SCC knows how to please both of his fanbases - the usually conservative inspirational listeners, and the younger, more rock-oriented crowd (who have benefitted greatly from some of the more aggressive music Steven has been listening to lately).
The Change returns to the upbeat, danceable feel of "Dive", layered upon a thicker, electric texture. This song rocks more than Steven ever has dared to an an album before, and it definitely pays off, but the music still backs off enough to allow Steven's clever lyrics to shine. Here, he pokes harmless fun at the curious practices of most Christians, who have all manner of bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets and T-shirts and keychains that proclaim Christ, but who don't really live out what they believe, assuming their many Christian belongings will speak for them (reminding me a little bit of All Star United's "La La Land"). Steven points out these practices in his own life, and then asks himself if any of that really matters if there isn't a change inside him. Get ready for some aggressive drums and hearty riffage from Steven during the bridge and the song's climax - I wish he'd play his heart out like this more often!
After a quick track change and some static comes a shift in Steven's musical mood. Great Expectations keeps a steady beat but remains more subdued and reflective, building on a soft piano and acoustic guitar. This is perhaps one of the sleeper hits on this album - here Steven compellingly describes a quiet time of prayer in which he doesn't know what to expect to hear from God, but at the same time, he is assured that God is good and will answer, so he can approach God with confidence, with "great expectations". In the middle of this song, Steven lets loose again with a killer acoustic guitar part - it seems he had a lot of fun making this record.
Next 5 Minutes is perhaps the oddest song Steven has ever recorded (well, there was that duet with Toby Mac from the old-school dc Talk days, but we won't go there). A deep bass defines a slightly askew rhythm, and Steven joins in, his urgent lyrics fitting nicely over a playful beat which takes some getting used to. It shifts into a more standard beat for the chorus, in which the guitars run up and down as Steven pleads with us to re-prioritize and spend our precious time on the things that really matter. The feel of this song is a bit more earthy, much like the Signs of Life album, and the manic rhythm changes are quite impressive, if hard to follow for some listeners. (If anyone out there likes the Dave Matthews Band, this will be old hat.)
Fingerprints of God will likely please Steven's older audience - it's a breezy, slightly country-inflected ditty directed at Steven's daughter, speaking out against the typical teenage fears of not looking beautiful and not feeling accepted. We've heard it all many times before, but I will stand behind anyone who can speak out against the lies that are fed to us by movies and fashion magazines that you have to be emaciated and cake on makeup just to be accepted as an attractive woman. Not one of my favorites on the record, but I still think it deserved its air time on the radio.
The Invitation is one of the few tracks on this record that I am tempted to skip. It's not a bad song - it's just too typical of a Steven inspirational ballad, and we heard the same music with much more power in the song "Free" on the last album. The lyrics portray God as a King who wants to invite every last peasant and other lowlife in the kingdom to a grand feast - an excellent analogy for sinners being forgiven, but not exactly an original one. It drags out a bit, and I get bored with it sometimes. Call me one of the more "rock fans".
Whatever, as its title might imply, is quite a fun and light-hearted song. It's basically an acoustic jam in which Steven gets to show us how nimble his fingers can be (okay, he's no Phil Keaggy, but the man can write and play a solid hook). In the song, he makes fun of his tendency to plan everything out and then ask God to go ahead and execute that plan, when what God had in mind was completely different. It handles the theme of obedience to God without being overbearing, because Steven makes it personal. Just when you think the song has come to an abrupt end, Steven just keeps going with some slight variations on the main guitar line, which never ceases to make me smile. It's a lot like a more upbeat version of "The Walk", and once again, it falls in line perfectly with the Signs of Life style.
I Do Believe gives away its message in its title - you can tell this isn't going to be a terribly deep song, but it turns out that this is exactly the point Steven is making. Belief in God isn't meant to be some new, innovative idea (though we may come up with new ways of understanding it). This song is Steven's way of reminding himself to fixate on his beliefs in the midst of difficult stressful, or even mundane circumstances (the song opens in the middle of a traffic jam). And by the way, it rocks.
What I Really Want to Say returns to the more lush orchestration of the song "Speechless", mellowing it out some for a mushy but effective romantic ballad. Anyone who has read up on Steven's family life knows that being such a successful Christian musician and talented songwriter can often put a strain on his marriage, which is a travesty, because there is no question that he loves Mary Beth Chapman with every ounce of his being. Songwriters can often talk too much and get themselves in trouble, even when they have the best intentions, and here, Steven tells Mary Beth that he loves her enough to be silent and not constantly try to find the perfect words for it. One criticism - the instrumental break in the middle of this song is uncomfortable similar to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" - it's hard to believe that it was an accident.
With Hope fulfills another seeming SCC requirement - a recording of a singing child. The inclusion of a young voice singing "Jesus Loves Me" is especially poignant here (even if the album has taken a slight turn toward inspirational cheesiness), as this is a very serious song written about the death of a child in the recent school shooting in Paducah, Kentucky (Steven's home town). Instead of simply placing a hand on his friends' shoulders, and saying, "I'm so sorry, and I miss the child too", Steven fills this song with a wistful hope and a determination to trust God's plan and see some good come of the situation. It proves itself stronger than the like-minded loss-of-a-child song that Michael W. Smith put out entitled "Hello Goodbye" simply because it reaches beyond the vague "See you in Heaven" mentality. Steven probably didn't know it when he was writing it (it may have been prior to April of 1999), but the song is also remarkably relevant to the Columbine massacre.
The Journey is an instrumental track that Steven Curtis Chapman had in his head originally as an intro to "Speechless", but decided to place near the end of the album instead (probably because it would have sounded funny after "Dive"). It's a simple, capable orchestral piece, starting off slow and mournful, as if following the child described in "With Hope" up to Heaven, but then taking on a more excited, tumultuous feel, as if breaking through the clouds and approaching ever closer to the face of God. This provides a perfect transition into the final ballad, even if I am a bit disappointed that the last four tracks are all pretty mellow.
Be Still and Know is of course based around the Bible verse that states "Be still and know that I am God." It's a typical, piano-based SCC ballad, but instead of redundantly stating the obvious, it delves into the meaning of that verse, providing a nice backdrop for quiet meditation, and cleverly bringing back the theme of the album - "Be still, be speechless." This makes the song stand out as more than the necessarily quiet album-closer - it brings the album's main focus full circle.
Steven has done an excellent job of weaving the main theme into many of the songs ("The Change", "Whatever", "What I Really Want to Say", "With Hope"), and emphasizing God's words and thoughts above our own. Even the slightly amusing photo on the album cover (in which Steven is ducking down into a turtleneck sweater which covers his mouth) helps to drive this point home. This album is all about the things that God has to say to us, despite our difficulty trusting God ("Dive", "Great Expectations") and our mistake of basing our worth in earthly things ("Next 5 Minutes") and the opinions of others ("Fingerprints of God"). I could go on and on, but I'm not going to dig an entire Biblical exegesis out of this album. It makes its point clear in a subtle manner, letting you know that this is a devoutly Christian singer/songwriter who has learned some things over the years in his relationship with God. One of those things being, of course, how to shut up from time to time.
Steven, you're a better man than I.
TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY Excellent: Dive, Speechless, The Change, Next 5 Minutes, Great Expectations, Whatever
Good: I Do Believe, What I Really Want to Say, With Hope, The Journey
Decent: Fingerprints of God, be Still and Know
Weak: The Invitation
Skippable: NONE
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