Being a huge Stavesacre fan, I eagerly waited the day this CD came out. I ran to the music store between classes and picked it up.

Instantly this album hooked me. Here's why:

1) Mark Salomon's lyrics are poetic, profound, and timeless.

2) This CD is great to listen to on airplanes and in cars. I have not found a CD that suits driving nearly as well as this one.

3) Stavesacre has a brutal honesty about them, realistically portraying how in life we find beauty in pain.

the CD:

The CD boldly opens with Minuteman, a musically charged track that pushes Mark Salomon's vocals beyond the limit. The guitars explode on this song, making use of having two guitar players in the band. This is by far one of the greatest songs on the CD. I love listening to this track in my car and on airplanes.

If you thought the power of the first track could not be beat, you will be proven wrong as you listen to Sundown Motel. This song is full of catchy riffs, the heavy drop D sound Stavesacre is famous for, and Mark's enchanting voice. This is the type of song that makes you envision an escape from mundane life, driving off to new adventures in the sunset. A perfect soundtrack song for fast-paced movies.

Keep Waiting continues the flow of the heavy, fast-paced rock, though it slow the tempo down just a little. This is one of the most profound songs on the album, reminding the listeners of even though people may try to lead us astray we need to keep focused on the Lord and wait for his timing. This is also one of the more radio-friendly songs on the album.

Stavesacre digs into their more hardcore roots with You Know How It I, a song that has remnants of the paranoia of the screwed up world vs. following the will of God mentality that we see permeate in Absolutes (especially in An Eclipsing). The band completely picks up the pace, making this the fastest song on the album. This song is not my favorite. I am especially not pleased with the lyrics:

It's been too safe
It's been too safe for too long
So little reaction to get it better right or wrong
And I'm feeling restless here
good intentions and barbed wire
I want to go elsewhere and set this place on fire

If Stavesacre were in a Nascar race with the last song, they nearly come to a complete stop (maybe crashing into the side of the raceway and leaving skid marks?) with Rivers Underneath. This song is hauntingly beautiful, making you feel like you are floating on top of water, with the current pulling you. It is a tragic song, dealing with the end of a relationship and the feelings associated with it.

The transition into the next song is quite possibility one of the most amazing transitions I have heard on an album. Gold and Silver is an amazing track that speaks of the reality of the pain in this world and the restoration we can find in the Lord. Some of my favorite lyrics come from this song, though I do find that the song ends too abruptly. Lyrics:

Do I see God in all of this, maybe all along
It's just that we're so small, and simply not as strong
Strong like wings of silver, and feathers made of gold
To carry heavy hearts, to cover all our helpless souls

The next track is one of my all-time favorite Stavesacre songs. Freefall (From Hand to Hand) speaks about doubts, fears, struggles, and the surprise of joy the Lord brings. I think that this song is quite possibly one of the best representations of what life as a Christian is like. The truth and beauty of the cross is woven in this song, in its honest and brutal vulnerability.

St. Eriksplan remains an enigma to me. Musically it picks up the pace from the almost ballads we had in the middle. But the meaning is something that continues to elude me. Then again, I am used to that with Stavesacre. Their music usually has layered meanings, sometimes taking hundreds of listens to finally understand.

Disquiet revisits Absolutes and Friction, again sounding harsher and almost chillingly frightened.

Stavesacre does an amazing cover of the Cure's Fascination Street (I actually like it better than the original!) The bass really is the highlight of this track, with its full, deep, and rich sounds.

Finally, This Love ends the CD. This passionate, nearly overwhelming song leaves the listener wanting more. The strength of the lyrics combined with the instruments cause this to be one of the most memorable Stavesacre songs of all time. So memorable that my friends used it as the recessional in their wedding.

This is an excellent listen; truly a musical experience that combines the Stavesacre we have all grown to love with a new direction they are heading toward.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving