Back Home: Caedmon's Call phones it in; Derek Webb calls it quits
Written: Feb 13 '03 (Updated Jan 12 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: One or two Josh Moore-penned tracks that take the band in new directions.
Cons: Way too many predictable Cliff songs and not enough intriguing Derek songs.
The Bottom Line: Derek Webb, you shall be missed. This somewhat repetitive album is a sign of what things will be like without you, though there is still hope thanks to Josh Moore...
divad23's Full Review: Back Home by Caedmon's Call
It is a sad week for fans of the well-loved folk/rock band Caedmon's Call. Or, should I say, a sad week for those who were fans of the band before they did the worship album thing that most Christian bands are doing these days. Fans who were reared on the band's first few albums knew to expect lyrical and musical excellence out of the septet. Their albums always consisted of a diverse array of songs, masterfully written by songwriters Aaron Tate and Derek Webb, and vocalized by a trio of great vocalists - Webb, Cliff Young, and his wife Danielle Young. But this intellectual partnership has now come to an end. It was announced this past Friday that Derek Webb will be leaving the band to pursue a solo career.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to more observant fans. Ever since 2001's In the Company of Angels: A Call to Worship, it's been obvious that Derek has played a much smaller role in the band's creative growth while songs have been drawn from new sources - primarily keyboardist Josh Moore and Derek's new wife Sandra McCracken - and since Webb tends to sing lead mostly on the songs that he writes, he and Danielle have kind of switched places (she didn't sing lead as often on the early albums). Combine this observation with the recent news that Tate would no longer be writing songs for the band (something about his focus not lining up with where the band wanted to go), and it's clear that some changes have been brewing in the land of Caedmon.
Those changes are well documented on the band's latest release, Back Home strategically timed to be released on the same day as the new retrospective from tour-mates Jars of Clay, and also one week before the announcement of Derek's departure. One can only imagine the drop in sales that may have occurred had fans known not expect much from Derek on this album - my guess is it would have dampened a lot of spirits and dragged down the all-important first week sales figures. While Derek is by no means the sole contributor of interesting material to the band, he is the man behind strong radio hits and quirky fan favorites alike - see "Thankful", "Daring Daylight Escape", "Close of Autumn", and of course "Bus Driver". And then there's my favorite CC song ever, the heart-wrenching ode to long-distance relationships, "Somewhere North". That's not to say that the band is completely doomed without his lyrical wit (I dare say a lot of the newer fans just don't get his songs), but losing Aaron Tate means no more easier-to-swallow-but-still-convicting compositions like "This World", "Lead of Love", "There You Go", etc. And a band can only perform so many Rich Mullins covers before that gets old. So what's a band to do?
In the case of Caedmon's Call, the answer seems to be this - have your new songwriters churn out a flood of material that tries to sound like the old Caedmon's Call, and try to bring back the fans that lost interest when the worship album came out (i.e. me). I'm not accusing Moore, McCracken or anyone else of being poor songwriters - it's just that their efforts on Back Home fail to recreate the musical diversity that was a hallmark of albums like their self-titled and Long Line of Leavers. Stylistically, the album feels most like a cross between 40 Acres and In the Company of Angels, but unfortunately, the most interesting elements of 40 Acres seem to have been traded in for slow to mid-tempo theology songs. I have nothing against theology songs - the band proved to be deft at arranging them seamlessly amongst Derek's songs of love and loss and travel. But all in a row, with very few musical elements that are as fun to listen to as the saloon piano from "Bus Driver" or the harmonica rips from "Thankful" or "Daring Daylight Escape", or even the out-of-character electronic tinkering that made Long Line of Leavers something new and different, it becomes rather difficult to tell these new songs apart after even three or four listens. The chemistry just isn't the same.
Only Hope I have long withstood Your grace, long provoked You to Your face...
Right from the get-go, when you hear that acoustic guitar strum and Cliff's earnest voice singing, you know you've got a Caedmon's Call album in your CD player. Part of me wishes they would have started at least one of their albums with someone different singing, but since Cliff handles the lion's share of the vocal work on the album, it makes sense for him to start off. This song is an upbeat interpretation of the hymn "Depth of Mercy", written by Charles Wesley and modernized by Randal Goodgame. (The title is not to be confused with the Switchfoot song recently covered by Mandy Moore!) It's more or less your typical up-tempo folk/rock number - a decent start, but unsurprisingly, similar in sound to much of the band's worship album.
You Created You flung the planets, in Your image You made man
I'm overcome and broken at the wonders of Your hand...
The first of many Josh Moore-penned songs on the album, this track is proof that the band can write a worship song that is both intelligent and engaging. Danielle's vocals lead off the track with a pretty refrain: "Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who dwelleth on high." Cliff takes over for the verses and chorus, but Danielle's interlude shows up again later, intertwining itself with the chorus - I love worship songs that have a split guy/girl part like that. Lyrically, Moore is in fine form, because he lays bare his confession that he is sometimes distracted by the creation and forgets to worship the Creator. The chorus, which states "You created nothing that gives me more pleasure than You" is an encouragement and a well-timed punch in the gut, unlike what most sugary worship choruses these days could hope to offer.
Walk with Me It is like a balm, it is like a jewel
It unravels all I thought I knew...
This syncopated acoustic reading of Psalm 23 seems to want to evoke the same emotions as classic Danielle songs like "Shifting Sand". It doesn't quite work, because Sandra McCracken's gentle melody doesn't do as much for me as some of the tunes Derek has come up with in the past (or Danielle herself, in the case of "Piece of Glass"). So far, there still isn't too much to break this album out of the "worship" mold, either, which isn't terribly encouraging given the lyrical diversity I've come to expect from the band. I like hearing Sandra in the background, complementing Danielle's vocals, but I know the two could have easily come up with a more commanding duet.
Hands of the Potter Lord, if I'm the clay, then lay me down on Your spinning wheel...
This tune offers a glimpse of more energetic past song by fully utilizing percussionists Garrett Buell and Todd Bragg to give the song a slight ethnic feel, and though it may not be as cool as the trashcans used in "Thankful", it's still one of the most upbeat and fun tracks on the album. Once again led by Cliff, this is the album's first single (I think), and it reuses the old metaphor of God as a potter and man as the clay. I think Goodgame might have stretched his metaphor a little thin on this one, but it's forgivable - I'm sure this'll be a favorite in future concerts. Derek and Cliff complement each other well during the chorus on this one.
The Emptiest Day They say You live in hospitals and trenches, and towers in the sky
And I'm not dying or fighting any wars, except on the inside...
The backwards-sounding keyboard tone that opens this song, combined with the first solo vocal appearance by Derek so far, is enough to make me think I'm in a timewarp and this is a lost song from the Long Line of Leavers sessions. It's a slow ballad, and while Derek didn't actually write this one, Josh Moore and Matthew Perryman Jones do a pretty good job of making it sound like something he would write. After all, Josh is only 19 or so, who'd have expected a line like "The optimism of my youth is dead and gone" from his pen? The lyrics draw some interesting contrasts between the places we are typically told to look for God, and the reality that He exists everywhere, including the mundane places where Derek is crying out for His help. His resolution is that "I could walk away or face the emptiest day." The chorus and overall sound remind me a lot of "Somewhere North", and even if this one doesn't hit me as hard, it's still one of the standout tracks on this album (this is partially biased by my knowledge that it's one of the last things I'll ever hear Derek sing for the band).
The Kingdom The gods of beast and of sun and sky with banners high
Were worshipped in their six temple's fold of desert gold...
Here's where the band's talent and creativity comes pouring out in one focused, stellar effort. This was the first song that Josh wrote during the sessions for the album, and as more of a joke, he drew from childhood memories of trips to Israel and came up with a depiction of a pagan kingdom that gets played out over what he calls "an eastern buffet of scales and modes". He didn't think the band would go for it, but they did, and the result is one of the most hypnotic songs the band has ever come up with. With the busy strings in the background and the more intense drums during the chorus, it has a dramatic feel that actually evokes memories of the movie Prince of Egypt, specifically that scene where the Pharaoh's priests were bragging to Moses about how powerful the Egyptian gods were. Cliff turns in one of his most endearing vocal performances yet as his voice wraps around the unexpected melody, describing this old world of idols as it comes crashing to the ground and he pleads for salvation from the one true God. I'm just dying to get the guitar chords for this one!
Beautiful Mystery You're like the water, I can feel but not grasp
Still You say all I've gotta do is seek and knock and ask...
It's almost cruel to hear the regular old acoustic guitar strum and Cliff's voice yet again just as soon as those strings fade out... the band is back in auto-pilot mode here, more or less. It's too bad that this track doesn't stand out much in my mind - it's Derek's only writing credit on the record. He co-wrote it with Cliff (who hardly ever has any writing credits) and Aaron Tate (also in his only appearance on this album), and between the three of them, I'd expect something more spectacular than a generic upbeat tune with overused metaphors about how God is difficult to understand.
The High Countries We are just pilgrims of the great divorce
I am witness to the light and I am captive to my own remorse...
Sandra McCracken clearly has a love for old hymns and theological writings. I have to respect that. Here, she writes a paraphrase of some key ideas in C. S. Lewis's book "The Great Divorce", though her language is veiled enough to make her metaphors hard to crack. Enigmatic lyrics are a good thing on this record. Danielle takes the lead again - clearly her voice is suited to McCracken's material - and this proves to be the most interesting tune that Sandra has provided for the album, with a snare drum rhythm echoing off into the distance, providing a bit of a hollow, lost feeling that suit's the song well. Derek backs Danielle up during the chorus - I think their voices complement each other well here, much like they did in "Piece of Glass".
Thousand Miles I have sought your grace in my defense
I have plundered your magnificence...
Here's another tune that doesn't stand out to me much. It seems a lot of songs on this album deal with how we fall short of the glory of God and have so far to go to be who He desires for us to be. The band has been toying with the prodigal son metaphor ever since the classic "Coming Home", which this album's title seems to hint at, but I feel like this doesn't expose anything new about that idea. It basically just says that God is merciful for continuing to help us take each tiny step despite having a thousand miles to go. Maybe it's just the number given, but I can't help think of that annoyingly catchy "500 Miles" song (recently stuck in my head again thanks to Steven Curtis Chapman) when I hear this one, even though the two songs aren't musically similar.
Never Gonna Let Go The day's old, this desert is cold, and a dark cloud covers the truth
Fix your eyes on the horizon, the light is breaking through...
Josh Moore is a lucky man. As he develops as an instrumentalist and songwriter, he's gotten to rub shoulders with some other well-known writers in the CCM world, and join the band as they've contributed to projects such as the City on a Hill series. Here, he co-writes with Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd, who among other things, are responsible for the massively popular worship song "God of Wonders". What the three have come up with here is more a song of encouragement, sung from the point of view of God, rather than being a love song directed to God. With the earnest, upbeat tune and solid background vocals, this one ends up being a standout tune on the album purely on the basis of being pop/rock ear candy. It'll probably be a future single - too bad the lyrics are two steps away from something that would belong on Plus One's first album. I'm trying not to hold it against them.
Awake My Soul No one is good enough to save himself...
Here another old hymn gets revived - it's one of Sandra's hobbies, and thankfully her husband gets to sing again. (Isn't it ironic that she's more involved in the band's creative process this time than he is, even though she's not an official member?) Apparently Derek had this one in mind for his solo album She Must and Shall Go Free, but the band liked it as well, so they wanted a version on their album. What Derek had probably originally done with just himself and an acoustic guitar has been garnished with a strong helping of accordion, making it a less wacky-sounding cousin to "The Ballad of San Francisco". It comes off as more interesting than some of the obscure hymn remakes on In the Company of Angels, though it still runs the risk of drowning amidst similarly-themed songs on either side of it.
Manner and Means The heart is a costly thing to sell in the prime of the years
My heart is thinly veiled in the usual fears...
The final Sandra/Danielle collaboration shows up here, and once again an interesting lyrical idea is bogged down by a dull melody. Come on, doesn't Danielle deserve better than an altogether average tune in 4/4? Where are this record's "Close of Autumns" and "Shifting Sands" and "Masquerades"? The song is supposed to be about being shaken out of our complacency and taking risks to love others... but I wouldn't know that if not for their website. The melody and lyrics just don't demand my attention, and it's coming on the heels of a number of songs that are already to tell apart - by this time it's easy to start tuning the record out.
Mystery of Mercy I am the angry man who came to stone the lover
I am the woman there ashamed before the crowd...
The record finishes off in style (thankfully) with a well-written, dramatic tune by Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame. Normally, I'd expect anything Mr. Peterson came up with to have a rich sprinkling of acoustic guitar, but oddly, this tune is backed by nothing but strings and Josh Moore's piano. This works quite well for Cliff's lament, which is an interesting twist on the 22nd Psalm: "My God, my God, why hast Thou accepted me?" He identifies with the sins of several characters in the Bible and concludes that he is unworthy, and yet this baffling miracle still occurs. While the album's theme may have been driven into the ground at this point with several songs based around this theological concept, I like that it ends on this profound and musically unexpected note, even though it might go down easy with some fans who didn't like Long Line of Leavers because it dropped the acoustic guitar altogether for a few more "experimental" tracks.
Back Home has enough interesting songs that it's worth getting, but at the same time, it seems to follow in the footsteps of Third Day and Skillet, who resolved their post-worship album quandaries by creating a mishmash of the style of all of their previous discs. The overall result is that Caedmon's Call comes out on the safe and mellow side, which brings them dangerously close to being another adult contemporary CCM band instead of the truly innovative college band we once knew. I guess everyone grows up, but I still hope Caedmon's Call has a few interesting twists up their sleeve on future albums, because this one only barely qualifies as worth purchasing. All the same, I'd advise all fans who liked the old band better to wait for Derek's record to release in March.
Interestingly enough, rumor has it that Andrew Osenga, former lead singer of The Normals, has signed on to fill Derek's shoes for the upcoming tour with Jars of Clay, and possibly through to the next album. While I don't think Derek can be so easily replaced, Andrew is certainly a great songwriter in his own right and tends to cover similar topics to Derek's, plus the two bands have toured together before, so I think he'll fit in well. If Andrew ends up being permanent, Josh keeps pushing the envelope musically, and Sandra learns how to write a song for Danielle that doesn't sound like a nondescript FFH ballad, then there might be a future for the band's credibility.
ALBUM WORTH:
Only Hope $1
You Created $1.50
Walk with Me $.50
Hands of the Potter $1
The Emptiest Day $1
The Kingdom $2
Beautiful Mystery $.50
The High Countries $1
Thousand Miles $0
Never Gonna Let Go $.50
Awake My Soul $1
Manner and Means -$.50
Mystery of Mercy $1.50 TOTAL: $11
Official Website: http://www.caedmonscall.com
Actually Useful Website: http://www.caedmonscall.net
Back Home, the 11th album from Caedmons Call, offers some of the bands finest musical moments to date and is a collection of songs of which they are t...More at Christianbook.com
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