Here's an important lesson for all critics to learn - never judge a band by who they hang out with. Case in point - the new BEC Recordings act Falling Up.

You see, this six-man modern rock outfit hails from the same general vicinity within the state of Oregon as the members of Kutless. Apparently, these guys are all friends and they used to jam together or something like that. Nowadays, they're touring together to support Kutless's latest album. And almost anyone who's heard me rant on the subject of what's wrong with Christian music within the past year or so knows the Kutless is one of those bands that I love to hate. I must confess, I've derived a lot of glee from giving them a thorough reaming, and perhaps I was a bit harsh in doing so. Still, the fact remains that I don't think they're very good. So it's a welcome surprise to see them supporting and endorsing a band like Falling Up who, despite the inevitable comparisons due to their connections, really sounds nothing like Kutless. On top of that, their debut album Crashings actually displays such things as musical talent, lyrical creativity, and stylistic diversity. I think it's clear how most of the talent got distributed within this group of friends. With that said, I'll try to avoid ripping on Kutless, and get on with the task at hand - reviewing Crashings.

Falling Up is one of those bands whose overall sound may not strike the listener as overly innovative, but that has a lot of enjoyable nuances that help them to stand out from the crowd in my mind. Imagine a rock group pursuing a hooky, power-pop aesthetic without sacrificing anything in the realm of rocking energy, or succumbing to the pressure to fill out an album with mellow, string-drenched ballads. On top of that, give them enough songwriting ability to make clear their love for their Creator without cheapening that love by making the lyrics thoroughly predictable. A lot of Falling Up's songs are type that might easily reveal what they're generally about, but without making it obvious what every line of the song is trying to say. Interesting song titles and choices of words are always a big draw for me, and while they're usually the sort of thing you'd expect on a moodier, more artsy type of rock album, it's actually quite refreshing to hear this approach on a radio-ready modern rock disc. This band keeps the tempo up and the energy level high throughout the entirety of Crashings, allowing for the occasional acoustic or vocal break so that the listener can catch his or her breath. They're not a hard rock band - their sonic assault is more fast and slick than it is heavy. While the occasional scream or tricky rhythm may punctuate a song, those elements are generally downplayed in favor of a more fluid approach. This band touches on a lot of genres that are popular among today's youth - nu-metal, rap/rock, pop/punk, emo, hardcore) without directly adhering to the sensibilities of any of them.

It's because of the above realization that I'm having a tough time figuring out where to start when coming up with musical comparisons. I mean, it's not like I've never heard this amalgamation of styles before, so you'd think I could come up with a few influences. There are moments on this CD where I think that the vocal approach resembles that of Relient K - the melodic harmonies backing up a slightly gritty and clearly young lead singer make me think of the popular pop/punk act. But Falling Up plays it a lot smoother than your usual punk-influenced band. At times, the glowing wall of sound reminds me of a sped-up Luna Halo, minus the Radiohead-isms. Throw in the occasional keyboard tone or snippet of DJ sampling, and a rap/rock cadence in the vocal delivery, and it's easy to see that these guys probably listen to Linkin Park. But they rarely actually rap or scream, so this album doesn't owe any heavy debt to Chester Bennington or Mike Shinoda. It's also not nearly as angst as the vast majority of modern rock bands on the market today. Sure, there are doubts and troubles described here, but never once does it get mired in the down-tempo, semi-depressed dirge of all of the Creed clones. The other critics who have made the inevitable comparison between Falling Up and Kutless are, to be blunt, smoking crack. There is one moment, and one moment only, where these guys sound remotely like Kutless, and that's only because Kutless's lead singer is making a guest appearance. Their upbeat and sometimes bouncy nature sometimes evokes the same general mood as a Pax217 album, except it's not nearly as urban. Any comparison I make is really going to come up short, to tell you the truth.

The bottom line is that Falling Up, while possessing a sound that is warm, familiar and fun, manages to avoid being thoroughly predictable. I probably haven't heard such a promising blend of popular styles since the demise of Earthsuit or the supposedly temporary splintering of dc Talk. It's proof that Christians can reach fans of popular mainstream styles (especially younger ones) without totally aping the bands they like. (Unless they're just aping a band I haven't heard yet. But I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt.) Honestly, the only criticism I can think of revolves around the fact that the different musical elements occasionally feel pasted together, creating awkward shifts in dynamic within a song. But this is a rare occurrence, so I won't spend a ton of time fretting about it.

Bittersweet
With these hands and broken stones
I have built a legacy and now it's time to move on...
I love the glittering keyboard tones that start this song off. They're almost video-game-ish in a way, and they lead me to expect something electronica-laced, but it isn't long before real drums and guitars break in, playing through the main riff that drives the song. The drums add a feeling of sudden acceelration to the song as they speed up to doubletime for the last measure, and then everything drops away, leaving a nice little cymbal cadence to lead into the first verse. Lead singer Jessy Ribordy joins in at that point with lyrics that are characteristic of the band's overall approach: "Release the gate of beautiful/I am staying down to hide in rooms away." It's enough to give you a general feeling without revealing everything that's being said. The song pulls off a deft balance between being wounded and being hopeful for healing, as the upbeat chorus proudly proclaims, "I kiss these lonely tears I shed goodbye". The way Jessy enunciates it is where the hook value comes in - "I kiss, these lone, ly tears, I shed, gooooooooood-byyyyyyyye." The song has a jumpy delivery to it overall, with the guitars adeptly switching between strong power chords and scratchy solo notes, even allowing an acoustic to jump in out of nowhere during a break in the song. But then elsewhere, there's a muffled scream as the band shifts briefly into a 6/8 time signature - "So get off of my soul!" It would seem out of place, but this seems to be a moment where, instead of addressing God, Jessy is instead addressing the negative force oppressing him and trying to lead him astray. (It actually reminds me of a time when, just to be funny, some friends and I decided to sing "Hey you, get off of my cloud" to the tune of Skillet's "Hey You, I Love Your Soul", and we dubbed it "Hey You, Get Off of My Soul". But enough of that silliness.)

Symmetry
Crashing, feel the way we move
Open up your eyes to the things around you
Haunting, take away the tears
'Cause you know that your heart is so close to beating....
This song picks up almost exactly where "Bittersweet" left off, breaking in with a powerful guitar riff in what sounds like the same key. Some people might complain that the first few songs on this album sound alike - I think it's more a case of putting songs with like tempos beside each other to make the album flow well than a case of rehashing the same tune. I an any event, "Symmetry" stands on its own as an interesting tune, probably one of the few to use a geometric metaphor to describe the Christian faith. Jessy puts forward a youthful exuberance as he meanders through the verses, once again displaying an irresistible flow that makes some of the odd lyrics stand out. Honestly, I can't figure out exactly what this song is trying to say - the title leads me to believe that it has something to do with imperfect human lives mirroring God's grace. All I know is that they've found a great hook with the quirky chorus - the way Jessy breaks up the syllables of "sy - mme - try" in order for Tom Cox to insert scratchy guitar chords in between is certainly unexpected. I love the furious bridge, where DJ scratching and programmed drums and high-pitched guitars create a slick wall of sound. It gives the song an excuse to invade my brain and force me to pore over what's being said here. It differs from the usual hooky, upbeat Christian rock song, in that a lot of bands will pull tricks like that just to cover up the fact that their lyrics are only there to fill space.

Broken Heart
In this moment synchronized inside, words that paint a legacy of life
A different picture will unfold, a healing finds its way through...
Amusingly, Falling Up's lead single, which takes on more of a tried-and-true modern rock approach, was responsible for dethroning Kutless's "Treason" at around the time both bands' albums were released, and Crashings ended up beating out Kutless's first disc as the fastest-selling debut by a CCM artist, which has created a joke rivalry between the two bands. All mock competition aside, this track finds Falling Up falling a bit short in the lyrical department, but making up for it with a chunky guitar riff that systematically weaves up and down through the verses, before shifting gears and taking more of a measured, straight-ahead power chord approach during the chorus. This may be a fairly typical song about healing as far as Christian rock bands go ("Father, healer, deliver me from broken love/Stay here, closer, let me hear Your words of love"), but Jessy's rhyme scheme during the verses helps to make up for it. It's also notable that the song's title is never featured in the actual lyrics, but the word "Ambience" is used, which is the title of another one of their songs. Falling Up actually does this a lot.

Escalates
Lies have covered all of the smiles
And wakened thoughts that have turned my heart to face the wind...
Continuing with the same tempo that's driven the album so far (at this point the way this album flows is becoming a bit of a double-edged sword), this song breaks in immediately with some more straightforward vocal work as the guitars wriggle about in the background. This seems to be a song about finding God in the midst of emptiness, or rather, because of that emptiness. Once again, the oddly-chosen title never shows up in the song, which admittedly can make it hard to tell which song is which when you're not aware of which track number is being played. But it's still a solid song with a punchy refrain - "I can't find it, but maybe I'll cope/Can You hide it and never let go/Come back to You/I only knew." This is one of the moments where the approach taken by the vocals and the guitars really reminds me of Relient K - not because it sounds at all punkish, but because of how the background vocals add so much to the song while the guitars take on a bit of a scratchier tone in an otherwise smooth song.

New Hope Generation
Where do I go?
All that's in my sigh are darkened dreams of empty lies...
Here the band finally switches the tempo by actually making it faster. At this point most bands would be ready for a ballad - but not Falling Up. They start off with a one-chord riff that is a bit jarring at first, and proceed to alternate between a calmer approach at the beginning of each verse and a peppy, almost danceable rhythm that leads into the chorus. The lyrics fly by so quickly throughout most of the song that you almost have to wonder if it started off as a slower song, and they just sped it up to keep it from sounding like a more typical youth group anthem. ("New Hope Generation" sounds like it would be the name of a Christian youth rally, doesn't it?) In any event, the song is still a winner with its quickly-spouted rhymes and its determination to rise above the angst and nihilism that the guys are seeing in a lot of their peers - to acknowledge their pain but offer them something more lasting in the fact of it. A full-on rap verse shows up in the middle of the song, and again at the end when the guitars are blasting away, leading to an abrupt, forceful ending. A brief snippet of that verse aptly describes Falling Up's approach to making music - "It gives light unto the Gen. X and Y, resolution with no generic reply."

The Gathering
Blowing in the wind a taste of something tragically
Comes to find you when you fall and see beneath the skin...
This song finds the band giving their music more of an acoustic sheen - but that doesn't mean a drop in tempo, nosiree Bob! Ringing acoustic guitars, possibly processed and sampled by way of DJ A-Dub, support Jessy's quick delivery, which flies by so fast as to suggest that this band might in fact have ADD. What could have been a too-obvious attempt at a tear-jerker if slowed down comes off instead as an urgent plea due to the speed of it. The song seems to address a friend who has drifted away, asking him to come back and once again experience the fellowship of other believers. Once again, the title contributes to the meaning of the song without ever appearing in it (though it is extremely confusing that the chorus repeat "In these places" again and again, since there's also a song called "Places"). Much like they did in Bittersweet, the band takes a turn into a different style for the bridge, borrowing a page from the heavy metal playbook as a few screams punctuate lyrics and heavy riffs delivered atop another odd time signature. It's a lot of ground to cover in one song, but in this case, I think it works.

Jackson Five
Love made of pure intention
Let me mention, it's like if it wasn't for Christ, I'd drop this mic
And walk away stray minded and annoyed...
If the band could ever be accused of trying too many things at once, this would probably be the song where that criticism is most applicable. It's certainly meant to be a fun party, a chance to hang out and record a song with no less than four guest vocalists (and you thought only rap groups overdid the "guest appearance" thing), and the overall feel of the song has nothing to do with the group it was named after, so rest assured that this isn't an oddball attempt to marry punchy modern rock with Motown. Rappers Ben Hulbert and Paul Wright take over for the verses, giving the song a dominant hip-hop feel that pushes the rock sensibility into the background, much like Linkin Park did on "High Voltage". It's basically one of those "Here's what we're all about" types of self-referential rap songs, with Jessy's vocals being mostly confined to the refrain, which states "Watch this escalate to more than you hope for". Look, there goes another one of those runaway song titles! The song gets even stranger as Kutless's Jon Micah Sumrall makes a cameo appearance during the bridge - I actually kind of like his voice, so when he's actually singing intriguing lyrics written by someone else, he shows a lot of promise, however surreal it might be to hear him in such a context. "Our hearts in places mending", he croons, "You know this moves through your endings." Not long after that, Ryan Clark, of Demon Hunter fame (I'll let you take a wild guess as to what type of music they play), steals the mic and adds some genuinely harsh screams to finish off the bridge. It sounds like the group had about five different song ideas for this one, and they just meshed them all together for fun. It's a bit too much to take seriously, but at the same time, it doesn't completely fall to the level of self-parody. Perhaps it would have been better left as a bonus track, but it's not an absolutely painful thing to listen to, so I won't complain too much. This track also gives a brief glimpse at the possible meaning behind the band's name - "Falling up to grace in places you all fall".

Divinity
This time, it means something
Dreams will fall, love will spill...
This is the only track on the album to be played entirely in a rhythm other than 4/4, and its zippy 6/8 rhythm is absolutely relentless, barreling through a barrage of energetic guitar riffs and lightning-fast drum fills - it's one of the moments where Josh Shroy really gets to show off his percussive skills, though his drumming is solid throughout the album (even if it's sometimes hard to tell where he ends and the DJ programming begins). While this one falls victim to the overdone soft/loud dynamic that most modern rock acts play with, it makes good use of its tumbling rhythm as Jessy slowly sings about his wounds and his realization that all of his striving to attain holiness on his own has been fruitless. The frenetic speed of the song gives away an aching need to slow down and let God do God's job - the aftermath of a refusal to do this is described in the chorus, which using a similar stop-start trick to "Symmetry" to create another highly memorable moment. "My heart - it hurts - 'cause it - never - catches its breath" Jessy hurriedly sings, making it entirely believable that he's got barely enough time to breathe in between the words. Finally, as the song leads into a well-executed vocal bridge and the guys harmonize beautifully with minimal instrumental backing, a window of peace is afforded to the listener in the midst of the chaos. It's a beautiful moment where the music contributes to the meaning of the song, instead of just being that way because it's fun.

Places
Every night You come to see beautiful faces playing me
And the fallen lives and crimson walls reflect my lines
Breaking through thoughts and mindless games
Your love is a whisper coming clean...
This song takes off at a more normal pace, and behaves like a more typical modern rock number throughout (though it does seem to stumble over its own rhythm during the chorus). The main draw to this one, since the music doesn't interest me as much, is the lyrics, which describe a futile and stubborn in life spent insisting that we are always right and never wrong. Once again, the dichotomy of discovering God's nature through our failings is evident, especially in the chorus, which is bound to baffle some listeners: "This is where my heart, it longs to be/Hurting You, needing You/This is where I always want to be/Suffering". The only connection I can make there that would help to understand this is the notion that every single one of us, as a sinner, is responsible for "hurting" CHrist, for naling Him to the cross, but ultimately it's that very act that displays our need for Him. A bit of a confusing way to put it, but one lyric shines through crystal clear: "Behind the curtains I can see that You're not impressed with me".

Falling in Love
You reached me in my need, Your rhythm flows under my skin
I need you desperately, a sweet healing that will begin...
The closest thing to a ballad on the album would probably be either this track or the final track on the album, since things are a bit more restrained here and Jessy's vocal approach is a lot smoother. Unfortunately, this track is also the band weakest lyrical moment, as they attempt to do the typical "love song to God" and end up spitting out a lot of cliches in the process. One line in particular, "You are my wings to fly, You are the wind beneath them", was one of those moments that made me blurt out, "Are you serious?" in a manner similar to how I reacted to most of P.O.D.'s latest album. The song isn't completely without merit, as it once again shows the ability of the band to weave acoustic elements and rich vocals into their dense, electronically-supplemented modern rock sound, but it definitely sounds like a different writer was in charge here.

Ambience
With this trance, on my own
And I just sustain. moving on in vain
'Cause this glow, you and I have come to know, is a lie
And I must move on...
Thankfully, the preceding misstep is followed by one of the best tracks on the record - musically and lyrically. Living up to its title, the song gives off an ominous glow by opening with a quick, synthetic series of repeating notes that reminds me of Linkin Park's hit "Crawling", except sped up a bit. Lyrically speaking, the band takes the crash-course approach here, enigmatically describing a conflict between two people (or at least that's how I read it) in fast-paced terms, as if in a hurry to get to the chorus, which describes the two bitter friends or lovers pretending to ignore each other - "I can see past these fine lines that you stepped through/I can see through these glass eyes that led me on/I'm in this room, you're in that room/You play hearts like instruments." I love the double entendre in the words "play hearts" - it simultaneously depicts a person who is manipulative, and one who is playing cards to pass the time that could be spent actually talking to this person with whom they are merely co-existing. The percussion in this song is fantastic, using a dry, programmed rhythm underneath the song but bringing in a lively, pounding drum cadence later on, which infuses the song with a tumbling, complex rhythm. The song climaxes in another loud bridge where the band toys with the rhythm ever so slightly - it's definitely one of the more powerful moments on the record due to the tension apparent in the words. "This love is so intricate it leaves me taking." No easy answers here.

Arafax Deep
When this water flows down from the side of only You
Can You take everything that I am holding on to tightly...
The final track on the album keeps a quick pace, but takes a calmer approach, resting on a lovely piano refrain and another thumping, programmed rhythm. Metaphors of water and rain fill this song, nicely complimenting the shower of sound that pours down on the listener as the chorus takes off running. Once again, the vocals are nicely interwoven and the 4/4 rhythm is being beat out in a more intricate fashion, almost taking its cue from a slower Linkin Park number such as "Easier to Run" (I really hate to keep mentioning LP, since this group doesn't really sound like them outside of a few songs, but it's a reference point that a lot of people will recognize). The rhythmic interplay between the vocals and drums is the main thing driving this song, giving the song an overall galloping pace that never fully breaks out into a mad dash for the finish line - a good use of restraint when appropriate. The chorus brings a sense of completion as Jessy describes a plea for his flesh to Collide with the supernatural - "Show me Your meaning of love/Show me the secrets to life/And I'll crash in the rain/Your love is all I need." The tension between these two worlds gives the song a feeling similar to Skillet's song "Collide", actually - it's just not as heavy. I have no idea where the title for this song came from - it sounds like something a Lord of the Rings fan would come from by mixing "Aragorn", "Shadowfax", and "Helm's Deep". While that probably isn't the origin of the title, the name helps to give the song a feeling of a secret, mythical place where man can commune with God apart from the tension of the real world. It's a nice little dream state with which to close the album.

I think the future is bright for Falling Up. I won't claim that they're the most creative band ever, but I also don't see their primary influences as necessarily being bad ones to have. They're taking sounds that are popular with the younger crowd, as well as some of their own favorite musical elements, and infusing them into something unique that people seem to be enjoying quite a bit, given how Falling Up seems to be doing better than expected with its built-in audience of Kutless fans. It's good to see that crowd embracing something more creative, and I can see that this might have even influenced Kutless themselves into drifting away from the Creed and Staind cloning found on their first album. Hopefully Falling Up will continue to meld their influences in interesting ways, and to pen intriguing lyrics to accompany the resulting music, in the coming years. I don't expect them to be the next dc Talk or anything silly like that, but as long as they don't compromise to the pressure to slow it down and dumb it down, I think they'll make a good name for themselves. (Let's just hope we don't start seeing a bunch of Christian kids walking around wearing T-shirts with the letters "FU" emblazoned on them. That would be rather strange.)

ALBUM WORTH:
Bittersweet $1.50
Symmetry $1
Broken Heart $1.50
Escalates $1
New Hope Generation $1
The Gathering $1
Jackson Five $1
Divinity $1.50
Places $.50
Falling in Love $.50
Ambience $2
Arafax Deep $1.50
TOTAL: $14

CONCLUSION: It's a promising record, and since this is a brand new band, you ought to be able to find this at a few dollars off of list price, which is about right.

Band Members:
Jessy Ribordy: Lead vocals
Tom Cox - Guitar, backing vocals
Joseph A. Kisselburgh - Guitar, backing vocals
A-Dub - Keyboards, DJ
Jeremy Miller - Bass
Josh Shroy - Drums

Website: http://www.fallingupcrashings.com

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving