For a band whose debut record I ripped on mercilessly, some of you would probably find it surprising that I'd come up with a relatively positive-sounding review title when covering their second album. Hey, I had to play off of their album title somehow. And since I trsy to be fair when I write these things, I'll come right out and admit that Building 429, for all of the corporate schlock-rock they spewed forth on The Space in Between Us, has shown marked improvement with Rise. Think of it this way - you know how when you get a speeding ticket and you have to go to traffic school to get it off your record, it takes up your whole Saturday and it really sucks? Well, if you have to sit through it, you'll probably at least prefer the traffic school that has one of those comedy guys. It's still pretty lame, but at least you're mildly entertained for part of the time. That's kind of how I reacted to Rise (not that it's at all a humorous record - it's every bit as deadpan serious as their first, but the music is actually entertaining in places).

So, what to make of this new approach? It's probably nothing other than the members of a band gelling together and figuring out that they can actually work as a collective. A lot of groups are thrown together rather quickly in this industry, and I guess that practice has been around for a while. But you can often hear a little something more on the second record of a group who barely knew each other and just did it by the numbers on their first records (for past examples of this in Christian music, see Plus One, ZOEgirl, and Telecast). Building 429 has figured out that they're actually a band, which means stronger percussion, meatier riffs (they actually have a new guitarist), and basically everyone getting to have a presence, even if in the end, it's still all about the "ministry".

Ah yes, there's that word again. For those who don't speak Christianese, "ministry" is a term frequently used by musicians as a smokescreen for unimaginative lyrics. While it's true that Christian rock, as a distinct genre, has mostly felt like an instance of grownups playing in the kiddie pool for the entire time it's been in existence, there have been Christian rock bands who have risen above the stereotype and penned challenging, intriguing lyrics that matched up well with strong, innovative instrumentation, all without having to mince words about their faith. The CCM industry semeed to be fascinated with the more enigmatic, "alternative" lyrical approach being taken by some of its finest bands in the late 90's; this trend has ended, thanks to the advent of "modern worship" and the generic, plain-spoken, feel-good vibe that an oversaturation of said style has brought us into in the new millennium. This is what enables wholly bland bands like Building 429 to win New Artist of the Year honors at the Dove Awards, basically because they had a few radio hits that made us feel up close and cuddly with a teddy bear God. Not surprisingly, B429's lyrics have pretty much stayed the course, as Jason Roy's tiresome, leaden slur continues to emote to us with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. If I admit to there being any "good songs" on this project, then it's largely because D00D, TEH MUZIK ROXXORZ!!!1!!1!! and I'm doing my best to ignore the lyrics. I know, Christians need encouragement, too, and the simple stuff is fine for a song or two, but we've already got Kutless, so how much more of this unchallenging crap do we really need?

Hey, speaking of Kutless, I tend to make fun of that band because they started out with this "hard rock" image and their records were uncharacteristically weak, even sounding thin at times when the music was supposed to be rockin'. B429, on the other hand, has never tried to put forward an image of being anything other than a straight-ahead rock band, so that's all I'm going to hold them to in terms of expectations. They failed on that count last time around, rarely getting past a gallop in favor of their mid-tempo sounds-like-a-rocker-but-it's-really-a-weepy-ballad sludge. Here, they only fall victim to that trend a few times, resulting in a surprisingly strong set of four or five songs (lyrics notwithstanding) that open things up, and a decently solid reprise of that energy at the end of the record (including a guest appearance from none other than Michael Tait, whose career must be really going down the tubes if his band is now opening for B429 on their tour). Most of the musical mush occurs in the middle.

Anyway, Rise still isn't much of a thrilling ride, but if I have to listen, at least I have some decent aural distraction throughout most of the record. That's enough to put them on the level with a lot of other "merely average" Christian bands, and honestly, for B429, that's a massive improvement.

Searching for a Savior
He caught a ride and he left this town
He never came back around
Lord, I miss him now
But he had to reach, to make sense of his world...
I remember complaining about the ubiquitous, undeserving hit single "Glory Defined", which opened the last album by jumping in with nothing in the way of an intro. That's one problem that's been fixed, as the band ticks off a rather satisfying, electronically tweaked intro that effectively gets them revved up before plateauing at a satisfyingly strong, if typical, rock riff. This track follows the tried and true mold of "Verse about a boy in a sad situation, chorus, second verse about a girl in some other situation, chorus, grand moral of the story", and while that device is a bit tired due to how the characters usually get abandoned just after being introduced, merely being cheap devices for getting a point across, the band does a fair enough job with communicating the desperation of feeling trapped in a small town, feeling like there should be more to life than predictability. What this geographical relocation has to do with finding a Savior, I'm not sure - it's probably a metaphor that isn't very well established. But it's still a kickin' song that starts things off much better than I was expecting, and Jason Roy's vocal performance is a strong one as well.

Fearless
All the times that I've failed, when my doubt has prevailed
These are the moments I'm giving to You
Cause I can't be ashamed, no, I can't fear the pain
When it comes time to be living proof...
A nice bleed from track one into track two helps this album to feel a little less like "here's a random collection of songs that we wrote to bless people, and that all sound the same", which was a problem that plagued the debut. (I'll credit Monroe Jones, who is usually a savvy producer, for little touches like that which were previously lacking.) Rather than just plodding along, sounding halfway bored, with a dull tempo, these guys flow along rather powerfully with a strong 6/8 rhythm, cymbals crashing, and the guys proclaiming their desire to overcome fear and take God's message to the world. Nothing terribly new there, and I'll admit that the exuberant cry of "I'll be fearless for You!" that punctuates the chorus seems a bit naïve (God never promised us we wouldn't ever be afraid, but I think the point is rising above that fear and doing it anyway, so eh, I'll let it slide). But they sing it like they mean it, and the tone of the music supports their excitement, which is a big relief. Nice ending here, with the repeated final crash of the drums.

Home
It's written in your eyes, I can see the face you hide
It's getting harder every night to want to be alive
Thinking thoughts inside your mind of leaving us all behind...
You'd expect a mid-tempo track to show up at this point on most records (last time around, we were already on the third such track by now), and while this one fits the bill, the group still puts more energy into it than you might expect. After a fluid piano intro gives way to another driving guitar riff, Jason seems to be pleading with an individual who no longer thinks life is worthwhile - suicide is never mentioned by name, and the lyrics do seem to shy away from the seriousness of the situation, but the attempt to communicate to someone that their story isn't over yet is an admirable one. I would have expected another sappy ballad about Heaven with a title like "Home", but what they're trying to say to this person is that "You're not quite home yet" - that God still has a plan for them on Earth. "There's a chapter left to write", he asserts, and I'd have loved it if they'd pursued that life-as-a-book metaphor a little further, but I'll take what I can get. The chorus is one of the band's most memorable, and that's largely thanks to Michael Anderson, whose strong hits on the drums come at just the right times to give the song a genuinely spirited feel. Jason might be guilty of singing in too low of a register here (that's when his voice is much less endearing), but honestly, I think this one might still be the band's best song yet.

I Belong to You
So let the world crash down all around me
I'm not affected by the words that they spew
I only live to sing praises to my King
I only live to prove I adore You...
The lyrics move a little closer to more of a "worship song" mold on this mellower song, which again uses a 6/8 rhythm to change things up - a rhythm smartly set by an up-and-down electric guitar pattern that is pleasantly different than the band's usual approach. The cliches loom over this one, though there is at least the powerful recognition that God "Designed my soul and mind even knowing that I would be the one to break Your heart". It's got a decently memorable tune and chord progression, with the background vocals put to good use due to the faint "Hallelujah"s in the second verse. And while the expected emotional strings creep in, they're not present during the verses, allowing the guitars to set the emotional tone, as well as a piano during the bridge - that's a nice change of pace. The word "spew" that crops up during the second verse is a bit of an odd fit for a song like this, but I think the most awkward element is the way the chorus suddenly strikes with one loud, almost obnoxiously emotional "You!!!!!" It's a too-obvious play on the emotions, as if the very word "You" is expected to make us all teary-eyed regardless of what's actually being said. A little subtlety has done you good during this song, guys, so remember that when writing your hooky choruses.

Fighting to Survive
Crying on the inside and it cuts me deep
'Cause I know you're gonna smile when I fall
I can't help but feel the fear when I'm standing here
'Cause I know you're gonna laugh if I have to crawl...
A nice, gritty, low-end rock riff creates more of a tough-guy mood for this song - as sappy a B429 can be sometimes, the mood is once again convincing. Michael Anderson and guitarist Jesse Garcia make a pretty good team here, combining some nice drum rolls, more energetic crashing cymbals, and power-chording that at least tries a little harder to add energy in a not-entirely-predictable way. The song is about two people, driven by pride and the need for social survival, letting their egos get the best of them, and hurting each other in the process. It's basically an apology and a plea for a chance to start again with that person. Nothing ingenious about the lyrics here, but I have no overt complaints, either. The band has yet to come up with an amazing song, but they're 5 for 5 in terms of coming up with reasonably good ones thus far.

Because You're Mine
You would give it all to know the answers
And I know you've heard this all before
I'm just here to help your heart remember
That no one else could ever love you more...
Well, you knew there had to be a monkey wrench thrown into this album somewhere. The band pours on the sap with a more loosely played, string-drenched ballad about God making pain go away. I'm all for songs about how much God loves us, but I just understand why Christian bands continually wimp out when covering this topic. We get the expected "here/years/tears" rhyme scheme, platitudes like "don't you ever doubt", and even a self-realization of how cliché this all is as they "acknowledge, "I know you've heard this all before". (Well, gee, if you guys realize that, why not come up with a more interesting way to say it?) At least the piano, strings, and drums still provide a reasonable amount of energy. That almost makes up for the paint-by-numbers mush that gets passed off as lyrics here. It's a total waste of an otherwise reasonably good pop/rock song.

I Believe
Violence has spread worldwide and there's families on the streets
We sell drugs to children now, well, why can't we just see
That all we do is eliminate our future with the things we do today
Money is our incentive now, so that makes it okay...
Anyone remember the band Blessid Union of Souls? I have no clue whether they espoused Christian beliefs or not, but I remember seeing one of their videos on a Christian music video channel once. That's really irrelevant, because pretty much anyone can write a vague song about faith or Heaven or whatever, and some enterprising Christian band will eventually decide that they can cover it and "Christianize" it for an audience who won't listen to anything not sold in their Christian bookstores. B429 has done exactly that with one of Blessid Union's songs here - I've never heard the original, but judging by these lyrics, this song never should have been released on any album, Christian or otherwise. "I believe that love is the answer, and I believe that love will find the way", Jason drones during the chorus, and it stands out as the absolute blandest thing that the band has ever sung (which is saying along). Adding insult to injury is the intelligence-insulting advice given in the first verse (and repeated in the third, because the removal of the original song's third verse, which mentions an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, is apparently how the band saw fit to "clean up" the song), which tells us "Walk blindly to the light and reach out for His hand, don't ask any questions and don't try to understand". Due to the use of irony in the second verse, which discusses drugs and other problems in society today, one might be tempted to think that these verses are meant to have a more sarcastic tone, but that aspect is apparently lost on B429, who plays it entirely straight, as if they really think the Christian faith should require no thought and not allow any questions to be asked. Pretty, echoing piano and a strong backing band can't save this one - it's the absolute worst of the worst, made even more embarrassing by Jason singing the simplistic tune "Jesus Is the Answer" at the end of the song as the other instruments fall away, leaving his dry, grating, almost tuneless vocals all by themselves. UGH.

Rise
What's a boy supposed to see
When he's staring in the mirror at thirteen
Where's the man that he wants to be
He must be hiding behind the lies that he's too weak...
The album's title track is probably one of the songs that stands out the least on this project - it's not particularly bad, but it's also not particularly interesting - at least, not in terms of the music. The lyrics do make a somewhat intriguing attempt to describe Jesus as an "awkward kid" who would grow up to change history. I've heard attempts to relate to Jesus in such a fashion before (Rich Mullins' "Boy Like Me/Man Like You" is a fantastic example), so that's not a bad idea in principle. I think the problem is that not much detail or imagination is applied to the song, beyond the awkward implication that being 13 must have been rough for Jesus. We really don't know much about His childhood either way - some imaginative guesses could have been fun, but Building 429 doesn't really do the whole imagination thing. So we get inspirational platitudes about how nobody knew Jesus could fly (um, I don't really recall any accounts of the guy sprouting wings), and it's wonderful to watch Him rise. Could have been a really gripping concept in another band's hands, but the effort to mix metaphors is completely wasted here.

Now that It's Over
How I stood there so silently, and let the moments pass by
I was too late to change the phrase and it crushed your life...
Hey, it's a 6/4 rhythm with some guitar harmonics or something! That makes for kind of a neat intro. The band finally gets back into rocking mode here, proving once again that they can use a shifting rhythm to their advantage (as they did on "Show Me Love", the sole worthwhile song on their first album). Much like "Fighting to Survive", this track sounds like an admission of pride, dealing with how one person has mercilessly pushed another person down when they should have instead shown mercy - now they're going back to the broken relationship and pleading for mercy to be shown to them. Conflict brings drama, and hopefully for a Christian, it eventually leads to humility. All of those aspects tend to make for more interesting songs than the usual "nice guy" fare, so this song manages to stick despite the simplistic phrasing. I hope B429 explores more of their "conflict song" mode in the future - it's more convincing for them in terms of the muscular rock band sound.

Empty
I know the soul of me
And everything that tempts me
So I guard my heart closely
I won't be falling for the lies...
Here comes the band's collaboration with Michael Tait, which interesting shares a title with Tait's first solo album. The songs are actually nothing alike, though it's interesting to note that some of the meatier songs on this record do resemble Tait's meat-and-potatoes modern rock approach. Due to that, Tait's vocals fit the style quite well, even if it's weird to hear him crooning Jason Roy's so-so lyrics (hey, it works better than it did to hear Tait crooning his own bad lyrics to really wimpy synthesizer rock on his most recent album). Tait's role is somewhat minimized, and Jason might be guilty of over-singing on this one, but it maintains a spirit of desperation and humility that fits well with the steadily building rock intensity, leading right up to the song's very abrupt ending.

Alive
You're speaking to me through the beauty of creation
From the highest elevation, to the depths of the seas
So I'm not afraid to face this life of brevity...
Thank God, this record doesn't conclude with a sappy ballad. Instead, we get another medium-paced rocker in the vein of "Home". This one mostly punts on the lyrics, unfortunately, making vague allusions to important events that happen in our short lives and bringing it around to the irritatingly non-specific declaration that "I feel something rushing over me, and I'm alive!" OK, guys, you have an interesting piano part underpinning your song, some solid background vocals during the bridge, and in general, a solid backbeat and overall pace that fits well for the closing track on a rock album. If you want a song like this to be memorable, though, have some guts and expel the words "something", "somewhere", and all other such lyrical cop-outs from your vocabulary. If that "something" is so important, come up with a more interesting way to describe it, please. Aside from that, decent job, and thank you for not irritating me nearly as much with this record as you did last time around.

I guess that's it. A very low three stars, and an I-almost-want-to-marginally-recommend-it-but-can't grade of C minus. You came so close, guys. Maybe next time you'll rise above being merely average and put out an actual good rock record. But hey, as far as the list of flunkies from 2004 goes, you definitely get the Most Improved award from that crowd, so um, enjoy that status while it lasts.

OK, make sure you stick around for the conclusion of this review trilogy, when I attempt to sit through an entire solo album of bellowing and bellyaching from the infamous Creed frontman Scott Stapp.

ALBUM WORTH:
Searching for a Savior $1
Fearless $1
Home $1
I Belong to You $.50
Fighting to Survive $1
Because You're Mine -$.50
I Believe -$1
Rise $0
Now that It's Over $1
Empty $.50
Alive $.50
TOTAL: $5

Band Members:
Jason Roy: Lead vocals, guitar
Jesse Garcia: Guitar, keyboards
Scotty Beshears: Bass
Michael Anderson: Drums

Website: http://www.building429.com

Recommended: No