Are you one of those melancholy, hopeless romantic types who gets homesick easily? Well, come on in and pull up a chair. The Normals would like to welcome you into their humble abode.

Okay, well, it’s not really their home, but the blue house that graces the cover of the low-key Christian rock band’s latest album, A Place Where You Belong, must have been a cozy place in which to record a batch of songs base around the theme of “home“. Spending a few months holed up in a New York suburb certainly brought forth a strong batch of poetic lyrics from the band’s lead singer and chief songwriter, Andrew Osenga. Judging from his musings on pain and healing on the band’s last album, Coming to Life, home is a core element of who Andrew is - and likely several members of his band as well. Whether that “home” is the town of Normal, Illinois, where the band originated, or just wherever his family and friends and girlfriend, etc. happen to be, I can’t tell. But he sure paints the place in a compelling light.

The Normals have been part of the Christian music scene since 1998, when they first signed with ForeFront Records. After a somewhat successful generic rock debut, a fuller and more creative band lineup regrouped to crank out the critically acclaimed Coming to Life in 2000. That was when the band first got my attention. While it took an excruciatingly long time for the band’s understated blend of folk and rock to really sink in, I felt an almost immediate connection with Andrew’s lyrics. The man had clearly been through some painful breakups and a fair amount of lonely downtime in between relationships. He also showed a knack for tying his personal experiences in with Biblical truth , and he wasn’t afraid to admit to being trapped in the constant struggle between the flesh and the spirit. Okay, so his voice took a little getting used to, and several elements of the band’s sound could use some tweaking. But darn it, these guys understood me. (And they rocked as a live band, despite what the casual listener might expect.)

I’m glad that I took the time to get used to the band’s sound before they released their latest offering. Apparently, the band felt that it wasn’t broke and didn’t need no fixing, because they re-hired producer Malcolm Burn to give A Place Where You Belong a similar delicate texture. This musical landscape, where drums and guitars are often mushed into the background in order to bring out subtler nuances in the composition of the songs, can be baffling to new listeners. But once you adjust to it, you have to give Burn credit for thinking outside the box. His approach isn’t a predictable one - the songs don’t always kick in with bursts of energy where you expect them to, nor do they grab your attention immediately and then step aside to make way for the next radio-friendly single. This is one of those albums you have to turn up and listen to carefully to appreciate.

At the same time, this ain’t Radiohead. The sound isn’t weird for weird’s sake. For the most part, The Normals’ latest offering takes the earthy feel of their last album and tweaks it just slightly. For sure, it’s a slow-burner just like their last record was. But I think things are varied enough to keep the listener from drifting off during the last half of the album, as I did when first trying to get my head around that one. Artistry and creativity are clearly the band’s goal, and I think that shows true on nearly every track.

I‘ll Be Home Soon
The album actually starts off with what might be its mellowest song. Wasting no time with any sort of intro, Andrew’s gentle vocals and a softly strummed acoustic guitar immediately greet the listener, almost as if to shoo off anyone who’s looking to rock out. While certainly an unorthodox beginning, this song sets up the album’s theme quite nicely. It seems that Andrew wrote this one all by himself during the recording sessions for this album, during a particularly vulnerable moment of missing his girlfriend back home. What came out of that loneliness is sure to resonate with any weary traveler. While soft, it’s got a definite flow to it that somehow works despite its early placement. Light piano playing and some sort of woodwind instrument add even more to the sense of longing, and if you listen closely, you can hear a little bit of radio static in the background, as if this song is coming across the waves at a point far enough away from their origin that another signal is interfering. Nice touch.
And if you have a place where you belong
You‘re a lucky one
For time was meant to waste
A laugh with good old friends, or walking hand in hand

Romeo on the Radio
The tempo picks up here as someone counts off the beat to introduce the band’s first radio single from the record (appropriate, given the title). It’s a short, poppy little number, and it marks the first point where Malcolm’s production technique once again baffles me, because the drums are muted to a point where it really hurts the upbeat mood of the song. Lyrically, it’s a gem, even if I wish Andrew had given me a little more to work with. He’s talking to a girl, a traveling companion, and it seems that the two share an interest but aren’t sure how far they should take the relationship. He seems to be prayerfully cautious about his approach to her, but at the same time, he wants her to just relax and enjoy the ride. These words really resonate with what’s going on in my life right now, and given that I love driving and I love music, it’s a no-brainer that I love this song.
And we‘re praying that we‘ll both know if it‘s right
But let‘s enjoy every moment for its time

Innocence
The guitars and drums kick in with a little more force here (for this band, anyway), creating a world-weary musical atmosphere for a song about growing up and becoming jaded. Innocence is addressed here as a childhood friend that Andy never got to say goodbye to. His voice is appropriately rougher here, and those who aren’t used to it may find it a little off-putting when he hit’s the high notes. But he’s pouring his heart and soul into it instead of just trying to be another pretty vocalist, and in the context of the song, it works. Mark Lockett has never been one to show off much on the guitar, preferring instead to brush across the musical canvas with rougher strokes, and on this song it works quite well. Listening to this song, you can really feel Andrew’s pain, missing that “simple life - the one that never existed”.
So this is growing up
To find the things
That you were old enough to know
Are the things you never wanted

Grace
Though most of The Normals’ songs have to grow on me, I have to say that I fell in love with this one immediately. It’s a well-textured rock ballad drawn out to five minutes in length, taking its time to build and then fall off into silence again. It will probably remind listeners of U2’s song “Grace” - U2 has been a clear influence on some of The Normals’ past work, so that’s no big surprise. It’s also similar in nature to “We Are the Beggars at the Foot of God’s Door” from their last record, but the subject matter isn’t as obvious. If you listen carefully, you’ll realize that the song is partially a plea from Andrew to his girlfriend, and partially a plea from Andrew to God. As the guitars and drums slowly swirl around, he confesses that he has a very strong desire for her - it’s not obvious that what he’s talking about is sexual temptation, but it’s clearly something he’s having a hard time dealing with. What he needs from both her and God is grace, of course, because he knows he’s weak and he doesn’t want to hurt her and ruin their chances of being happily married someday. The Normals have acknowledged that the song could be easily misunderstood, especially with the line “Maybe you’d let me break your will” early in the song. But then, the Normals aren’t about catering to conservative Christian audiences. I love how drummer Mike Taquino breaks in with a stronger rhythm at a few points during the song, and the vocal climax at the end where the guys harmonize is just sweet.
Baby, I want to give you this ring
Take you over that hill
And drop my heart with my knee
And lay it at your feet
And pray love‘s freedom sweeps across your face
Baby, I need your grace

Less than Love
Continuing on the theme of relationships, this whimsical little number takes a look back at some of Andrew’s past attempts to find love. He’s not just recounting these experiences so we can have a laugh at his expense, of course (though his way of explaining things is a bit amusing) - there’s a definite point in this song, as the chorus states: “Don’t settle for less than love”. He realizes that it’s “a lonely world where everybody’s grabbing what they can get”, and just being in a relationship isn’t enough to really make you happy, because it could be with someone who’s totally wrong for you. The music reminds me of something out of The Beatles’ catalog; it’s got a slight Britpop feel to it. The tempo may seem a bit sluggish to some - I can actually imagine All Star United doing the same song about twice as fast. But the understatement works in terms of bring Andrew’s lyrics to the center of the listener’s attention.
Almost every girl I ever kissed is married
And that‘s not a lot of weddings
But it‘s sure a crazy thought
And though they all seem now like someone else‘s story
I wonder what we paid for what we got

King
I have to say, this is the one point on the record where the more laid-back approach kind of bugs me. This song keeps a similar tempo to “Less than Love”, and while I enjoy being able to clearly hear B.J. Aberle’s bass, the rest of the music seems a bit lackadaisical. Keyboardist Cason Cooley actually wrote this song and sang lead vocals - at first it’s hard to tell that it’s not Andrew. I suppose that’s a good thing in terms of keeping the sound consistent. However, I really feel like he punted on the lyrics. The verses follow a repetitive pattern of expressing the same thought four different ways: “Have you ever been scared/Well, everybody’s been scared/I’ve been scared/God, I’ve been scared”. I guess I’m used to Andrew’s ability to pack more clever thoughts into less space. The chorus fares a little better, bringing in a female backup vocal to add a little more color to the song, though I can’t say I understand the meaning of it in light of the verses. When Cason sings “I’m the king of the world today”, I have to admit that the first thought to come to my mind is that of Leonardo DiCaprio standing on the railing of the Titanic. This is probably the weakest point on the album, but then again, it’s not a bad song - just not an extraordinary one.
This is where grace becomes my Mother
‘Cause I can be one man today
And tomorrow another

Happiness
Fortunately, the band and producer strike gold again at this point with perhaps the most musically intriguing track on the record. Starting off on a soft, steady programmed beat, this song seems to be an exercise in free verse poetry set to music. Andrew, Cason, and Mark all wrote the lyrics to this song, though it’s possible that they did it independently of each other. The song paints an abstract, somewhat cynical portrait of life in the big city, keeping a mostly quiet and cold atmosphere to reflect feelings of alienation and loneliness as caused by a bustling, busy place such as the supermarket. Some of the lyrics are hard to make out, as Andrew starts off singing while the other guys are singing something else in the background, but it’s all there in the lyric sheet, so no worries. The song makes as if it’s going to break into a more powerful rhythm like “Grace” did, as Mike teases us with a few stronger drumbeats here and there, but they echo off into the silence, leaving the fragile programming to carry the song, keeping it in a holding pattern. This might make the song incredibly boring for some critics, but I think the beat, some lonely keyboard tones, and some excellent bass playing are sufficient to carry the song, along with the lyrics, of course. Andrew really caught me off guard with one line later in the song about girls on magazine covers being “skinnier than subscription cards” - I don’t think it was supposed to be funny, but it made me chuckle.
Love is a contact sport
Beauty is an aisle at the supermarket
Truth is a notion to be left behind
Burned and buried, not seek and find
But I still hate to go home alone

We Go On
As the ironically sad epic “Happiness” fades out, a rather strange percussive pattern fades in - I can’t quite tell what was going on here, but it seems like the bass is being fed through some electronic effect to create a synthesized beat or something. Malcolm was obviously having fun in the studio that day. The song keeps a faster tempo, even if its structure is fairly minimalist, carried mostly by the odd percussion and a chorus which the entire band sings together. It takes a little while to catch onto the beat in the first place, since Andrew’s vocals seem to kind of syncopate in some weird way at first, but eventually it all comes together. His lyrics are once again very compelling, describing a world in which people whoa re looking for love manage to keep hurting each other in the process. Folk/rock purists will probably be baffled by the odd approach, since the acoustic guitar and what sounds like a mandolin (actually, looking at the liner notes, it may be a mando-guitar) remain rather faint in the background, obscured by that odd rhythmic noise.
Around here everybody‘s trying to find someone to be
Every guy‘s trying to find respect
In the eyes of a girl who just wants to be loved
We‘re children playing with guns
Children playing with hearts

On My Own
This song settles back into more of a mid-tempo groove, though the drums here are a lot stronger than they have been on most of the album. The musical mood here is actually quite similar to “The Best I Can”, which was a reasonably successful single off of Coming to Life. Given that it takes on a common Biblical theme (the prodigal son), it’s an obvious choice for a follow-up single, even though I don’t expect it or anything off of this album to make major waves on Christian radio. (That’s a dig at Christian radio, not the band.) Andrew’s vocals are strong here, as are the rest of the guys backing him up, and he really fit’s the shoes of the lost character well as he admits that “I can’t remember my way home”. The first verse is intriguing, as he explains the he left the “ninety-nine” to find “the one, she’s the one that’s in my head.” It seems that Andrew often finds himself torn between God’s plan and chasing a girl. I can relate. (Oddly, this song and “We Go On” are listed in the wrong order in the track listing - not the first time I’ve seen such a boo-boo on a ForeFront record. Guess that means I’ve got a collector’s item - such things usually get corrected in subsequent printings.)
And can it be, can it be You‘d come for me
Lost and cold, while the dogs bite at my feet
This isn‘t quite what I had in mind for me
Looks like I made a choice I‘ll have to keep

Brittle Bone
One of the album’s finest moments comes in another quite acoustic track. I get the idea that this was to be the closing song, since the chorus ends on the words “I’m not alone, for here I’ve found my home”. Singing with a lone guitar to back him up, Andrew describes a world hungry for truth, and finds his solace at the communion table. The song was produced to make it sound airy - the guitar has a bit of an echo to it, which adds to the feeling of solitude. However, solitude does not equate to loneliness in this case, as Andrew seems to be at peace in his moment of reflection and confession. It would have provided a fitting ending to the record, but thankfully the guys went the extra mile instead of just stopping at the requisite ten tracks.
Down here the well has poisoned
Now everything‘s dying
Some sell forgiveness on Gospel TV shows
And I wonder why anyone‘s buying
‘Cause the truth is a hard sell
For it burns out the light

Epilogue
I get the feeling that the album’s final song would have been a hidden track, had this album been recorded back when every band felt they needed a hidden track. The music is whimsical at first, utilizing an organ and an odd guitar riff to create the feel of an old scary movie. At least that’s what it sounds like to me. It’s a bit of a jolt after the peace provided by the last song, but as the fearful verses develop into a strong, almost patriotic anthem, everything makes sense. Though the production gets a bit mushy here, it’s definitely a strong rock song, and likely to be a concert favorite for the band. Mark Lockett came up with the idea for this one - apparently he holed himself up in the basement while the other guys were working on something else and emerged a few days later with the groundwork for this song. Looking over the lyrics, I have to wonder if the guys were in the middle of the recording process when September 11th. The lyrics refer to New York and the Hudson river, saying that “ghosts of fear drop their bombs and laugh as they explode”. But the chorus takes on a brighter attitude, singing about “The land of our fathers, where the sun rises forever”. If it is another song in the long list inspired by 9-11, I’m grateful that it wasn’t hyped as such, because that gives it more meaning in my eyes. In any case, I think it’s incredibly cool that the band could start the record off with a mellow acoustic ballad and end it with a triumphant rocker, and somehow make the whole progression work.
We‘ve learned so much to find out
Just how we fall
We knew that we‘d always run,
Now it‘s killing us to crawl

As with the last album, A Place Where You Belong isn’t going to find a place where it belongs in the CD collection of the average Christian music fan., But I’m sure it will be embraced by thinking Christians and questioning wanderers alike, looking for someone who speaks their language in a world where none of us will ever feel totally at home. Sure, it may have its flaws, and at times I may wish I could have kept Malcolm from turning down a few of the knobs on the soundboard, but then end result is still so compelling that I can’t help but fall in love with it. Give it a fair chance, and I’m confident you’ll have a similar reaction.

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Grace, Happiness, Less than Love, Romeo on the Radio
Good: I'll Be Home Soon, Innocence, We Go On, On My Own, Brittle Bone
Decent: Epilogue
Weak: King
Skippable: NONE

Band Members:
Andrew Osenga: Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, percussion, mando-guitar, banjo, mandolin, trombone, ocarina
Mark Lockett: Guitar, vocals, bass, keyboards, piano, percussion, mando-guitar, accordion, sampling
B.J. Aberle: Bass, guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion, programming
Cason Cooley: Piano, keyboards, vocals, guitar, percussion, mando-guitar
Mike Taquino: Drums, percussion, vocals

Website: http://www.thenormals.com



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving