24th October, 2008

JUSTIN MICHAEL

Album: Remedy (limited edition)

Artist: David Crowder Band

Year: 2008
Label: sixstepsrecords
Web: www.davidcrowderband.com
 
In A Word: Social-electro-rock-praise (if it's hyphenated, it's one word!)

"That's the thing about David Crowder band. If you were to see them live, you'd more than likely be a 20-something, but the sonic appeal is such that the music becomes something for everyone."

From the mad scientist of uni student-driven congregational God music comes Remedy. This is the limited edition DVD totin' version. There's also the club tour DVD version coming and I suppose if you're a collector, you'll want the original disc as well.

Apart from the curiosity created by the pointy beard, gaunt face and square glasses, there's an effervescence to Mr Crowder and his band that brings you somehow to the place of singing prayerful, humbling words - "and after all our hands have wrought / He forgives / ah, the glory of it all / is He came here / for the rescue of us all / That we may live' (The Glory Of It All)".

The radio hit Everything Glorious which also features on the live bonus DVD is an AC hit with an alternative musicality. That's the thing about David Crowder band. If you were to see them live, you'd more than likely be a 20-something, but the sonic appeal is such that the music becomes something for everyone.

One thing that helps explain the drive behind the music is the conversation on the DVD where Crowder explains: “[We think that with] the people that we live around our faith should make a physical difference in their lives”. On this concert tour, people were asked to bring towels and socks to the events. The request was based on the stated needs of workers in homeless shelters. At each event it seems then that you could see great piles of towels and socks!

Crowder's music is for people with good taste in alterna-rock-praise-'n-worship combined with a social conscience.

Remedy moves through themes of the meaning of existence in the song ...neverending..., to the 'why' behind the worship in tunes like Never Let Go to the reason for faith in the title track Remedy and the wear-it-on-your-sleeve synth-rock of We Won't Be Quiet.

Stand outs include the brilliant lyric of Wesley married to the intensity of the band with the famous O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing. Most will appreciate the way the song has remained basically the same excepting the additional chorus (same thing Mr Tomlin did with Amazing Grace.) If you love this hymn you'll recognise the melody and the lyric as it has been left intact.

Overall I would still rather hear and see these guys live than listen to the studio records. Somehow, the US production ideal is to keep the sounds compressed and for mine the music suffers, but I guess the Remedy is simple...just turn it up and shout it out loud!

Enjoy finding the Remedy.