"Depraved" - Anberlin

Have you ever purchased a new album, gone to listen all the way through, and maybe skipped a song or two based on the intro to the song?  Maybe it just hit you the wrong way that day?  Maybe you weren't in the mood?  Then, when you finally go back and listen to the song, it's so amazing that you have to ask, "How have I never listen to this song before?"  Well, that was "Depraved" for me.

From Anberlin's album "Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place," "Depraved" is the quintessential sin song, a song that takes the issue of habitual sin and forces the listener to face a harsh truth:

"Are you depraved, or are you deceived?  Excuses aside, stop saying please . . ."

Excuses aside.  Wow.  There's more:

"You're not a slave, so get off your knees . . ."

They're right: ultimately, it is for freedom that Christ set us free, that we should no longer under the yoke of slavery to sin.  So, if we're free, do we keep sinning because we're depraved, or because we're deceived?  Since we're free in Christ, there really is no excuse for habitual sin.

Amazing.

Now, I've always admired how well put-together Anberlin's music is; their synergy as a group is incredible, starting with the way the instruments are arranged, all the way down to the breaks and the breakdowns (especially the breakdowns).  The music they put together for "Depraved" is the most important key to their effective delivery of the song, and it makes the song a great listen, even if you're not actually dealing with habitual sin (it's a great reminder not to start, though!)

You will enjoy this song, and if you are dealing with habitual sin, I hope this song helps you:



As always, thanks for checking in, and stay tuned for more great finds from Christian Music Discovery, the place for good Christian music.

"Free" - Strange Celebrity

The music industry can be a funny thing sometimes.  Let's take the band Strange Celebrity as an example: They only had one major album release, "Remedy," back in 2003, which was not very successful. And the one single that got play time on Air1, a national Christian alternative station, was "Rise," which, in my opinion, was not the strongest of all debut singles, although the plan may have been to release a better song as the next single (though that never happened.)

Listening through "Remedy" shortly after it came out, I wasn't really impressed with any of the songs, except the first one, a song entitled "Free."  I heard this song and thought, "Whoa, these guys may really be onto something," only to be disappointed by the rest of the album.

That brings me back to my point: it's funny how the best song on an album can potentially never reach the ears of an audience who would jump at the chance to purchase it, if they only heard it.  Such is the case with "Free."

As soon as "Free" kicks in, you start bobbing your head to the unique rhythm that is laid down by the guitars and bass.  The slight dissonance that the lead guitar gives in it's opening riff is something that you're not quite sure that you've ever heard before, and serves to set the mood for the rest of the song which is, in a word, "refreshing."

As the vocals come in, they are underscored nicely by a playful back-and-forth between the bass and the guitar, which helps maintain the established rhythm.  Luke Brown then takes us on into a conversation with God about leaving behind the things that weigh down and being lifted up into freedom.

As we proceed into the chorus, it builds in such a way that the listener feels carried up and over, just as Luke is asking.  The weight is lifted, and the freedom has set in.

As we proceed to the bridge, the guitar lays down what is really a liberating guitar solo against a definite change in progression.  Then, it's back to the chorus, bringing the point home, and leaving the listener satisfied.

Really, "Free" is the complete package as far as songs go.  It's themed well, it moves well, it stays fresh, and it really communicates the point well through both the lyrics and the music.  I may not have been impressed with the rest of Strange Celebrity's music, but I absolutely love this song, and it is definitely a song worth purchasing.


You can listen to "Free" on the YouTube video below:




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