"Tonight" Album Review

Track Listing:

01. Tonight (ft. John Cooper of Skillet)
02. Get Back Up
03. Funky Jesus Music
04. City on Our Knees
05. ShowStopper
06. Changed Forever
07. Hold On
08. LoudNClear (TruDog10)
09. Hey Devil
10. Wonderin (ft. Matt Thiessen of Relient K)
11. Captured
12. Start Somewhere
13. Break Open The Sky (ft. Israel Houghton)

Oh Toby! It's been two and a half since you released "Portable Sounds" and how we've missed you! But the real question, does "Tonight" quench our thirst, or are we parched for more?

The answer is...

"Tonight" is one of the best albums of Tobymac's solo and DC Talk career. There aren't a lot of christian artists that can really come close to his writing abilities, and it shows here. "Tonight" is an absolutely astounding blend of his signature rapcore/hip hop songs, soft rock ballads, and truly inspirational music.

The album truly shines throughout most of the songs. "Funky Jesus Music" sounds like a lost DC Talk song remade. It's such a groovy beat that even your parents will start shaking it. And it becomes pretty clear, Toby is not afraid to put Jesus into everything! A lost virtue these days in christian music. "Get Back Up" is more of a softer song, yet still delivers and satisfies anyone's appetite for some good ol' Diversity. "ShowStopper" brings up the question: "Why don't more bands make songs like this?" I wouldn't be surprised to hear this being used in many ESPN Gametime Moments, as its guitar makes you feel like you could rock for hours.

And who could forget Truett? This little guy has started to grow up and brings his own little groove to the album in the form of "LoudNClear". First time I heard this, I honestly laughed out loud. Oh how sibling rivalry humors me!

"Hey Devil" feels ripped out of the 90's. That's not a bad thing. This song feels like it could very easily be placed into DC Talk's "Free At Last", and no one would mind. But the best song on the album is by far "City On Our Knees". This is so far from Toby's usual beats, but it is actual a very beautiful song! This truly shows that christians can still bring religious lyrics to a song, and make it an instant hit.

But is the whole album perfect? Actually, no it's not. "Wonderin'", a song combined with Relient K's Matt Thiessen, seems like it would be the perfect match. Unfortunately, though, it is actually a weak link in an otherwise titanium build. I found myself pressing SKIP when it came to this song a few times, as it failed to live up to my expectations. Is it bad? Not at all, far from it. But it strays so far from the formula, it makes me personally wonder "WHY!?"

My overall verdict: BUY BUY BUY! This is TobyMac at his absolute finest. There really isn't anyone in the world who can find themselves taking this out of their CD player or off their iPod for a long long time.

Pros:

• Tracks 1-9
• Rockability
• Lots of hippin' and hoppin'
• Toby never falls away from his faith!
• Truett

Cons:

• "Wonderin'"
• The font is a little hard to read on the cover...

Overall: 5/5

Recommended Downloads:

1. Tonight
2. Funky Jesus Music
3. City on Our Knees
4. ShowStopper
5. Hey Devil

"Memento Mori" Album Review

Track Listing:

01. Beautiful Bride
02. Again
03. Chasm
04. Missing
05. This Close
06. The Kind
07. In The Dark
08. Set Apart This Dream
09. Swept Away
10. Tiny Heart
11. Melting (interlude)
12. Treasure
13. Circle
14. Arise

As a follow-up to Flyleaf's Platinum-selling self-titled album, they release "Memento Mori" on Tuesday, November 10. It has been three long years since we've seen any new material from the quintet, but is it worth the wait?

This is one of those album that grows on you the more and more you listen to it. As the album starts off, the first three tracks bring them back to the hard rock beginnings that vaulted the band into the limelight. "Beautiful Bride" is a very addictive song that you will be rocking out for weeks to come. "Again" mixes the beautiful voice of Lacey Mosley with some synthesized guitar riffs and simple drum patterns in a formula that just clicks. "Chasm" is much like "Again", except the main guitar riff is so catchy, you'll be tapping your foot and nodding your head along even without realizing it.

After this, though, the album starts to slowly decline. Some of the songs start off strong and then grind the fast-paced action to a grinding hault. "Missing" has amazing potential, but something about it feels like they could have applied a little more into it. "Treasure", however, is one of the more spiritual tracks on the album, and it shows whether you agree with Lacey's spoken intro or not.

This is a much more religious-based album than their first. Although, the first was good, this expands on that formula ten-fold. For example, "In The Dark" paints a picture of the fears experienced by new found Christians, and the trails and tribulations faced. "Again" is about one's struggle to stay focused on GOD during hard times.

Overall, this album should be listened to over and over before buying. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great effort on their part, but after three years, some people expect more.


Pros:

• Very Religious Lyrics
  
• Lacey's Voice
• The first 3 tracks

Cons:

• Repitition
• Feels like we did this already 3 years ago

Overall: 3/5

Recommended Downloads:

1. Beautiful Bride
2. Again
3. Chasm
4. This Close
5. Treasure