Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com
True enough. In fact, Audio Adrenaline has a way to go before they are as big as label mates dc Talk, whose Jesus Freak album is flying out of stores as its video of the same name dents MTV's playlist. Still, Bloom finds Audio Adrenaline's brand of alternative and modern rock progressing beyond the headbanger approach of their earlier efforts.
It is the band's first studio album since the release of Live Bootleg. That disc, released a year ago, serves as a musical bridge between the polished studio sound of their first two albums (Don't Censor Me and Audio Adrenaline) and the rawer, go-for-broke garage band feel of Bloom, produced by John Hampton (Gin Blossoms) and the Gotee Brothers (Out of Eden).
"Our fans have been saying they like our live sound better, and that's why we put out Live Bootleg," says vocalist Mark Stuart, explaining why the band dumped the drum loops, programs, and "all the technical stuff" when recording Bloom.
And along the way, Audio Adrenaline not only got better at making good, accessible rock 'n' roll--their message also matured from the preachy polemics of their earlier efforts into more subtly written songs like "Man of God."
Over a suitably humble but insistent snare drum and a hypnotically repetitive guitar riff, Stuart intones:
Sometimes I'm a liar
Sometimes I'm fake
Sometimes I'm a hypocrite that everybody hates . . . Sometimes I'm a man of God/Sometimes I'm all right . .
If I make it, I'm a good man/Am I bad man if I fail?
I know I'm never good enough so I let grace prevail.
Christian artists often admit in their songs to fallibility and imperfection, though often with metaphors that ease the sting of self-revelation. Not so this song, which lays it out there: "liar," "fake," "hypocrite." It's an honest, cathartic moment of truth that should appeal to Generation X listeners, who are gravitating to naked honesty.
The song is the fourth in a string of songs that are at the middle--literally and figuratively--of Bloom. It starts with "Walk on Water," about stepping out on faith, and continues with "See Through" about letting others see the perfect Christ through an imperfect self. Then comes a welcome remake of the Edgar Winter Group's classic "Free Ride," transformed into a message about the free ride to heaven God offers through Christ, before the naked confessional of "Man of God."
Bloom is not a perfect flower--"Gloryland" has a paint-by-numbers feel and "I'm Not the King," on which Stuart's vocals sound a bit like U2's Bono, is sunk by overwrought lyrics: "The King of Rock some say lives/The Lizard King is surely dead/The King of France lost his head/The King of Kings . . . bled/I'm not the king/I just sing."
Ugh! Better they stick to songs like "Secret," an alternative screamer about sharing the gospel: "I've got a secret/And I cannot keep it." Better, also, they stick to the jangly feel-good guitar pop of "Good People," with its message of finding the good in people from all walks of life, or cool melodic harmonies of "Walk on Water," or the chugging guitar and drums of "See Through."
"Bag Lady" is another highlight of Bloom, a grungy, grinding, ultimately searing tune that looks past the women's poverty and sees the inner worth that Christ always spots but Christians sometimes fail to notice among the downtrodden: "Sweet little lady, your soul is worth gold/Don't believe all the lies you been told/I have a friend, a friend indeed/Comes to rescue of damsels in need."
True to its alternative nature, Bloom includes a bonus hidden track at the end of the CD, a joke of sorts, really. After the last track, just let the CD spin for 2:05 to "Jazz Odyssey," a musical interlude that showcases the band's musical talents under the patter of "Smooth Steve", a B-grade jazz club host who can't stop his incessant lounge chatter long enough to let the band play.
The message this time: Audio Adrenaline may put spiritual themes up front--now more than ever with mature, well-written songs--but, hey, kids, this is rock'n' roll! Plug in, turn up the amps and have some serious fun!
Yeah, this band's gonna be big. They're really starting to Bloom.
Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com