With songs like "Day by Day," "In the Light," "Jesus Freak," "Colored People," "What Have We Become," and "hat If I Stumble?" dc Talk has made a record that matters on several levels. Musically, this is enlivening stuffÑ-rom each song to the next, you're never sure if you're about to hear cascading acoustic guitars and pop harmonies, grungy alternative rock, gentle acoustic pop, or straight ahead rock 'n roll that's sometimes loud and fast, other times moody and introspective.
Each track is a new sonic adventure with Kevin Smith, Toby McKeehan, and Michael Tait expanding their music beyond hip-hop rock and soul to embrace such rootsy elements as slide guitars and harmonicas.
dc Talk communicates a powerful message even before they sing or play a note-a multi-racial band in an era of worsening race relations, their song "Colored People" sets out to redefine the phrase, noting that all of us are one color or another. Neither does dc Talk shy away from expressing their Christian faith in clear, direct ways. "Jesus Freak," played and sung in an MTV-perfect grunge sound, declares their faith proudly, with even a bit of a chip on their shoulders, while "What Have We Become," likewise, communicates a vital question without flinching, portraying two families racked by sin. Racism tears one apart, while in the other, self-indulgent parents treat their God-given child with indifference, only to suffer her suicide.
dc Talk, too, asks an important question with "What If I Stumble?" a gently questioning track that shows the vulnerable side of Christianity and of life as a Christian music performer. "Is this one for the people, is this one for the Lord? Or do I simply serenade for things I must afford?" McKeehan sings.
It's a worthy question, one every Christian artist should ask themselves from time to time. For McKeehan and dc Talk, Jesus Freak is a more than a satisfying answer.
Bill Hobbs is a reviewer for Christian music publications. He lives in Nashville, TN.
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