Customer Reviews

Big Surprise

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first full release by The Elms is a great blend of classic pop and rock influences with fresh new energy and powerful lyrics. Owen Thomas, front man and songwriter, mixes catchy melodies and thoughtful observations in tunes that proclaim the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Using diverse musical styles and influences, The Big Surprise brings a welcome familiarity with a fresh sound that leaves you humming melodies while you ponder the words you find yourself singing. The guitar work is simple but strong and Owen's vocals are clear and powerful.

The songs "Lifeboat" and "Hey, Hey" are great radio tunes that will receive plenty of airplay on Christian radio stations, but the other eight songs on this album have a lot to offer. "The Buzzing Won't Stop" speaks to the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit while "Real Men Cry" reminds us of the sacrifice of Christ. While the music shows the maturity of a seasoned band, the members are all in their early twenties, and they will only get better.

I don't buy an album without at least five or six strong songs, and I have already purchased The Big Surprise--without disappointment. This is a band to watch and an album to own!

The Church is engaged in a mortal war, but instead of going on the offensive we have retreated into our protective ghettoes. Here, we have become lazy, unproductive, and mediocre. The majority of Christian bands and singers sing songs that sound the same, lack musical depth, have no imagination (God forbid we use that gift), and as a result mean very little even in the enternal realm. This has become the norm and nowadays most people associate bad music with Christianity. Fortunately, there are some bands and artists that not only use their musical gifts to sing ABOUT God, but are using them FOR God as well.

The Elms are such a band. THE BIG SURPRISE is their first major album and it is a blast to listen to it. The band has a style that is clearly influenced by classic American and British rock (The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Buddy Holly), but with a spiritual edge. The group sings about the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and the trials and temptations of life; but never in a preachy, sing-songy way. The music is REAL and so are the lyrics. This is music that could be played on "secular" radio without causing much of a stir. This is worship in it's best form.

Some of my favorite songs include:

"Hey, Hey"

"Lifeboat"

"You're Glowing"

"Real Men Cry"

We sang "Lifeboat" at a churchcamp I worked at as a worship song and it rocked! It was one of the most memorable songs we sang all summer. Not many people have heard of The Elms, but they are a band worth taking time to check out. Great album.

I had never heard of The Elms before I happen to see their video on WOW 2002 Videos. I quickly became addicted to their catchy video/tune "Hey, Hey" and couldn't help but watch it over and over again. Eventually I looked them up on the Internet, and quickly went out and bought both of their albums.

"Big Surprise" is the first major release by an up-and-coming rock group who should one day blow the tops off of the charts. In addition to the Beatles throwback song mentioned in the above paragraph, the group does well with the ballads "Here's My Hand" and the title track "The Big Surprise." "A Minute To Ourselves" has a great rock sound, and "Real Men Cry" will show you that the groups heart is firmly planted in the Lord.

If you have never heard of this group before, do yourself a favor and listen to some of the songs available for preview. You'll be clammoring for your own copy after that.

I saw them in concert yesterday with Jars of Clay, and The Elms are amazing! They have a great, fun sound that you just can't sit still while you 're listening. I reccomend both of their cd's wholeheartedly, and go see them in concert if you can!

As of one month ago, I had never heard of the Elms. I found this CD on sale, and bought it. It quickly became one of my favorite plays. I saw them play at Creation Fest West '03 and I was amazed: thier sheer performing presence and power blew away everyone in the audience; they were the talk of my camp for the remainder of the Festival. The Elms' fresh, unique style is something completely new to the Christian music industry. If you are looking for an innovative new Christian rock band, invest in The Elms- you will not regret it!
Favorite Songs:
Big Surprise
Hey, Hey
Real Men Cry

I saw The Elms recently when they performed as part of the International Pop Overthrow festival in Chicago. I saw dozens of bands over the course of that two-week festival, and The Elms were among the very best, outshining most by an order of magnitude. Their songwriting and performance are transcendent, and this album does a good job of capturing that on CD. If you have any affinity at all for energetic, catchy Brit-sounding pop, you will not be disappointed by this disc.

Another thing, that I would not mention except that some other reviews dwell on the band's Christianity and they seem to have been stuck in a "Christian rock" category: I am not a Christian, and usually I would run screaming from anything that smacked of overt religion. But I love this album. The Christian slant is there if you dig for it and really pore over the lyrics, but it's not obtrusive. When I listen to this I just hear great music. So, if you would otherwise avoid this because you hate "Christian music", don't let that dissuade you from this one.

This cd is so great! Hey, Hey starts it off so well and the next song is great to. Other greats on the cd are You're Glowing, and the finale - Real Men Cry. These songs stir the heart and have great guitar and are just awesome melodies.

This CD is what put The Elms on the map of musical greatness. Prior to this release, the band released an EP and a couple of indie records. Big Surprise was their first major release on Sparrow Records in 2001, and it was a landmark not only for Christian music, but for pop/rock music as a whole.

The songs on Big Surprise are filled with great hooks, heartfelt lyrics, and amazing melodies that will make you want to replay the record again and again!

The standout track for me is The Buzzing Won't Stop! Great message, amazing harmony from Owen, and just a great song overall. Other favorites are Who Got The Meaning? , Lifeboat, Here's My Hand, and of course, Hey Hey!

If you enjoy music, period, go pick up this record. If you want to hear more great music from The Elms, pick up their later albums, Truth Soul Rock'n'Roll (2002) and The Chess Hotel (2006).

I saw the Elms in concert with Jars of Clay, and at first just thought they were some new, bouncy energetic rock band. However, my friend Scott recommended some of their non-concert music over the stuff they'd played, and I began to realize the true depth and diversity of their music and this CD in particular. Yes, they do have an energetic pop/rock sound to many of their songs, but some of their stuff is more of a pop/rock ballad. They sound like a mix between the new stuff from Jars of Clay and Lifehouse (but not so much like either JOC or Lifehouse's older music), with a dash of perhaps Sense Field, Jimmy Eat World, and/or Pete Yorn (yes, I know that's an odd combo, but it really does work).
My personal favorites: "Here's My Hand" (track 2), "Lifeboat" (track 7), and "Real Men Cry" (track 10).

This album is my favorite christian work. Usually christian music has all the same sound(in their catagory of course), but this really sticks out to me. All of the songs are good there is no weak spot and you can listen to it over and over again. So if your sick of all the same old stuff give this one a listen.