Customer Reviews

Dawn Escapes

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ever since "Crashings" came out, Falling Up has taken a strong foothold in the wide world of Christian music. Taking a fusion of hard rock guitars and catchy rythms, Falling Up landed themselves on an entire new category of music. Such originality in lyrics and sound left listeners and fans with great expectations about a second release. It was a task to be challenged only by the band itself...

And Falling Up did not fail.

This album still carries that flavor, that signature sound that made Falling Up the band that it is today. Piercing hard music with melodic voices and a beat that bobs your head whether you'd like to or not. The lyrics point to a higher hope ("The hope is where His hand has bled") that is needed in every aspect of our daily lives. Very well written (expected for Falling Up) and brilliantly sung.

The production is excellent. The mixes, the quality... it just works. The song "Contact" is a good example of this: a semi-slow song with good use of a beatbox or synth. In any case, the album truly has a "professional" feel to it.

The only true flaw that this album carries is that it could get worn out in time. The piano element, a welcomed addition, is somewhat repetitive over the course of the album, as it plays the intro in most songs. Being such, the songs themselves tend to be a bit predictable to some extent, although they still pack that original Falling Up flavor punch found in "Crashings."

Apart from the repetitive intros, Falling Up has created a great album. With this release they showed a step in the right direction and a reach towards maturity. This album is worth a buy and most definitely a listen.

Falling Up shows that they continue to grow musically and lyrically. The music absolutely rocks and the melodies and harmonies mixed in make this one of the best hard modern rock albums I have heard. The mixture of instruments is worth a listen.
The lyrics also seem to move on the theme of lights and moving on the sea. Sort of a themed album. Very symbolic and also enlightening. Pick it up today and enjoy some great new music!

Seeing as how many of friends are fans of Falling Up, I decided to write a little review of the CD. Once again, the booklet is filled with the lyrics and revelances to the songs having to do with passages from the Bibles which is always good to have so we can understand where they stem off from.

1. Searchlights 4/5 - Probably one of my favorites. The intro is amazing with the strings and then it just blasts off from there. Sounds very...moshy. LAWL

2. Exhibition 3/5 - Me and another person were amazed at the piano intro to this song. Falling Up is a rock band at its core, but they really use lots of orchestrated and digital fx in their music.

3. Flights 3/5 - A song about God being everywhere you are no matter where in the world you are because He has overcome it. Yet another nice piano intro for only a couple of seconds.

4. Exit Calypsan 4/5 - I still have no idea what the freak Calypsan means after searching for the meaning of the word. It's only in your dreams is the key to this song...escaping from the image of oneself. Easily the "Broken Heart" of this new album.

5. Contact 5/5 - I just really like the mood of this song. It feels nice. Kinda like Arafax Deep. A song of realizing God's voice drowns over all and erases every pain away. No matter where you escape, it's only by contact with Him you'll realize, you'll overcome, you'll be able to rid yourself of everything.

6. Moonlit 4/5 - The drums in this song are pretty solid. This is like the anthem for the album. "This is the wave, this is the ocean....LET'S GO NOW!!" Pretty much a song about faith and believing what you can't see and not understanding what is told to you by God because it's overwhelming for us as humans to understand the ways of God.

7. Cascades 3/5 - Jesus taking all our sins unto the cross is what this song tries to reveal. It's a pretty basic song, nothing too flashy about it, pretty plain and simple but it's Falling Up no less, so they make it sound good ^_^

8. Meridian 4/5 - Rise up and take your crosses and follow the ways of Jesus! "Wake your heart, light your fears..." Stand your ground, that is all. Nothing too flashy about this one either but I like the lyrics to the song so that made me add another point to it for that.

9. Lights of Reedport 3/5 - The lights thing seems to go pretty well with this song, seeing as how you're supposed to open up to God knowing you will garner the knowledge and the wisdom. This song has a semi-techno feel to it. Not the beat, just the sounds in it.

10. Marathons 4/5 - Now that I really listen to it and see where it stemmed off from, the song does make complete sense. It's a race against evil and endurance. How long can you hold out until you are found again? Can you stand the test of the faith? It's a pretty awesome song. Kinda makes a challenge for you somewhat.

11. Fearless 3/5 - It kinda has a fast, trippy time signature once the chorus kicks in, like 4/8 or something like that. I'm not good with the time signature recognition but....a song of healing you can think of it.

12. Intro the Gravity 3/5 - I just want to say, I love the song titles these guys come up with! They are so unique...I don't know where they get them from but oh well...Nice ending to the CD I suppose. A little too short I felt and not at all like Arafax Deep where the first CD ended on and it was on a tremendous note. Just remember, intro the gravity, cause it upholds the world, and the world is upheld by Christ and Christ is God. That is all...

I probably need to listen to it more maybe...I dunno...but I still prefer the first album. It was so unique and so refreshing. A lotta the songs on this CD sound alike in some ways. They only added some weird effects to every song to make them sound different... but I can see through it! The lyrics are still very good except I feel they overused a lotta words. I don't know if they did that on purpose to connect them all together...I dunno...

Once again Falling Up comes up with sensational music that blesses the ears. This music is so much more talented than before and the vocals and lyrics just touched me.

Musically
Words can't describe. I was expecting the original Emo/Indie sound, but was I wrong. What I heard was a mix of hard rock and beautifulness. I knew there were pianos in the original but they weren't heard much. On this album however, piano is one of the key instruments in their music. Not so much scratching this time, but they really don't need it this a time around. The guitars have really matured this time too. There are a lot of sweet licks in Dawn Escapes. I also should add that there are quite a few synths also. I'm not too fond of synths, but, they add a nice touch to the overall sound of the cd. The first album featured bland guitars, your normal drop D tuning power chords. But, on this album I actually had to spend some time trying to figure out where and what in the world they were playing. The guitars and piano blend so perfectly, you wouldn't think that rock stars were playing them. All around, the music on this album will blow your socks off. Musically, I'll give this album a 4 out of 5 for music. There is one song that I just truly don't care for at all, but other than that I really like it.

Vocally/Lyrically
Once again, I was truly amazed by these guys. Jessy really put his heart into these lyrics. He used every ounce of himself and to write some awesome and really touching lyrics. Jessy has one of those voices that is just really soothing. It's not a raw, grunge, scream sound, but a smooth kind of essence sound. His voice contributes a lot to the album. Back again to lyrics though. The words are so uplifting. I mean, some songs are more uplifting than rock songs I've heard. I listened to them the first day and thought they were really good, until I listened to them on day 2 and so on. I really noticed the lyrical value of this album. If you need some word just to help you through a problem or to just make it through the day, these guys surely will help. I really enjoy how there lyrics really talk about overcoming everything in their way and just saying, " God, You're mine and You will take care of me." Lyrically I and vocally I give these guys a 5 out of 5.

Flights
They search, they light
This place a face of the fearless
To wait the night
It's calm but your starting to hear this
It moves so fast, stops hearts but holding on faster
Come back, like that, and you know that

You will find
That I'm everywhere you go
And I'm all the places you will not be
You will find
That I'm everywhere you go
And I'm all the things you want to be

Overall, this album is a must have for past fans and new fans. I give it a 5 out of 5, because all the songs were great. WARNING!!!! This music will touch you. BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The moment i found out about this album i was excited. I heard several of the songs on a website before it came out and loved them. It has not left my CD player since i bought it. Simply put, if you liked crashings, you will like this cd. Josh Shroy has really stepped up the drumming in this album (Meridians) and they have added a lot more electronic beats to the songs. It includes some great slower songs that really bring out Jessy Ribordy's unique voice (Contact, Intro The Gravity). Many of the songs have great string or piano intros. One note on the lyrics: The words in this album are very metiphorical, although the booklet includes scripture references with each song, the messages may be a bit obscure for some people.

An outstanding album, i was not disapointed. I hope this review helps.

Piano melodies interwoven in dark guitar riffs have always been Falling Up's signature, and Dawn Escapes gives more of what their fans adore. Hats off to the boys for having one of the coolest album covers of the year. However, this album's main downfall is the lack of standout hits like last year's "Bittersweet." Every song bleeds into the next without a clear, strong winner. Hardcore Falling Up followers should dig it but newbies should buy their first album, Crashing, for a proper introduction. Album Highlights: "Into the Gravity," "Moonlight" and "Contact"

I think that if you didn't know this band was Christian (they are), you wouldn't assume that they were. This is not worship music (thankfully), but is just clean, friendly music. I like #5 the best, Contact, I think it's called. That's the problem Snow Patrol had on Final Straw: The song titles here have nothing to do with the actual songs, so I have trouble remembering what the songs are called. I heard it on a mainstream modern rock station for a while and I was calling it Erase before I got the CD and realized it was called Contact, and that word is not used once in the song. Anyway, this is a good CD. I think it is better than Crashings because they don't rap on this album as they did on Crashings (Jackson Five).

I just bought this CD about 2 weeks ago at a Falling Up concert in my small county!! They were great in concert!! I give them 5 stars for their concert performance and 4 stars for this CD. The best songs on this CD(in my opinion) are Moonlit and Contact. Contact is the best song because it starts out softer,but does not get super rock-ish like all the other songs on this album. It stays at pretty much the same pace through out the whole song!! And Moonlit is just a catchy tune!! All the other songs on this album are fantastic too!! I do not think this would be a waiste of your mula.

After their greatly esteemed freshman album released in 2004, entitled Crashings, Falling Up is back to release their follow-up, Dawn Escapes. Signed with BEC Records, Falling Up is a modern rock band hailing from Albany, Oregon. They made their name known with songs like "Escalates," "Bittersweet," "New Hope Generation," and "Symmetry." Now, about a year and a half later, Falling Up is releasing an album full of similarities and differences, modern rock and piano melodies, strong vocals and stunning lyrics, and their notable brief song titles.


Dawn Escapes draws many musical parallels to Crashings, but contains a dozen new tracks of high-paced rock that focuses on the band's unique style. Highlights of the album include "Moonlite," "Searchlights," and "Exhibition," which will definitely get you off your feet.


Although I enjoyed the album at first, Dawn Escapes seems to be a blunt continuation of Crashings, with just a few alterations. When first listening to the album, most can automatically tell that the music is undeniably Falling Up. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can have its downsides. The album has definitely progressed somewhat musically and lyrically above that of Crashings; but, for the most part, the sound is still rather familiar. Those who just loved the sound of their first album will probably love this album also, but those who look for originality between albums might be a little disappointed. For example, "New Hope Generation" from Crashings sounds rather similar musically to "Marathons."


Like Crashings, Dawn Escapes begins with an extensive instrumental introduction in the first song, "Searchlights." I found that Dawn Escapes includes the rock/rap/worship mixture that Falling Up is known for. Most of the songs on this album also start off slower than those on Crashings, which is an interesting and rather pleasing change. There are more strings and violins present this time around, along with piano solos like those found in "Exhibition" and "Contact." The hip-hop and rock melodies fuel the album's momentum, even when the songs get heavy at times, but are balanced with aspects of other genres. There are too many bands out there today that try and mix all genres together and they all end up sounding the same.


Lyrically, Ribordy writes from his heart, wanting the listeners to interact with the music. Falling Up uses their music as a ministry and a way to worship. Two notable songs are "Intro the Gravity" and "Contact," which are slower and more violin and piano driven songs. Ribordy's distinct voice seems to be maturing and becoming a lot stronger since Crashings, which adds to this album.


For those who enjoyed Crashings and want to hear more of the same, definitely check out Dawn Escapes. If you haven't heard the quickly rising Falling Up yet, and enjoy the likes of Kutless, Seven Places, Jeremy Camp, or Pillar, you may find a place in your collection for Falling Up. Although I give Falling Up credit for continuing with their interesting style of modern worship, if you're expecting a totally different and unique album than those you have heard before, you may be a little disappointed. Regardless, Dawn Escapes is worth a listen if you're looking for a new rap/rock record to add to your collection.

Sounds like ... multi-faceted rock with the pop sensibilities of Simple Plan, the electronic touches of Linkin Park and the guitar muscle of P.O.D. all rolled into one.

At a glance ... this well-produced sophomore album sticks to a modern rock formula that works well, but a few more risks would've made it great.

Track Listing
1. Searchlights
2. Exhibition
3. Flights
4. Exit Calypsan
5. Contact
6. Moonlite
7. Cascades
8. Meridians
9. Lights of Reedsport
10. Marathons
11. Fearless
12. Intro the Gravity


Proving to be one of rock's most promising new acts on the BEC roster, Falling Up scored three No. 1 singles off its 2004 debut, Crashings, toured relentlessly and posted sales of more than 100,000 units in the process. Not too shabby of a start.

With Dawn Escapes, Falling Up aspires for more than flash-in-the-pan status. The album stretches far beyond the grace-themed focus of Crashings to address more meaty matters. This isn't the stuff you'll hear on the new Simple Plan album, that's for sure, and the depth on songs like "Flights" and "Meridians" make the band a cut above the rest, lyrically speaking. It's too bad that lyrical maturity didn't extend to the musical side of things, however.

While everything's louder and more pristinely produced than its predecessor, there's little that distinguishes one song from the rest, save for the occasional pretty piano intro here and there. On first listen, you hear the band liberally borrow from Linkin Park. Later on, it's a smattering of P.O.D., a dose of Thousand Foot Krutch and other bands of the nü-metal persuasion, something that feels a little dated given the climate of modern rock toward bands like The Bravery and The Killers these days. When it's all said and done, there's nothing really new that would serve as Falling Up's own calling card-and that's too bad, considering that the band really seems to have something to say.

But there are rewards found on Dawn Escapes. "Moonlite" is the kind of catchy track tailor-made for mainstream modern rock radio, while "Lights of Reedsport" explores some interesting sonic territory. If there were only a few more moments like these, we'd have something truly great instead of merely passing muster.