Customer Reviews

Sunsets & Sushi

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, I'm a huge David Crowder Band fan, so take that bias into account. If you're unfamiliar with what he has to offer, I recommend his album "Can You Hear Us?" and, of course, the original "Illuminate."

"Sunsets and Sushi" is more like an EP than a full album, offering only eight remixed songs. Each is different from its original, but the remixes (as noted by other reviewers) are not hard-core dance pop (the way, say, Britney Spears remix singles tend to be). They're mostly electronified, with a little more reverb here, a little sampling and repetition there. I love listening to it while I work, although it is a little unusual for DCB to be relegated to background music, I listen to his normal albums in the background as well.

To illustrate, "No One Like You," a loud, fast high from the original CD, becomes a contemplative pop-rock number with shades of dance-music sampling. Or take one of my favorite DCB songs ever, "Deliver Me." Sarah Brightman originated it, and he did a driving, melancholy version on "Illuminate" with a Christian chorus tacked on at the end to give it a lift. The remix loses the driving sadness and desperation and verges instead on eerie trip-hop. It's not better or worse, just different; I happen to like all three versions.

I definitely wouldn't recommend this album *instead* of the original "Illuminate," as these songs are more about sound than passion or emotion. But it makes a great addition to a Crowder fan's collection.

I highly recomment this cd to not only fans of David Crowder, but to fans of good, well-programmed electronic music everywhere. For those unfamiliar with the band's work they're actually a rock band. This album however, is an "electronic" interpertation of their album ILLUMINATE - not really remixes of the songs from that album (which is what I was expecting). These songs are completely different. The DCB (David Crowder Band) didn't take the easy way out and through a dance beat and some synthesizers under perviously recorded songs like most bands do when offering albums like this. No, they gave the listener brand new songs.

If I was driving thru a city on a rainy night...this is the album I'd play. I don't say this to suggest the songs are sad or depressing, (because they're not. they're actually beautiful and remind me of HOPE), but I say this in that these songs make me feel like I'm on a mysterious journey. And isn't that what our life with GOD is? He's the leader. This is the album I'd play while traveling down roads unkown, lead by a great king.

Once again David Crowder shows his versatility in making good Christian music. With echoes of The Postal Service in the first song, Sunsets and Sushi immerses you in techno-worship. This album may not be for everybody (and no album is!) but it definitely leads me to a place of praise everytime I listen to it. It is a great remix of some of Crowders best songs. The remix's of Intoxicating and Deliver Me, provide a needed thematic thrust to the songs that make them much deeper and more moving.
That being said, some people don't like the electronic sound of the album. I think it is a great album that shows Crowder's versatility.

First off, I love the Illuminate album. In fact, it's probably at the top of my list right now. I tend to enjoy remix albums, so I was pretty excited about Sunsets & Sushi. Overall, this album is very enjoyable, especially if you like Illuminate. However, I was personally hoping for something a little more intense -- maybe a little "harder". One of the things I love about Illuminate is the variance in each song -- within the song you flow from soft, quiet parts which build into intense, powerful parts. The music (as opposed to the lyrics alone) are what make many of these songs so engaging and inspirational. With Sunsets & Sushi, I found the songs overall to be more level and even a little flat at times. You don't get the same ups and downs, so the album lacks alot of the real impact I found in Illuminate. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm "disappointed" because S&S really is fun, but it's not going to replace Illuminate for me.

If you are looking for good christian music with a hint of electronic sounds, this is it! I love this CD I share it with all my friends. It is happy music to me. I hope more music like this for chrisitian listenrs are in the making. A must have in your collection if you enjoy dancey music. Daivd Crowder, what a blessed musician.

I love DCB, have Illuminate, Can You Hear Us and two Passion albums. As someone who also appreciates downtempo (think Moby, BBC Blue Room, or new wave turning 40), I thought this was fresh, new and still worship-full. I keep this on while working, cleaning the house, driving. Even my Third Day loving wife thinks its great. And the kids...well, they keep coming over to the stereo and turning up. At work, I leant it to our spike-haired, retro-black-glasses-wearing graphic designer and he loved it. Worship music to him had always been 'boring.' This CD is certainly not.

I'm a graphic designer for a progressive church, so you can bet that if Jesus collides with a remix album, I'm going to buy it. I think this album is exceptional. For me, it DID replace Illuminate. I enjoy a more downbeat, chill-out sound, even as much as I love Crowder's other stuff. I found myself working with one hand lifted in praise and the other on the mouse. (I think Jesus is okay with that.) The entire CD is just a fluid movement, and each song even loops well into itself if you put it on single repeat, as I did with tracks 2, 3 and 4. Heavenly, just Heavenly. And it's a great witnessing tool as well, especially for the elite dance-crowd club kids that don't realize that Jesus really IS cool.

When I first got the CD and found out that it was just a CD full of remakes of songs that I mostly had on other CDs I felt extremely disappointed. It only took the 30 seconds to pop the CD into my music player to change my mine. The CD is a masterpiece. All of the song are vibrant and alive. If you enjoy any of David Crowders music, you will absolutly love this CD. I would recomend it to anyone.

Great to listen to christian music. Totally not which you will hide from others, no matter whether they are christians or not.

I love Illuminate and after seeing the $9 price on this the other day at Wal-mart I picked it up. It's a really cool idea, and I always love to take old worship songs and keep them fresh and interesting. Maybe I need to give it more time, but I really agree with the reviewer that said some of the songs sound flat. That's immediately what I thought. There are no emotional ups and downs in the music. There is no climax when songs transition from verse to chorus. The songs just sounded empty to me, almost like someone talking over a little beat in the background. But I appreciate and respect the effort. Some of the songs are a lot of fun.