Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A BIG and A W E S O M E change! , September 13, 2008
I'm a person who listens to all different kinds of music, so the diversity in this album was amazing for me.
This CD is almost nothing like their previous one, but(in my opinion) is equally as good. A lot of FF5's patrons may be expecting something less poppy from them, but I feel they had a good mix of everything in there.
That fact that their sound has changed, doesn't make them, or this CD bad.
I feel like I could give this CD to someone who's never heard them before and they would love it.
It's all a part of musical evolution, and it's a good thing.
Who wants to hear the same thing over, and over again?
My advice to those of you expecting B-side to business up front is to prepare yourself for something a little more "dancified". Who knows? you may even like it!
=]
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SURPRISINGLY GOOD!!, April 15, 2009
Comparing this album to their first release, it is equally as good. Of course, FF5 has taken a new direction with their sound, but as someone who likes most every style out there, I love this CD just as much as their debut.
It seems like people love to bash this band for being a "Christian band." Why? Simple: not every song is about faith or God, yet that is what many expect to hear. As much as I love worship music that is well done, I don't want to hear that style day in and day out.
Just because FF5 is under a well-known label in the Christian industry, it doesn't mean that they're gonna give you a sermon one song after another. Many bands reference God and the spiritual indirectly with pronouns "He,""Him," "You" etc., and it's really common to have songs that don't even mention the Lord. For example, topics like addiction, struggles, overcoming temptation, hope, dying to your own ways and living for "something greater," not following the crowd, relationships, and just having fun are common. The bands like to write songs about real people going through life, the struggles and triumphs they encounter along the way, and how they break free from those difficult situations. That's a big part of the industry - writing songs people can relate to by showing them that there is a different perspective to things. When you think about it, for many years Christian music has been for primarily for Christian people. But now that the Christian scene has expanded itself in both style and lyrical content, it has been able to reach a much wider audience (including non-Christians). It's a great thing too, because no matter what the audience is like, the same message can apply to everyone (its a way of ministering to others in a way that is overly preachy).
Unlike a lot of the mainstream songs on the radio, rather than hearing someone singing about a breakup over cheating that involves bitter feelings, inflated anger, and ill-wishes, Christian bands take a different spin on it all. When writing a song about a relationship, themes like honesty, openness, staying true, abiding in love not lust, thinking things over before making quick decisions, and so on are very common. Since the members of Christian bands are Christians, the stuff they write about is seen from a faith perspective. No mater what the topic / content of the song is, the message is still good and often thought provoking.
So going back to FF5's sophomore release, you can split it up into two categories: (1) Songs dealing with faith / spiritual themes (2) Songs that don't deal with those things.
FAITH-BASED SONGS:
~ Dance or Die
~ Get Your Back Off the Wall
~ How In the World
~ D-I-E 4 Y-O-U
~ Wake the Dead
~ Radiator
NON-FAITH-BASED SONGS:
~ ...the remaining 5.
Having said all that, songs like "Rip it Up" or "Earthquake" (on their first CD) are simply about having good, clean fun dancing with someone out on the dance floor. There aren't any suggestive hints at the junk seen at many parties. "Share It With Me" and "The First Time" are both incredible love songs that demonstrate what healthy relationships ought to be about, and "Party Foul" talks about staying true when in a relationship while dealing someone else who is interfering in a negative way.
More than anything, the fact that these guys are a Christian band, are willing to admit it shamelessly, and reflect it in their lives is just awesome. Whether they're tearing up a stage over a song that is just about having fun and getting pumped up or mellowing things down a bit with one that is a heartfelt love song to God ("How In the World"), this album is simply fantastic.
Get over the fact that not every track is wrapped in worshipful writing and enjoy it. The members are committed to their ministry and don't shy away from writing songs that are suggestive of it.
For all you California people, go check them out live at the upcoming Spirit West Coast 2009.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff, March 8, 2009
Today I realized that I could live without this album, but I don't really want to. I skipped a few of the slower tracks, which is why downloading it here was a good idea, but a friend loaned this cd to me and I was too excited about Christian music that rocks 80's style not to buy it for myself.
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by Family Force 5 
