Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Matters More?, September 1, 2009
Stockholm Syndrome is Derek Webb singing his swan song to the Christian mainstream. The album may be perceived as negative, and may only sell a few thousand copies, but I believe Derek has created a true work of art.
Webb steps back from the snappy pop of The Ringing Bell, and spent the last couple of years producing a simple and moody record. It is a very outspoken album that, in effect, is Derek's epistle to the modern Christian subculture.
Electronic? Yes. Timberlake? No. The music styles tend to be a bit spastic- from disco to trip-hop to modern pop.
Jena & Jimmy is a disco troupe send up to Mellencamp's Jack & Diane, shows two different takes on a shallow relationship. The Proverbial Gun shows the tension and resolve of a slow, deliberate melody. Freddie, Please is an experimental Motown track written as a letter to right-wing radical Fred Phelps. Heaven showcases Derek's superb knack for wit, and Cobra Con is probably his most accessible track on the album.
It's sad that this album is already being written off because of controversial nature of lyrics. In defense of these songs, profanity is not the purpose, but rather to show the imbalance of parallel moral standards. Mr. Webb's critics have already panned Stockholm Syndrome based on the "unofficial" release of this song. Listen with open ears, if possible.
INO records has taken a chance with Derek Webb - they let him write songs that he wants to write, about topics that he's passionate about, and have his own artistic take on these songs. This record will do little to increase his presence on Christian radio TV and the like, but they have an interlocking reliance on each other, creating a true album.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible!, September 1, 2009
Bold, brilliant, and beautiful. Derek's best and my favorite album right now. I highly recommend it!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent record that makes you think, September 1, 2009
Stockholm Syndrome is easily Webb's best album since She Must and Shall Go Free. Whereas that album centered on the Church and her relationship with God, this album turns its focus on the decisions we make living in a fallen world. Specifically, how we often fall in love with things that do us harm. Webb has stated that this is his most personal album, and that is very much reflected in the lyrics.
Much has been made, and will be made, of the "controversy" surrounding this album. To focus too much on that misses the point of the album. "What Matters More" does include the word s*** as well as d***. However, the significance of the song lays in asking the question of why we put so much emphasis on certain things at the expense of others. That is the strength of the album: it will make you ask important questions about views so that you can know why you hold them.
Probing lyrics in a song would be somewhat useless if they were not backed up with great music. Webb doesn't fail to deliver. Together with Josh Moore from Caedmon's Call, he has created music that draws you into the songs so that the punch of the lyrics can be more acutely felt. For example, "Freddie, Please" is a song that speaks to Fred Phelps (and people like him), a "pastor" whose message of Christianity is that "God hates f***"; in a swinging style reminiscent of "Beauty School Dropout" (from Grease), Webb channels what Christ might have to say to Phelps if he showed up in a dream ala Frankie Avalon.
One note on the style of the album. In contrast with much of Webb's previous work, the music on this album moves away from the folk, single guitar feel. It has a more digital-organic feel with great beats. Different, but great.
In summary, Stockholm Syndrome is a great combination of music that is pleasurable to listen to while it makes you think.
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