Jesus Freak

Review

The release of a new product by DC Talk into the marketplace is pretty much a major event. Any new product. It's been nearly three years since Free at Last first hit the streets, but every time an ancillary project like remixes, home video, the AVCD single, live concerts or whatever made the scene, DCT's fan base treated it like Holy Grail. The sneak-peek "Jesus Freak" single alone has sold well over 150,000 copies. Point is, this act's star has risen dramatically in the past three years, and the anticipation for a new album has been overwhelming.

Fans, start your engines... the wait is over. Jesus Freak is the logical extension of DC Talk's ever-expanding career/ministry, an extremely well thought-out next step musically for these still-maturing musicians, an impressive example of re-imaging and re-inventing an artist's musical identity... and lots more.

Part of DCT's transitional plan of action centered around the aforementioned single, which featured two mixes of the song "Jesus Freak." Interestingly, the mix which most resembled the Free at Last- era sound was positioned as the alternate remix, though even it represented good musical growth. The primary mix was something altogether new... sort of. It's hard driving guitar band attack was a radical change for the boys but it sounded an awful lot like... teen spirit. Was dc Talk going to become so influenced by Nirvana and the Seattle sound that they would lose the distinctiveness it had achieved as a pop/rap hybrid?

The first few minutes of this new album would make you believe it could be so. The fuzz-drenched guitar intro kicks hard into "So Help Me God," which could be a kissin' cousin to "Jesus Freak" musically. It's the next track, "Colored People," that helped allay those fears. Both a nod the group's past and a feel for the future, the song continues the group's stand against racism with a musical bed that is soulful, melodic, and catchy as heck. Kevin Smith demonstrates the significant progress he's made personally here, turning in a lead vocal that's nothing short of stellar.

The title song, "Jesus Freak," then makes its appearance, and its combination of alternative rock with McKeehan's rap breaks makes more sense in context with the album's overall direction than in the initial shock of first hearing the song as a single (and don't miss the hilariously cheesy reprise later on).

A brief sound bite from author Brennan Manning on the detrimental effect of hypocritical Christians on evangelism sets up the album's most revealing song. "What if I Stumble?" is a painful self-examination on the lure of fame and the role of a Christian artist (or any of us for that matter) as personal example. Lines like "Holiness is calling, in the midst of courting fame," and "If struggle has a purpose on t the narrow road you've carved/Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar" should resonate in the hearts of Christian artists and fans alike in the wake of recent controversies with Sandi Patty, Michael English, and others in the media's hot spotlight. As Smith sings the chorus, "What if I stumble, what if I fall/What if I lose my step and make fools of us all," it's clear this is a lyric he's living, and it's delivered with a conviction that should send a collective chill up all our spines.

"Day by Day" provides a welcome breather at this point-a clever cover of the Godspell anthem, expanded and reworked as "Jesus is Just Alright" was on Free at Last. The album's other cover is Charlie Peacock's "In the Light," more true to the original than "Day by Day," and replete with strings and other production touches (including a vocal tag from Peacock himself) slick enough to grab some Christian radio airplay.

Michael Tait sounds like he's been listening to Seal on "Just Between You and Me," a show piece for the vocalist and another important lyric for the body of Christ about confession and forgiveness between friends. It's a subject that touches us all, but is particularly relevant to the late teens/early 20s crowd that is DCT's core audience.

Toby and Kevin face-off vocally and stylistically on the highly infectious "Like It, Love It, Need It," a hooky mix of rock and rap that is sure to be a concert favorite on the next tour. It's here that we get the most significant slice of McKeehan's new vocal approach and it's... he's singing for starters. Toby's pipes are on the thinnish side (like Smitty's) and pale in comparison with the strides made by his partners in the last few years. Nevertheless, he has cultivated a somewhat unique style, and that's an important element in moving outside the hip-hop walls.

The album's most poignant moment comes on "What Have We Become," as the album's introspective lyrical theme embraces its entire generation, rebuking its selfishness and self-destructiveness, but stopping far short of branding it with the "X," and choosing to exhort toward compassion and generosity.

"Mind's Eye" (featuring samples of the Rev. Billy Graham) wraps the record in a celebration of faith and imagination-the very elements that distinguish the Christian artist from the rest, and that which has increasingly defined the work of dc Talk. Jesus Freak may not be the artistic quantum leap that Free at Last was from it's predecessor Nu Thang, but the group has, remarkably, managed to up the ante once again for itself and its fans, delivering the goods that make us all proud to share the vision. -- Thom Granger (c) 1995 CCM Communications, Inc. -- From CCM Magazine -- Subscribe Now!