The release of every new
David Crowder record inevitably begs the question, "What can these guys possibly have up their sleeves this time?" After all, this is the band which, time and time again, has worn its innovation on its sleeve, from wowing critics and fans with their "collision" of bluegrass and modern rock to making their legendary stage show even more memorable by adding an amplified Guitar Hero controller and keytar. At first glance, therefore, the subtly titled
Church Music may not seem to make much of a statement. But therein lies the band's genius yet again, because their fifth studio release is their largest departure to date, attempting to transform an entire genre with sequencers and club beats in tow. Not to be overlooked is the fact that each song weaves together seamlessly without any breaks. This was done by tediously sequencing the entire album note by note before recording a single track, making sure that tempos and dynamics matched. This blueprint gives the album shape to rise and fall with experimental sounds that place them somewhere between the urgent rock of
the Killers and the ambient synth-emo flare of
Owl City and
the Rocket Summer -- a wide expanse, indeed. First single "Shadows" is one of the few acknowledgments of where the band has come from, for they almost immediately turn it over to infectious new sounds, like the crossover-worthy disco rock of "Church Music -- Dance (!)" and the punctuating prog rock of "What a Miracle" and "We Are Loved." The album is carefully balanced with their covers of
Flyleaf's hauntingly beautiful "All Around Me" and
John Mark McMillan's "How He Loves." One way or another, little on this album could have been predicted, let alone fully grasped. And as visionary as he is,
Crowder still may not have fully understood the impact this album was destined to have on contemporary Christian music for years to come. ~ Jared Johnson