Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

"It's all based on the lyrics."



this isn't true. I dunno what most of the lyrics are and I enjoyed this. the music is tame but its a gospel record, which believe it or not warrants different judgment. The point of gospel music is to praise God, not be interesting. That being said the whole record is carried by both the guy's name and his voice so I'll prolly downrate it soon. But his voice though.....ahhh..

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks for the feedback. I personally think that the review required a bit of explanation in order to be effective. If it were only lyrics, then no atheist would even have given it a listen. If it were only music, then it would ignore the meaning behind the entire album; Kensrue is pretty overt about what he's writing about.

"to me, faith is the easy way out. anyone can write lyrics glorifying the christian god; what's much harder to do is to look inside yourself and write lyrics that are both personally relevant and deeply affecting to people of all walks of life."

unless it's overly simplistic pandering to a potentially large audience in search of profit, i disagree with this ^ if he's a spiritual person, who is to say that these lyrics aren't born out of looking within, at least in part? owing to his relationship with God. you could write a song about gay rights or gender equality or something along those lines that's vitally important to you, and you could have people strongly oppose your message. that doesn't mean what you say is any less relevant or meaningful, or a cop-out. isn't honesty and genuinity something to shoot for as a singer-songwriter? what's meaningful is subjective but it's a safe bet it means something to him so it's hard to shoot him down for that.

i haven't heard the music or read the lyrics, so i might be jumping the gun a bit. but the stuff he did with Thrice, while clearly linked to Christianity, wasn't the mind numbing basic stuff you might read on a hymn sheet. maybe his faith is so important to him that it would just reflect through his music no matter what approach he takes.

Album Rating: 3.0

No one cares about what you want him to release. There is nothing more admirable to me than an artist

not giving a shit about what his fans want. They liked him because of his own ideas in the first

place, not theirs. If you don't like it then don't listen to it, no reason to be mad at him.



Luckily, this is much better than I expected. It's very easy and fun to listen to it since most of the

songs are poppy and simple but there's no way I'll like this as much as anything he did with Thrice,

simply because it's much less demanding music.



Except for It's Not Enough, that's an easy 5.

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

"...there's no way I'll like this as much as anything he did with Thrice,

simply because it's much less demanding music."



That's all I wanted from this album, really. Something interesting.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

"No one cares about what you want him to release. There is nothing more admirable to me than an artist not giving a shit about what his fans want."



omg i luv you.

This review is great. Good analysis of Kensrue, and why this album is the way it is.

Album Rating: 4.0

thanks for the compliment, Omaha (and I love your Jennifer Lawrence avatar)



I got to have a conversation with Kensrue after a show on the farewell tour, and I thanked him for taking the bold step to move into a ministry role. He seemed so grateful and relieved, it made me wonder how many people give him crap for doing what he felt right, even though it was difficult and would get him less recognition/money. That takes so much guts.

Album Rating: 4.0

and for the record, musically and lyrically, this album does not hold up to anything thrice ever put out. I finished listening to this, and then put on Vheissu... I enjoy Vheissu much more

It doesn't seem like Kensrue has really ever given a damn about what people think, and that's just going by his attitude and lyrics with Thrice.

wish you could bet on people's ratings. would've made mad bank with lakie here

Album Rating: 4.0

I think that's a good point... I mean look at The Alchemy Index. In an interview, Riley renamed it "How to get released by a Major record label". But honestly, it one of of the most genius and beautiful concept albums that exists.



But here's some food for thought, if he didn't care what people thought, why would he be preaching through music?

Album Rating: 3.5

He does it for himself

Album Rating: 4.0

See, I don't know about that... I've read in multiple interviews that he writes that message hoping that it will connect with people, and challenge them to think about those things. Even though he's now explicitly doing ministry, I've always thought of Thrice as a ministry endeavor. Read the lyrics of "Music Box" or "Listen Through Me" or "Come All You Weary"

Album Rating: 3.5

He sings about what he knows and he purposefully wrote his more religious themed tunes to be more ambiguous so listeners could interpret the songs how they wanted

Album Rating: 3.0

I love the music here but as a guy who grew up surrounded by worship music I will never be able to seriously listen to it. Music about faith is fine if you Devil and God it or even Anberlin it. There's nothing interesting at all about the lyrics or messages, at least nothing that appeals to me.



If an album is good if you ignore the lyrics it's not a good album. If Radiohead went out and made an album about Scientology people would be pissed off.

^ wut

Album Rating: 3.5

No shit. It's a worship album released by his churches label. He did say his follow up record will be the continuation of Please Come Home and that it would contain Crown of Thorns, he just didn't have enough material written at the time to release a full length

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

The problem with gospel music isn't the message, it's that the music sucks. Dustin has said as much ultimate

occasions.



I don't understand the argument that gospel music should be judged differently because the entire purpose is to

praise

God. How come that doesn't apply with other types of music, like radio rock (Nickelback and Daughtry), where the

entire purpose of the music is commercial success?



If music is judged by what its purpose is, then I might have to think every rating I've ever given. However, if music

is judged based on objective criteria that doesn't deviate much between genres, I fail to see how gospel music could be

considered good music.

Gospel music (can be) awesome you guys are all idiots.
Proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1rsZenwNc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJ_AXje5iI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrA4f_9yq0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK27xTPDdCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQCZY6CC_Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8avSGnZlnaY

That ain't all strictly gospel but point still stands you guys are all dumb as fuck.