Review Summary: If your heart's an ocean, I will drown beneath the waves.
Christian alternative rock (term should be used loosely) band Falling Up has been a solid force in the scene, ever since their 2004 LP Crashings, hit stores. They took an "indefinite break" a while back, but they're back with a new LP, Your Sparkling Death Cometh.
Falling Up has always been one of the more experimental rock bands out there, especially in the non-secular market. Dating back to "Crashings" Falling Up has always had a very keyboard/synth-heavy sound, and that's quite evident on the new LP, especially with the opening track, Circadian. It opens, quite predictably, with a synth-oriented intro. It's the longest song on the album (clocking in at over 7 minutes) which is a bit of a surprise, considering Falling Up has never been mistaken for a prog-rock band. It's one of my favorite songs on the album, mainly because of Jessy Ribordy's solid, if not very impressive vocal performance (especially around the 5:30 mark (in Circadian)
"Diamonds", the shortest song on the album (clocking in at just over 4 minutes) is also rather impressive. There's even a bass solo around the 2:15 mark. It's probably the most "pop" moment on the album. There's no shame in Jessy using his vocals to the highest point they can go. In fact, I'd argue that his vocals have always been the focal point of the band.
"The Light Beam Rider" (besides the uber-cool song title) also contains solid vocals by Jessy, along with some of the best guitar work on the album. The drumming on this song is also solid, if unspectacular.
Lyrically, Falling Up has always been solid, finding creative ways to bridge the gap between secular and religious values. And really, the themes of hope, redemption, and other ideals, can relate to persons of any faith. That's what makes Falling Up different from a number of other bands who play the same style.
Falling Up has created a solid album, with no discernible filler here. The near-hour length may surprise some listeners, but for anyone who's a fan of electronic-oriented rock, Falling Up may be just the thing you need to hear.
Cliffs Notes version: (AKA TL;DR)
Pros: Jessi (vocals) gives an amazing performance, probably his most impressive and mature, yet.
Keyboards and synths give an epic and "proggy" feel to the album, especially considering its length.
Some really good guitar riffs here.
Cons: Album length is a bit much.
Standout songs: Circadian, Diamonds, The Light Beam Rider, Oceans
