Late Night Inspiration…

It's 4:12 am right now and of course, being the crazy night owl/insomniac I am, I'm still awake. I was trying to write a feature on the band Don't Wake Aislin for The Waking but have just felt so distracted. When I feel this way I have a tendency to go to YouTube and listen to music, usually it's videos of The Civil Wars or Switchfoot; but tonight I stumbled upon some Ray Lamontagne songs. As I was listening to Ray sing in his signature soulful style that just captures you and leaves you in awe; I all of the sudden felt this incredible surge of inspiration and creativity. It may sound a bit silly to you but it made me feel almost giddy.

You see, I have felt so void of creativity, inspiration, & passion lately; I have felt like I just have nothing to give or offer. I have felt like there was just no beauty anywhere around me. Things in my head and heart have been somewhat of a mess and my thoughts have been too chaotic to get straight and onto paper. But all of the sudden... there it is again, a simple whisper that maybe things could still be beautiful.  A new hope for beauty seemed to flood my heart... haven't felt that way in a long time. That feeling of, who knows, maybe new life can grow in the barren soil.

Thank God for good music at just the right time. It tends to get to my heart and break down barriers I've built when nothing else can. For some reason I think God uses music to get to me....yes, even Ray Lamontagne lol.

I've realized that instead of wishing I was at a different place and time, instead of lamenting my circumstances, I need to really breathe into this space. I need to see these days as a special commodity, as time goes by at lightening speed, and I will not have them back again. I need to dive into this space and breathe; I need to fully live in this place. I'm not doing that and I need to be. I need to bloom where I have been planted and stop resenting and resisting it. I need to start doing the things I want and need to do. I need to start doing the things I love to do again. I want to live with passion, being creative, finding beauty and inspiration in simple things. And if I start being fully alive and fully in motion in this place then maybe I'll be ready for when God decides to move me into another place, a new & beautiful place.

I believe God holds out his hand and offers us beauty, but it’s our choice to see it and fully live in it. I want to start actively living the journey God wants me to be on. I want to be fully present in it.

Album Review of “Solo” by Tony Lucca

If you were a kid in the early 90’s you just might recognize this guy. Before Tony Lucca became the awesome indie singer/songwriter he is now, he was a Mouseketeer! That’s right, he was on the new Mickey Mouse Club alongside Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera … just to name a few. The show, which ended in ‘94, was pretty much like a pop star conveyor belt but Tony chose to stay off the conveyor belt and has since had a long and successful career as an indie artist. I have really fond memories of watching the Mickey Mouse Club (or the MMC) as a kid and remember seeing Tony (hello childhood crush ;)) do skits and sing; I had no idea he would later become the artist he is now.

Tony’s music has an indie/folk, acoustic guitar driven sound highlighted by his soulful vocals. He recently released a new cd called “Solo”; which is full of fan favorites and previously unreleased songs.

Album opener “New York City” is a soft, almost melancholy ode to the city. It sort of paints the picture of Tony feeling lost in the craziness and missing life in Cali. “True Story” lives up to its name as an honest yet somehow quirky look into Tony’s life. As a long time fan I loved getting a little summery of his autobiography and all in the form of a 3 minute folk song! It chronicles his childhood on Tv to his life now as a musician. Even mentioning his break up with his former high school sweet heart, actress, Keri Russell (the two met while on the MMC & dated for a long time after),“I pedaled across the country, wound up here in Hollywood. I left my high school sweetheart when I realized I could. And she became a movie star, I took to sleeping in my car. Still singing songs about her to this day”. The short and up-tempo “Fight Song” feels like a cowboy kinda tune. The song, which is originally by Joe Firstman, is so fun and entertaining, and it gives Tony the chance to really belt out the feisty lyrics,“I threw 100 punches, got this big black eye. I got banned from Indiana, felt like I was gonna die. So I screamed "rah rah rah rah rah", You should have seen the other guy”.

While I truly am a fan of the whole album the highlight for me is the song “Death of Me”; am a little crazy for this tune and think you should be too ;) . I instantly fell in love with the soulful/bluesy sound of Tony’s voice and the almost sultry guitar. This song just makes me feel really happy but the lyrics are actually a little sad, “You told me you'd always be there, guess I must have heard you wrong. Cause if I'd held my breath you'd be the death of me”. To me, this song is the gem on “Solo”. The album closes with the piano based, mid-tempo song, “Pretty Things”. This tune, about a breakup, has Mr. Lucca taking a break from the guitar and switching to the piano. Just his voice and the piano are a really killer combo. This song shows off some of his vocal range; which sounds so good on this one. It makes for the perfect ending to this album.

Just to let you guys know, there are profanities on a couple songs; one in “Fight Song” and one in “The Hustler, The Window, And The Boy From Detroit”. Also, there are two ways you can experience “Solo”, you can purchase the 15 song cd on Tony's online store, or you can download a 12 song version of it for free on Amazon.com. As an Amazon mp3 exclusive, it’s a really great way to sample his soulful folk styling's. As of now Tony’s set to release a side project called, TFDI, with his friends and fellow musicians, Matt Duke and Jay Nash. The album entitled “When I Stop Running” releases on the 19th of this month, so be sure to check it out!

The ride Tony Lucca has had in music is such a testament to his dedication to artistry. He has released seven albums and five EPs, and has toured with artists such as Sara Bareilles and Tyrone Wells . I've followed Tony's music since '99 and from what it looks like, his mad guitar skills and beautiful voice will be filling people's head phones for years to come.

For more info on Tony Lucca go to:

www.tonylucca.com

www.facebook.com/tonylucca

www.twitter.com/luccadoes

Songs that are my current addictions!

Hello lovelies! I thought I'd share some of my current favorite songs with you guys today! If you've read my blog you know that music, along with massive amounts of chocolate, are a couple of my addictions. As long as I have awesome tunes & chocolate I'm generally a happy gal. :) My sister and I are the types that dig & search out songs to fall in love with and become addicted to. We will listen to them over and over again until the addiction wares off a little and then move on to new ones (because your life's soundtrack should always be changing & evolving) . Music is like our catnip... :D.

These are some songs that I've been addicted to over the last couple months, songs that have been making up the soundtrack to my days. There are old favorites & some new, as well as songs that I've just discovered.  Hope you guys enjoy & maybe find a gem or two that will become your own personal brand of catnip too! :)

Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars

Enchanting. Magical. Beautiful. Seriously, I could gush about these two all day their music is just that good. The Civil Wars, which is made up of Joy Williams & John Paul White, has taken the music scene by storm. This is currently a song I can’t get enough of! This is also one of my favorite live performances, it so captures the essence of who The Civil Wars are. Their interaction on stage and the chemistry that they have is infectious! It makes their performances all the more special. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever heard two more flawless voices. I love that the only backing music they have is John Paul’s guitar… it’s simply all they need.

Smarter by Eisley

I’ve been in love with Eisley’s whimsical music since I first saw them open for Switchfoot in 2005. They just released their long awaited new album “The Valley” in March and “Smarter” is the first single and video from this album. This seems like a very personal album for the group as many of the songs were inspired by Sherri Dupree’s divorce from her first husband (she’s now happily remarried). In the latest issue of Relevant Magazine she stated “My songs kind of follow a story of finding out that I was going to be divorced, accepting that, and moving on from that and then falling in love again”.  In this song and video you really can feel that is the theme. The lyrics are brutally honest and Sherri sings them such feeling and attitude it makes it that much more intense. … And the guitar Sherri is playing towards the end of this video is seriously like my dream guitar! lol

Steal Your Heart by Augustana

This is another band I saw along with Switchfoot and Eisley in 2005 and became an instant crazy fan of! You can’t help but notice the progression of this band over the years, they just continue to get better. Lead singer, Dan Layus, has grown so much as a vocalist, and the musicianship of the band is tighter than ever. “Steal Your Heart” is the first single off their new (self titled) album which released in April. This is a video of their live performance on David Letterman. A beautiful & romantic song that reminds me why I love these guys!

 This Is The Stuff by Francesca Battistelli

This song constantly gets stuck in my head and I find myself singing it at random moments. It’s a fun, catchy pop song sung by the lovely vocals of Francesca Battistelli

Restless by Jon Foreman

Switchfoot front man, Jon Foreman is my favorite songwriter of all time. The songs he writes are always so full of beauty, truth, and meaning. “Restless” is a brand new song that will be featured on the upcoming Switchfoot cd, Vice Verses, which for those who haven’t heard yet is set to be released on September 27th!!!! Woot! Woot! .. As you can probably tell I’m a little excited… ;). This is a performance of “Restless” Jon did recently with his sister in law and fellow artist, Sarah Masen, singing background vocals. The lyrics to this song are so beautiful & worshipful,“I’m restless, I run like the ocean to find your shore. I’m looking for you”.

Something In The Water by Brooke Fraser

This song feels very summery and fun! I am a huge fan of Brooke Fraser, her music is simply stunning! This is off her newest record, “Flags”, which if you don’t own yet I strongly suggest you consider running to your nearest music store to get… like right now :). This is a fun, poppy love song that showcases a different side of Brooke’s musicality.

Where The Road Meets The Sun - Katie Herzig & Matthew Perryman Jones

I first heard of Katie Herzig in a issue of CCM Magazine (anyone else miss the days you could actually get CCM Mag in the mail, hold it in your hands, and read it?) 4 or 5 years ago. Christian music veteran, Margaret Becker did an interview with Katie & gushed about how amazing her music was. I remember reading some of the lyrics that were in that article and being so intrigued by her songwriting. I really don’t know why it took me so long to listen to her music… but I just happened to stumble upon this song a couple months ago and fell in love with it. “Where The Road Meets The Sun” is a soft, sweet, acoustic duet she did with Matthew Perryman Jones. Their voices just blend together so seamlessly, with their guitars and the pretty sound of the cello as the only backing music.. Katie released a new cd a few weeks ago called “The Waking Sleep”. You can download a free track from this album here: http://www.katieherzig.com/

 Speaking a Dead Language by Joy Williams

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the music of Joy Williams. Whether it be her solo songs or the amazing sound of The Civil Wars, her music just never fails to blow me away. “Speaking a Dead Language” is one the most moving and haunting break up songs I think I’ve ever heard. You can feel the emotion in her voice. This song was featured on her ‘09 EP titled, “Songs from That”. Even though Joy’s name is becoming more and more well known through The Civil Wars be sure to also check out her solo music, it’s way too lovely to pass up.

Something’s Gotta Give by Joel & Luke

The music of the very talented (and um not to mention handsome) duo, Joel & Luke has such a special place in my heart. I’m so dying for them to finally release a full length cd! Brothers Joel & Luke actually got their start in music singing background vocals for their sister, Rebecca St. James! I grew up listening to Rebecca and going to her concerts, so I was somewhat familiar with these guys and seeing them back their sister up. Actually I remember all the girls going a little crazy over Joel…on Rebecca’s message boards a lot of them would plan to go to the shows just to see him and try to talk to him afterward. They called it being on “Joel Patrol”… no I’m not making that up. Anyway, just a fun tidbit that’s completely beside the point!

Joel and Luke released an EP back in 2008 called “A Tale of Two Towns”, which is amazing! Ever since then they have been working on a full length album, writing and recording with the likes of Aqualung and One Republic, and have said they are very close to finally releasing it. They have also chosen an official name for their duo, they are now called For King and Country! But I’m so used to calling them Joel and Luke that for the life of me I never remember to refer to them by the new name. This is a video of the guys singing one of my favorites called “Something’s Gotta Give”. Their voices sound so stellar, completely flawless.  Be sure to keep an eye out for these guys!

Closer by Anberlin

Anberlin has been one of my favorite bands ever since my sister and I saw the music video for “Ready Fuels” back in 2004. Their music has gotten me through so many hard times, it’s given me truth to hold onto, and of course always something to rock out to. “Closer” is from their newest album “Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place”. I instantly loved the intense music and lyrics. They don’t have an official music video for this song, but I found a video a fan made with photos supporting To Write Love On Her Arms with the song playing in the background.

While I have loved these guys for so long I’ve yet to see them in concert… but hopefully that will soon change. There’s been rumors floating around that they are set tour with my very favorite band ever, yes, Switchfoot!!!! I’ve heard it’s supposed to be in the fall but I'm so ready to buy my tickets now. :)

No I Don’t by The Almost

My sister and I had the chance to take our first trip to SXSW this year with our friends. We had such a blast and so look forward to going again! One of the reasons it was so awesome was because we got to see Aaron and the gang perform at Emo’s! My sista and I are huge fans of The Almost and both of us look up to Aaron as a role model. These guys put on such a killer show! They had the whole crowd rocking out! My only complaint was that their set was way too short.. just means we’ll have to see them in concert again ;). One of the songs they sang that night was “No I Don’t” off their most recent album “Monster Monster”. I love the lyrics to this song, “I’m free because you said so. And I’m learning how to grow because you held my hand. I’m free because you said go, keep walking.”  If you have the chance to see these guys live don’t pass it up!

Beautiful Things by Gungor

How is it possible that I’ve only just heard the breath taking worship music of Gungor? I was so seriously blown away by this song and this band! I had heard a lot of buzz about them but just never heard any of their songs. Well about a month ago I was browsing around Relevant Magazine’s website and I stumbled on this live performance they did for exclusively for Relevant. This song just stole my heart! “Beautiful Things” is one of the most amazing worship songs I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s a song you should listen to with your eyes closed. It doesn’t feel at all like the typical worship music I’m used to hearing… there’s something so special, creative, and passionate about it. I don’t know much about Gungor yet but I can’t wait to hear more of their music! “You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us.”

Feature on artist, Lara Landon

“I'm his beloved and He's mine”

I can't really explain it but there are some songs that just hit you at the right time. When you feel a little lost and need a reminder of what's true, they somehow find their way in and touch your heart. That's what the song Beloved by singer/songwriter, Lara Landon, was for me. I heard this song a couple weeks ago, and even though I could swear I've heard it before, it hit me at that very moment. Thankfully it was late at night and I was the only one awake, because I was sorta a teary eyed mess and I'm sure it wasn't a very pretty sight lol. But I just needed to be reminded of who I was to Jesus and who he was to me ... and these lyrics served as a beautiful reminder.

"Nothing can separate, no space, no time
No death, no life, no person, no power.
So strong is the love of my Heavenly Father
I'm His beloved"

"Beloved", which was released in 2009 on the album of the same name, starts out with soft piano and builds to a beautiful power ballad. Lara's strong vocals simply soar, the emotion in her voice making you believe every word she sings. And this girl really has a voice on her! This song just feels honest and real. I saw so much of myself in the lyrics and felt an instant connection to it. Some songs you hear and you just go "That's my song", that was kinda my reaction. You feel that it was written out of a need to state that we are His beloved and nothing can separate us from His love. I do have bad habit of gushing about songs I love lol, so I'll try to leave at that and let you hear it for yourself.

Good songs can be so healing and I believe that God is using this song to touch peoples lives, it's definitely touched mine.

"Well, I can't make sense of it
But it's my security
Nothing can separate the love
The love He has for me"

Lara, who is on Whiplash Records, started a Kickerstarter campaign to raise money to record her new album already titled, "Overcome". The campaign lasts till June 25th and you can pledge as little as $1.00 and up. With the different amounts that you donate you will get gifts ranging from free mp3s, a Skype chat with Lara, to a free concert for you and friends.

Lara has been open about going through some hard times and depression, she has stated that the songs on the new album are about overcoming the pain, "The Bible says we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. Well, I believe what the Bible says and these songs are a testimony-documentation of the dark struggle and of God’s goodness- of Life and Worship. He is truly the Lifter of My Head (Psalm 3:3) and for that I must praise Him".  If you believe in Lara's ministry I encourage you to head on over to her Kickstarter, where you can also hear clips of the new songs, and become a backer!

Music video for “Beloved”

For more info on Lara Landon go to:

http://www.facebook.com/laralandonmusic?sk=app_178091127385

http://www.laralandononline.com/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laralandon/overcome-life-and-worship-album

Lollycakes Cupcakes in Corpus Christi, Tx

Last month my sister Cecily and I had a chance to visit our cousin Pam for the weekend at her house in Aransas Pass. Since she moved there last year we hadn’t really been able to hang out and see her new place. So we spent the weekend just catching up, talking, laughing, and enjoying some much needed girl time. We also took a trip to Corpus Christi for a day out on the town… and where do three wild and crazy gals go when they are lookin’ for a good time you ask? Yes, a cupcake bakery…cause that’s just the type of girls we are ;).  Enter, Lollycakes Cupcakes.

 

Upon entering Lollycakes you’re not quite sure what to admire first… the lovely decor or the yummy looking cupcakes in the glass display case. Okay, so obviously you admire the cupcakes first, but still I’m always one to be taken in by the atmosphere. While the place is small it feels very inviting, stylish, and fun. Lavender paint on the walls, a lovely cupcake display, cupcake art, and glass light sconces bring such a touch of class and style. A white couch and a coffee table just beg for you to sit and relax with a cupcake and a friend. While us three girlies opted to sit at the bar along the windows to devour our cupcakes.

 

Oh happy little cupcakes… all different colors and sizes! It’s not just a display of cupcakes, it’s a display of happiness :p. You know that the cupcakes must be good if they are almost sold out by the middle of the day. But more about that in a minute!

Their menu has a lot of delish flavors to choose from and each with its own cute and quirky name! Such as “The Black Sheep” – cookies & cream cheesecake w/ Oreo crust, “Curious George” – banana chocolate chip pecan w/ cream cheese frosting, and “Strawberry Fields” – strawberry cupcake w/ strawberry buttercream frosting, just to name a few.

Rockin’ cupcake art!!! I would so love to have that in my house! The lady at the counter was telling us about all the cupcake paintings on the walls and the artist that did them just for the shop. Pam had mentioned that she would love to have one for her house so she told her to leave her name and number and she’d have the artist give her a call. So hopefully Pam will have some sweet cupcake art hanging on her walls soon! :)

These are the three yummy cupcakes that we chose: “Clay Boy” – chocolate cupcake w/ peanut butter chips and peanut butter buttercream frosting, “Heathcliff” – chocolate heath cupcake w/ chocolate frappuccino frosting, and “Nutty Nuttaurelia” - chocolate cupcake w/ chopped hazelnuts and a nuttella buttercream frosting. Yumo! We actually shared all three cupcakes just so we could get a taste of each kind lol. What can we say we’re indecisive girls, we wanted them all!

These cupcakes were so good it was a little hard to share (good cupcakes make you want to be stingy). The “Clay Boy” was my favorite (I’m always on the look out for a good peanut butter cupcake); with peanut butter chips in the cake, creamy peanut butter buttercream, and a mini peanut butter cup on top, it made for a great peanut buttery experience! For all the Nuttella fanatics out there the “Nutty Nuttaurelia” is for you! The chocolate and hazelnuts in the cake and the Nuttella frosting (Nuttella in frosting?! Genius!) is simply delish. And the “Heathcliff” with its heath bits in the cake and slight coffee flavor in the frappuccino frosting will make any heath lovers day.

It may be kind of a funny fact but we’ve been to quite a few cupcake bakeries (bakeries?…cupcakeries?) in our time and Lollycakes definitely made the grade! With its yummy cupcakes, cute decor, and friendly service, Lollycakes makes the perfect hang out for you and your girlfriends! Cause after all, what better combo than friends and cupcakes?

Lollycakes is located @ 5425 South Padre Island Dr. Ste. 147, Corpus Christi, TX 78411. For more info go to: http://eatlollycakes.com/

A couple photos of us hanging @ Lollycakes!

(me & Pam)

 

(Cecily & me)

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes!

 

My sister and I made these Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes for our church Easter dinner this year and they were a hit so I thought I’d share these lovelies with you guys! It actually started out as a two layer cake, which I tested out a couple days before Easter. The picture of this cake looked amazing and I was hopeful that mine would turn out just as beautiful. I swear I followed the recipe to the letter but alas it was not to be. The cake ended up falling flat.. it looked bad and tasted even worse. Oh the joys of baking!

However, while the cake was a no go, the raspberry curd and lemon buttercream turned out absolutely heavenly! So I still had hope this could be a great combo. Not wanting to give up on it, Cecily and I did something .... something that goes against everything we believe in: Yes, we used a cake mix!!! (gasp) As much I believe in making things from scratch it's nice to know that you can pick up a cake mix and it always turns out perfect.

We made them into cupcakes, injected the raspberry curd into the middle, piped on the lemon buttercream, decorated them with little candy Easter eggs, and viola!

These cupcakes are so moist and the raspberry curd compliments the lemon cake perfectly... it's a combo that's just meant to be. Oh and don't get me started on the lemon buttercream! It's a fluffy, creamy, lemony piece of heaven! We added a little yellow food coloring to it just to get the perfect color. If your looking for a yummy, fresh, and spring inspired cupcake, these Lemon Raspberry  Cupcakes will be your best friends!

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix (or your favorite lemon cake recipe)

Raspberry Curd Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Two 1/2-pints ripe raspberries or one 12-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (or lemon extract)
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Make cupcakes according to cake mix package directions.

Make raspberry curd: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and salt and cook, mashing the berries and stirring frequently at first and them constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes (this took longer for me — about 15+). Allow this to cool and then cover (with plastic wrap touching surface of curd to prevent skin from forming) and refrigerate until ready to use.

When cupcakes are cool; fill a piping bag with raspberry curd and inject it into the middle of each cupcake. Be careful not to over fill.

Make frosting: Beat the butter and zest with an electric mixer on medium speed in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and beat for 1 minute longer. Fill piping bag with frosting and pipe frosting onto cupcakes, decorate as desired and devour!

(Recipe adapted from http://willowbirdbaking.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/lemon-raspberry-cake/)

Album Review for “Who Can Know It?” by Showbread

One thing Showbread fans know is that these guys are anything but conventional. Don’t just assume you know what to expect from their music … with Showbread it’s expect the unexpected. Case in point, their new album, “Who Can Know It?”, which released in November on the nonprofit and ministry focused organization, Come&Live!. The band made some headlines last summer when they started a Kickerstarter campaign to raise money to record the album and met their goal within the very first week. Not to mention raising two and a half times what they needed for the album over the course of the campaign, proving that fans were more than anticipating some new tunes from these guys! The result was a free album and a totally free tour, a first for the band! You might be surprised to know that the normally post-hardcore sound that has defined Showbread from the beginning is virtually absent on this new album in favor of a more mellow sound. I know … mellow and Showbread don’t usually belong in the same sentence, eh? But it definitely works on this release.

“Who Can Know It?”, you may have guessed, takes its title from Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” This theme definitely runs through the whole album.

The guys jump right into addressing these matters on the brutally honest (though I don’t think there’s a track on here that isn’t brutally honest) album opener, “A Man With A Hammer”. The mid-tempo track has a great rock drum beat and piano in the background, as well as an awesome guitar driven bridge. This is a song that talks about how ugly humanity can be but how still God’s love is there to set us free. Just to give you a little a taste of the honesty I’m talking about check out this verse, “A woman with lots of money who’s plans are left in doubt because of the baby in her womb so she pays to have it’s brain sucked out. A man in desperation, a woman in his bed she doesn’t want to make love so she’ll get raped instead.“ I know you’re probably thinking “wow, when she said honest I didn’t really expect that.” … as I said, brutally honest. Current single, “I Never Liked Anyone And I’m Afraid Of People” (great title huh? ;P) is up next. A song about forgetting the person you where before you came to know Christ. It’s one of the more rock sounding songs on the album and definitely makes you want to rock out.

“Dear Music” is a slower piano based track that’s a bittersweet ode to music as Josh sings of having lost interest in most of it. Concluding though that the common ground still lies in singing “to the one who made us both, for he is wonderful”, the end of the song feels very worshipful as that line is repeated. “Deliverance” is a mid-tempo, guitar driven rock song that states,“Jesus deliver us from our raging pride, the things we say we say we do in your name. With all our vengeance, votes and picket signs and guns, we put the love you came to bring to shame.” A song about the behaviors that we as Christians can tend to carry that are so damaging, but wanting to lay them down to truly follow Christ.

The guys slow things down with the contemplative, “The Prison Come Undone”. I love the lyrics to this song, they sound very confessional, as Josh sings of failing to control anger, “I hear when Jesus tells me that I need to bite my tongue and my teeth, they try to cage it, but the prison come undone”. It’s a very relatable song and Josh sings it beautifully. The last line of it is one of my favorites on the album, “If you still want to love me it won’t come without a cost, the fight to be much better is a fight I’ve often lost”.

Can’t help but love the controversial sounding title of the rockin’ but short tune, “Myth Of A Christian Nation”. Yes, it’s just like Showbread to go there, “I’m tired of being filed into classrooms and made to sit in pews, made subject to the tyranny of scriptures you abuse. And handed guns to march along like patriotic clowns believing anything that we’re told and gunning anybody down.” This is one of my favorites on the album! Opening with a great rock guitar riff, you know this is one you can rock out to! “You’re Like A Taxi” slows things down a bit, it’s a song that speaks of not being afraid of death if you know Christ,”Gone is not the word for someone who finally found his way back home”.

The album comes to a close with the epic 11 minute song “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All”, which starts out with an industrial sound and synthesizers. This song feels soft yet dramatic, it paints such a picture; the lyrics are so amazing! It speaks of discovering truths of Christ despite people who would rather keep them hidden for their own agenda. The song builds at the end as Josh sings the beautiful lyrics, “I walk away from everything and find myself made free. In all the tangles of who I am the truth is that you love me, just as I was, just as I am, just as I will be. In all the tangles of who I am the truth is that you love me”. It kind of sums it all up doesn’t it? Can’t think of better words to end the journey of this album.

“Who Can Know It?” is a different type of album for Showbread. And while I will admit that it was a little hard for me to get used to the more mellow side of the guys, the more I listened to this album the more I loved it! The band has seen many changes lately with a new sound; new label, first free album and tour, and membership changes, but still the musicianship sounds as tight as ever. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I so believe that Josh Dies is one of the best and most underrated songwriters in the industry. The creativity and honesty in the lyrics he writes is beyond inspiring to me.

I’ve always admired Showbread for having the incredible ability to rock your face off while still remaining so ministry focused. It truly shows that their first priority is to glorify God. Be sure to check out this album, to do so just go to http://comeandlive.com/downloads, where you can download it for free! May Raw Rock kill forever! ;)