"Psalm 73 (My God's Enough)" by BarlowGirl from Another Journal Entry

"I've had enough of living life for only me, and reaching just for the things that keep destroying me!"

I can't count how many times I've thanked God for this song over the past few weeks. Chock-full of Scriptural encouragement, it's a rock rendition of Psalm 73. The narrator envies people in the world around him, but then he is reminded that "in the end, only You have what I need" (quote from song).

That's the point of Psalm 73, and BarlowGirl keeps that focus, but it also pulls the psalm's applicability to more than envy. The advice that "This world has nothing that I need!" can apply to anything the believer wants so badly that she forgets what she's supposed to be focused on. (And I'm scolding myself with that one.)

The Barlow sisters reveal their usual flair for melding their music and voices together nicely in this one, on the harder end of their songs. It's a rock with a bit more flavor than most.

I don't find this the most memorable of their songs—some of them, the chords strike me as downright haunting—but "Psalm 73 (My God's Enough)" is definitely striking.

For an encouraging Christian rock song, definitely give it a listen. If either the Christian or the rock aspect bother you, find something else.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D. from Satellite

"We are, we are [we are] the youth of the nation," may repeat as the chorus, but it's on purpose in this song comparable to Superchic[k]'s "Hero." (It came out about the same time on Satellite, in 2002.)

The verses explore lives of today's commonly depressed youth and what comes of it. The first verse starts with a boy's tale of going to school like he did every day and getting killed in a school shooting, then questions why the shooter might've done it. It makes the song's beginning of children laughing probably in a schoolyard all the creepier.

And the heart-wrenching tales continue from there, reminding the listener of how many of today's youth actually feel. I've never been clinically depressed, but even I've had a point when I realized virtually no one would miss me at school if I never went back.

I can name on one hand the number of actual rap-style songs that I like enough to eagerly listen to them. This is one. The "wet" (resonating) sound of the song and echo meld with children's voices and the rap versus to even haunt hearers who usually dislike rap.

The individual elements of this song are pretty normal, like Sonny Sandoval's vocals and the Nu metal music that might bring Linkin Park's "In the End" to mind if you think about it, but they're different. This Christian song's better than that secular one, in my opinion.

The way P.O.D. put the music and vocals together, though, causes "Youth of the Nation" to rise above average. It's definitely rapcore-ish metal with synthesized elements, but if you're the type who focuses on lyrics, you don't care. Even the overall sound just accents the influence of the song.

Okay, so the song's dark. If you don't like that, you probably shouldn't be listening to the youth band P.O.D. to begin with. With a name that stands for "Payable On Death"—a reference to Christ's death—I don't think they tend to focus on cute fuzzy feelings and bunnies, unless they have sharp, pointy teeth associated with them.

The emotions of today's youth displayed in "Youth of the Nation" are as true now as they were five years ago. These are the youth of the nation—and that leaves the listener wondering, what am I gonna do about this?

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Good Behavior" by Plumb from Chaotic Resolve

"I'm sick of feeling like a traitor—is this the price for good behavior?"

Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, stage name "Plumb," pulls emotions into this song and could almost (but not quite) be mistaken for Amy Lee (who Plumb actually influenced). Plumb's third album was coming out when Evanescence launched its first.

A gentle albeit synthesized beginning switches to a harder metal element. (Plumb's 2006 album Chaotic Resolve melds her original edgy dark rock sound with her more recent pop style works.) This sound is again reminiscent of Evanescence songs like "Taking Over Me."

In fact, Plumb could even be thought of as a Christian edition of Evanescence, since she likewise honestly explores dark topics in her lyrics. "Good Behavior" speaks of how constricting rules can have the reverse affect of what's intended.

The narrator has been surrounded by rules and kept inside them, but it's driving her mad. There's no salvation in following a mere set of rules, she knows, and she's "sick of feeling like a traitor" from playing hypocrite.

That the narrator breaks free—and goes recklessly wild because of it—is a warning to many of us, I think. It can be so easy to narrow things into categories of rules that children in particular can be overlooked as people who need (as they grow) to learn why the rules are there.

Overall, it's a fine enough song (along with "Better") that I'm adding Plumb on my "to-get" list.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Work" by Jars of Clay from Good Monsters

"Do you know what I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone'?"

Yeah, it's a Christian song talking about how hard life can be and how letting yourself drown can sometimes seem to be. ("Now all the demons look like prophets and I'm living out / Every word they speak".) The song narrator is clutching life—er, well, his friends' good company—by his fingertips. The danger comes when he's alone, and he clings to company to avoid it. Staying alive takes "Work".

The band Jars of Clay produces surprisingly good music, considering they're part of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Okay, the acoustic guitar-based rock starts to sound kinda same ol', same ol' after the first album or two. The tempo in and style of "Work" seems a bit of a compromise between the heavier rock of The Eleventh Hour and the soothing tones of other albums.

(Caveat here: I only own all their albums through The Eleventh Hour, including the original Christmas one they did, so most of my exposure comes from the first five CDs. They've had five since. But I think it may say something that this song from CD #9 resembles #1–5.)

Dan Haseltine's voice soothes and melds well with the well-mixed music. Still, the lyrics get a bit overrepetitive with the nearly-continuous "what I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone'?"

The music video is also a bit creepy. The band performs the song—eeek, and I thought Nightwish looked weird—while the room's filling up with water. Right at the end, the room's full.

Er… points for symbolism, but not very memorable scenery. At least, not memorable for me. To be fair, I have been reading vampire novels this week (Eclipse and Sunshine) and am writing another (fine, so it's more werewolf than vampire), so maybe my creepiness tolerance has spiked enough that this video isn't making much of an impression.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 7/10

"Sorrow" by Flyleaf from Flyleaf

"We kiss each other one more time and sing this lie that's halfway mine…"

This song—like many of Flyleaf's, unfortunately—personifies what bothers me and many other Christians about Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Christian bands make ambiguous lyrics that could be referring to God or a lover. (I have heard people call that an asset, but for a Christian it's downright irreverent.)

People interpret the lyrics of "Sorrow" in several ways to comfort in different situations. That ability to nail emotions I do consider a strength of Flyleaf's. The interpretation that suits the lyrics as a whole defines the song narrator as a woman who's struggled and fallen with abstinence. Bluntly: she had sex outside of marriage and now regrets it. ("I won't be fooled by his angel light" is a reference to resisting the wiles of Satan, who was the angel of light.)

Lacey sings in her usual characteristic style that I personally don't have anything to compare it with, but… What's with screaming "Joy will come!"? And the music's melding grates on the ear. Something about it sounds… off.

Eh, it could've been worse. It's really kinda normal for CCM.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 6/10

"Thief 2006" by Third Day from Chronology Volume One (1996-2000)

"Who is this man?!" sings Mac Powell with his soothing voice that suits the softer rock Third Day produces. "Thief 2006" speaks of Christ's Crucifixion from the perspective of one of the thieves hung with him—the one who repents.

The thief's statement of "What have I done? I don't remember," right after calling himself a thief and murderer, could apply to humans' short memories of wrongs in general. (Interesting how we remember negatives others do to us so well, while conveniently forgetting the ones we do to others.)

Within the song, the motif keeps returning of the thief's time to die is coming. That it's sooner than he ever would've wanted is assumed. The instruments meld precisely within the song, with a complexity usually not found in CCM (Contemporary Christian Music).

Clean language, strong message, and strong lyrics—all add up in "Thief 2006" to make a very calming song that's not quite my preferred style, but I can nonetheless appreciate. Even if soft rock isn't your favorite genre, you might like giving this song a listen. As of this writing, both the song and the lyrics appear on Third Day's MySpace.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 10/10

"What Are You Waiting For" by Natalie Grant from Awaken

"So you wanna change the world? What are you waiting for?"

That message that you have to start now to start changing the world draws me to the song more than anything else. The catchy chorus at least makes me want to sing along when it comes on the radio, even if the pop rock does sound like a ZOEGirl clone.

Eh… Actually, Natalie Grant doesn't even sing that well. I even checked a live recording, accounting for the microphone issue in recording, and her singing isn't very good but at least makes up for it a little bit with the emotion she includes in this 2005 album.

Nonetheless, she's won awards for that not-so-great voice. (Which makes me worry about the quality of the rest of contemporary Christian music (CCM)—wait, I already knew that stank. Never mind.) In 2006 and 2007, she won the Female Vocalist of the Year in the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards. Odd, since she's not released any music since 2005, but the GMA awards are full of such irregularities and genre favoritism.

Overall, "What Are You Waiting For" is standard substandard contemporary Christian pop rock music. For CCM, it's on the decent side. Natalie Grant provides fans with both a MySpace page and a band website.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 3/5
Overall: 6/10

"Nothing I Won't Give" by Vic Mignogna from Metafiction

Aw, nice gentle sound with the "wet" (echo) I like. Rather simple but with a few different parts in that simplicity to make the sound a bit more interesting to the ear… Makes me think of a TV show or something—and what do I find with a little research?

"Nothing I Won't Give" is based on a TV show, specifically the anime Full Metal Alchemist. Vic Mignogna evidently voice acts the character Edward Elric in that anime, and he wrote this song based on the show with a fan's help.

Vic Mignogna apparently is a Christian. That somewhat surprised me and made me realize, I think some elements of the song reminds me of DC Talk. (Guess who he went to college with.) I'm also reminded a tad of Evanescence on the piano style.

The singing's a nicely clear… tenor, I believe it would be called. I'm reminded of the lead singer for Linkin Park.

The song's story considers someone regretting a past decision that's had far-reaching consequences. He's "haunted by the past", wanting to "turn back time and spare the pain that we both feel". They've changed thanks to what has happened, and the narrator says his "brother" has paid the more of the two of them.

The narrator wants to recover the other from what he's become, to bring back the smiles. And he'll do anything for it, though they both must work together to recover what they've lost. (Okay, so there are a good number of clichés in the song, but they don't necessarily ring as clichés to the ear.)

The initially simple music grows with other deceptively simple layers that meld together well. All together, it's a surprisingly pleasing song and free of objectionable elements.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Love Song Requiem" by Trading Yesterday from The Beauty and the Tragedy

Every so often on my random song searches for something to review, I'll find something surprising. In this case, it's a Christian emo band in the original "emotionally-charged" sense of emo.

Started in 2004 by David Hodges, formerly a keyboarder in Evanescence, the members of Trading Yesterday self-produced The Beauty and the Tragedy in 2004. Demand surpassed supply, so they rereleased it for exclusive selling through their website.

If "Love Song Requiem" well represents the rest of the CD, I can hear why they're popular. It's a soothing meld of piano with other echoing things in a way that actually reminds me of Enya despite the male vocals. For Christian music, it's a bit better done than most, but I still don't remember any of it after listening to the song besides the overall feel.

The vocals remind me of Jars of Clay. I wouldn't call it a Jars of Clay wannabe, but if you liked that band's first CD and its more soothing songs I suspect you'll like the sound of "Love Song Requiem".

Lyricwise, I personally find the song uncomfortably vague. The confused tone may be part of the point, since love (and infatuations) are so confusing, but it seems that for some reason he cannot have the girl he longs for. ("She belongs to fairytales that I could never be"). In the least, some line's been crossed or has been neared that shouldn't have been.

(Note that the band has recently—in August—changed their name to The Age of Information and had a bit of turnover in members and sound, as demonstrated in the EP Everything Is Broken that they released last month. Nonetheless, you can still find this song on the band's previous MySpace page.)

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 7/10

"Disguising Mistakes with Goodbyes" by Emery from This Weak's End

"Have you looked up Emery yet?"

I hesitate. "I've been busy," I finally answer my brother.

"I was just wondering," he insists. "I really think you would like their music."

My brother may not be able to tell when something's a half-beat instead of a full beat or be able to appreciate Green Day (who isn't hard to hate), but he does have a decent ear for noticing when a band resembles another one I like. Sort of. The music of "Disguising Mistakes with Goodbyes" does remind me of some other songs I like.

My first thought upon hearing "Disguising Mistakes with Goodbyes," though, was why so much screaming in the background? That would have been a lot more striking with more pointed screams, used in particular locations. But Emery sadly overkills the technique. Okay, that first one got my attention, I think, but then by the third time I'm annoyed, and then there's a fourth.

But when they're singing—whichever two of the guys actually sing in this song—it's quite attractive. The nice voices remind me Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

"Disgusing Mistakes with Goodbyes" expresses the emotions of a relationship on the rough seas from a fight and one member trying to get past it. The band warns that "Words can breathe more life or death"—words hurt.

No cussing or harsh language appears in the song, though it does hint that the relationship might be intimate without stating whether the twosome involved are married. One party may also be leaving in the end ("I can't stay here").

The melodic music pleases the ear and offers some creativity, but there could've been more. Even so, the band's more than "decent" when compared to similar groups. Emery is one of those bands whose all-Christian members decided to pursue their career without a "Christian" label, because they're wanting to reach the unsaved. When compared to most Christian groups of comparable style, it's very good.

Nonetheless, a few points in the song felt clumsy. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't be willing to look up more songs from the band's 2004 album This Weak's End.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 7/10

"Hero (Red Pill Remix)" by Superchic[k] from X 2004: 17 Christian Rock Hits!

"He doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves." "He can do what he wants, because it's his right; the choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life."

When "Hero" first came out on Superchick's Last One Picked in 2002, it wasn't the only song bemoaning the state of the nation's youth. P.O.D.'s "Youth of the Nation" similarly spoke of our sad state (or at least it was a "we" for me at the time when I first heard those songs.)

But now, five years after the song first appeared, this remix seems more popular than the original version. (Hey, I liked the first one.) Superchick's standard odd mix of music appears in both with nearly-identical choruses, though overall I'll have to call the "Red Pill Remix" an improvement on the original. It's not nearly as harsh-sounding.

Many people, not necessarily Christians, have been convicted by this song, and it strikes close to home for many. It's a warning that a little bit of kidness from each one of us can make a difference. Each verse tells a different story where that can be true—of a boy who lashes out at his tormentor through suicide or a gun, of a girl who in her loneliness fights "the lie that giving up is the way," and of a boy who doesn't realize he's leading many others down the path for life that he's chosen for himself, including his young brother.

An addition in this remix to the original "Hero" comes with the rap part (that actually has some of the best background vocals and music of the entire song), returning to the first boy and telling of him putting a gun to his head.

Superchick's an interesting breed of music, mixing aspects of pop, punk, R&B, contemporary Christian, and rapcore. It's therefore hard to rank, since it's rather "unique." The layers were designed to flow together as a unit rather than work separately, so sometimes there's a layer in the song that's an assault on the ears. I therefore don't care for Superchic[k] nearly as much as I once did, but their lyrics still rank among my favorites.

Superchic[k] doesn't try to preach theology; the members offer Bible-based advice. The clear… singing… when it is singing… sounds very much like it's geared for teens, as some listeners have complained. The band also dresses like it's trying to reach a teen audience.

Go figure. It is.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 3/5
Overall: 8/10

"Stand In the Rain" by Superchic[k] from Beauty from Pain 1.1

"Stand in the rain; stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down!"

Ooo; I can hear why this is Superchic[k]'s most popular song by far on iTunes. They've evidently participated in BarlowGirl's genre-switching to make a song that's more like what their friend band usually produces. It's extraordinarily good from this band—music's usually their weak point to my ears.

…Okay, fine, it's a genre issue, considering Superchic[k]'s usual music is an unusual conglamoration of R&B, rock, and rap or hip-hop that's definitely teen-oriented and uses more sounds than instruments. The songs do have a way of ending up on (multiple) movies, TV shows, soundtracks… You get the idea.

"Stand in the Rain" is the most normal rock I think I've heard from Superchic[k], and it's by far the top music I've heard from them. The fluid rock of "Stand In the Rain" melds smoothly. The song speaks of sadness and a fight to get through it, and the music reflects both emotions.

Trisha's clear voice can be heard with little trouble (except in the few cymbal-strong sections), but it's pretty and knows what it's doing. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but it's nothing strange.

The band's usual standing of good advice, stemming from a Christian worldview, continues in this song. True, their failure to be blatantly Christian means that they're popular on both sides of the proverbial fence, but last time I checked, Christians could use applicable tips for living out their faith… Superchic[k] merely writes songs that are overtly influenced from the Christian worldview rather than preaching.

I think I still prefer BarlowGirl's boldness with their Christianity, but Superchic[k] was the one who wrote the song that directly improved my relationship with my brother: "Na Na".

As of this writing, "Stand In the Rain" was a sample listed on Superchic[k]'s MySpace page.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 9/10

"Million Voices" by BarlowGirl from How Can We Be Silent

My eyes spring wide open. The Barlow sisters are playing with genre and song speed in "Million Voices". The vocals are undeniably the three sisters, but…

I struggle to link this music style to anything I've previously heard from BarlowGirl and my mind keeps recalling Within Temptation's "Frozen", with occassional remembrances of "What Have You Done" and something else nagging at my memory that I can't isolate, though I want to say Nightwish's She Is My Sin". Oh, and a touch of Flyleaf.

In other words, this song makes me think more of metal than rock. And is it a wower! I'll readily admit, whichever sister is lead singer, I kinda like her sisters' voices a little more, but she sings maturely and strongly. The sisters take advantage of the three separate voices to give the song a beauty lacking in many standard rock songs.

Add the involved tempo switches, intricately mixed electric guitar and drums, and it's a refreshing demonstration that BarlowGirl can flex its musical skill into other genres when it has a mind to it, as they've done in the album How Can We Be Silent. But if you don't like electric guitar, you will not like this song.

"We're a million strong, and getting stronger still. They'll remember we were here! With the million voices breaking silence 'till they'll remember we were here."

What are they talking about? BarlowGirl (and Christians') constant "stand against the normal"! As Christians, "How can we be silent when a fire burns inside us?" "Million Voices" testifies to the impact strong Christians can have on those around them.

Four listens, and I already know this song is going to haunt me…

As of this writing, "Million Voices" was a sample listed on BarlowGirl's MySpace page.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 10/10

"5 Minutes of Fame" by BarlowGirl from Barlow Girl

"Was it worth it, what I gave away for five minutes of fame?"

The song's narrator "found that morals can't take you up to the top; your standards pull you down". Still, all she gained was "five minutes of fame", now "over; no one knows [her] name". She "gave up the only thing that mattered for this empty life".

The focus "5 Minutes of Fame" has on the perspective of someone who's lost her integrity for popularity's sake could be called a bit dark. Nonetheless, it is the strongest way to encourage girls fighting the desire to be popular at their beliefs' expense. The song further personifies the immaturity of giving up all that matters for a few empty minutes in the end, where the narrator whines about no one paying attention to her.

I would've preferred more singing from all the sisters rather than the one in this song, but it worked. Better than most, but not anything to say "wowsers" about. The most disappointing thing for me is the music; it's… pretty normal pop rock. Now, for Christian pop rock, it's especially good. Compared to pop rock overall, it's barely on the better end, and I'm not convinced that my liking of BarlowGirl isn't prejudicing me on that evaluation.

Okay, I'm distinctly reminded of Superchick with this song's music. It's a rapid-beat pop-rock that Superchick tends to prefer, but BarlowGirl still marks it with their standard thumbprint, mixing warning of what to avoid while encouraging those who've fallen that they can get out. "This time [they can say] no".

For edifying pop rock geared for young unmarried women, even BarlowGirl's first album has some pretty nice songs. Now, if I could just go and review some from their other CDs, including their new one…

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 7/10

"All Around Me" by Flyleaf from Flyleaf

"I can feel You all around me…"

Say what? A Christian metal band? Yep.

Unfortunately, this song in particular suffers from that one complaint many Christians have about "Christian" bands: it doesn't point-blank mention God. Still, that's not a particular habit of Flyleaf, and the details and imagery of "All Around Me" obviously speak of an omnipresent being surrounded by angels and white light.

What this song does have is Flyleaf's continued insistence that being alive is a good thing. "I'm alive! I'm alive!" with a "heart that's healing" and "healed".

At any rate, while "All Around Me" may not be the best lyricwise that Flyleaf has produced, I think it's the best I've heard from them for music and vocals. Both meld smoothly and well-accentuate the lyrics. I can easily think them top of the post-grunge music genre.

For a debut album, I'd say Flyleaf's done pretty well to have this as their third single.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 9/10

"Fully Alive" by Flyleaf from Flyleaf

Lacey Mosley would sound a whole lot more "normal" if she sang a different style. But she doesn't sing a normal style, and for me, that's part of her appeal. Even in live recordings, she sounds the same (unlike some artists).

"Telling Layla's story spoken 'bout how all her bones are broken" may open "Fully Alive" on a dark note, but "she's glad for one day of comfort only because she has suffered". It's a poignent point that having had a bad life should make you all the more appreciative of good things. In Layla's case, she's "fully alive, more than most, ready to smile and love life"—"she knows how to believe in futures".

When was the last time you found another post-grunge or heavy metal song that said that?

The music is better than average, with some involved electric guitar in there. It is a little rough on the ears, according to its post-grunge genre, but it's well put-together.

Looking for heavy metal or post-grunge music with uplifting lyrics? That's found in Flyleaf.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"I'm So Sick" by Flyleaf from Flyleaf

My first thought on hearing this band? …Weird voice. Interesting, but weird. My brother's response? "Girls growling doesn't sound right."

Nonetheless, this was Flyleaf's debut single as Flyleaf (they went through a few name changes while independent), and it does well demonstrate the band.

Overall, Flyleaf has dark themes, yes, as are commonly popular, nowadays. But they don't leave the narrator (or listeners) wallowing. They are Christian! Not only do they explore the dark and gritty, but hope is included in the darkness. The narrator is "so sick, infected with where [she] live[s]." But she's not content to stay there till she can "sell out [or] die out"—she wants to "live without this empty bliss, selfishness."

Moreover, the lyrics are clean, as well. My complaint is the lyrics seem more together associatively rather than as a coherent expression of their point. (And there's the grammatical problem of using to heed as if it's an intransitive verb, but hey, I'm a grammar nutcase.)

The music is the very dark, low base type that I know a lot of older adults don't like (and worries some of them). The music is very limited, but that's part of its appeal. (Evidently it's post-grunge.) Any more would be overdone, particularly considering Lacey Mosley's voice.

Lacey Mosley's voice is odd. I have no better way to describe it, but it does work well with the heavy metal she's chosen to produce. It may just be a matter of what she's done with it; I suspect her voice would sound more "normal" in a different range. She sings and she screams.

Um, yeah, about that screaming… It's at the beginning when she's saying she will "break, break", with a little more at the end. I don't particularly like screaming, but at least Flyleaf doesn't seem to throw it in there for the heck of it. It's chosen on purpose.

Also as a warning, the words tend to have odd tempos, making it a bit harder to understand what's being said, but once used to it, it can be followed. Somewhat.

Sure, I'll listen to more Flyleaf. I'd rather look to see if there's another song I might like more, though.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Cassie" by Flyleaf from Flyleaf

The first song I'd consciously ever listened to by Flyleaf, I first heard "Cassie" when Cassie came up in conversation. That's the Cassie who died in the U.S.-famous Columbine school shooting through the words, "Yes, I believe in God". (Though some people say it was an urban legend, my memory and the old news articles I can find verify her martyrdom.) I've been wanting to read her biography/diary for years.

"Cassie" is a tribute to that girl and her final words. "'Do you believe in God?' written on the bullet. Say 'yes' to pull the trigger." "And Cassie pulled the trigger."

The Christian band Flyleaf doesn't stop at offering a tribute to Cassie. Lacey Mosley directly brings the story home to where it should apply to the listener: "How many will die? I will die—I, I will say yes" (screaming the "yes", but the rest of the song is sung with a second "in the air" whispered). What happened to Cassie could easily happen to one of us, and what would we say in that event?

There are a few versions to this song. Two main ones, the regular LP one and the EP version referencing another Columbine death, Rachel, as a fellow girl who was shot for her faith that day. There's also an acoustic version of "Cassie" that can be at least listened to online.

The simple music of all the versions well-suits Lacy Mosley's unusual voice, as does the odd tempo of the lyrics.

If you can't handle post-grunge metal, check out the acoustic version of this song, at least. Flyleaf isn't just "good for Christian music", but they're good for their post-grunge genre. If you don't mind the singer's strange vocals, that is.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 9/10

Edited 10/16/07 thanks to Anonymous.

"Brave" by Nichole Nordeman from Brave

"So long, status quo" "The way it always was is no longer good enough—You make me wanna be brave!" Great verses speak of many of the skittishness many of us fight, particularly when speaking of the Gospel, and the chorus admits a rejection of that "status quo."

"Brave," one of Nichole Nordeman's best songs, sounds like it might meld the music overmuch, but it's still catchy and varied. The little discernable piano under the pop rock is beautiful, like Nichole Nordeman's alto.

She gives some of her best singing, lyrics, and music in "Brave." Her time off for her infant son has brought her back with the precise same style but lack of sameness she started with in 2000.

"Every storm will start with just a drop of rain," she reminds the listener, countering the common argument that an individual can't make that big a difference. Each person can make a difference, she insists, and God gives us the bravery we need.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 9/10

"Scarlet" by Jars Of Clay from The Eleventh Hour

Admission: when I first heard and liked this song, the meaning was utterly lost on me. I don't think I'd even heard of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter at that time. The song assumes you know the book. So, if you don't know the basic plotline, the song's pretty nonsensical.

A woman has a child by adultery in Puritan Boston. (Her husband is not in the country.) Her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter A for adultery on her bosom for the remainder of her days as a reminder of her sin.

"Scarlet" speaks of such a scarlet letter and a refusal to let it hold the wearer down. "This old scarlet letter won't keep me from holding you. And there is nothing you can do. Nothing you do." Besides it being a reference to the letter and how God will hold us regardless of our sins if we repent, it also brings to mind a scene in the book where the woman casts her scarlet letter aside and forcefully appeals to her former lover to flee somewhere with her for them to be together again, since they still love one another. (The preacher, much-loved by the community as a saint, fears to confess his sin, leaving others in the community unaware that he is the unknown father.)

Dan Haseltine sings with his usual direct voice that I believe is a tenor, with a slight echo at some points in the song. Heavier on the drums and cymbals than on the other CDs by Jars Of Clay—a usual situation on The Eleventh Hour—the song is still very much of the band. The guitar-heavy rock melds with one other major instrument that I can't identify, unfortunately, and the song credits don't name it.

The song's short (for Jars Of Clay), a bit repetitive, and dependent on a knowledge of the book, but despite all that it's still one of my favorites.

(More about The Scarlet Letter can be found at Cliff's Notes, or you can download a free e-book from Project Gutenberg.)

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10