Three of the biggest releases of the year have been from dc Talk.
No, they did not release three discs from dc Talk, but one from each
member. All are masterpieces of distinctively different styles, but
the most impressive of the three belongs to Kevin Max. Thus, it is
only fitting that we get a review of his disc to cMusicMail first.

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STEREOTYPE BE - KEVIN MAX (2001)
by Josh M. Shepherd

Picture an average kid, Daddy in tow, squirming as a new animated
movie begins. He'll laugh at jokes, jump in Dad's lap during scary
parts, and be terribly surprised at every twist and turn. Contrast
him with internet-savvy Junior sitting nearby, a boy who knew the
movie's plot, minor characters, and insider-jokes-to-watch-for weeks
before it released. Sure the whiz kid invested more time into the
experience, but who got more joy out of it?

There's a lot to be said for discovery. Kevin Max gives us a mouthful
about it in his solo disc Stereotype Be, a reference to how
Christians are called to live out overused sayings ("Love goes on and
on," "I'm blind," et. al). Producer/arranger/sitar player Adrian
Belew influences the work heavily, though Erick Cole, who contributes
to six of thirteen songs, must factor in as well. Track one subjects
listeners to the "Return of the Singer," Max's glorification of
performance as freedom; not that "pretending" is a good thing in
relationships, but the art of posturing and being pressured can be a
good release. It requires some thought, which is a common need in
enjoying this Cd. Being a radio single, "Existence" is
straightforward enough in its lyrics. Volumes could be written,
however, on the song's zesty style, boiling Far East and American
sounds in a soulish stew kept piping hot with disco guitar (George
Cocchini) and flavorsome rap (via GRITS member Coffee). Could
personality, peculiarity, and poetry be some things "freely given to
us by God"? Though sounding scandalous at first, the theology of "Be"
finds support in I Corinthians 2:12 which draws a fine line between
the world and God's Spirit. Killer hooks and conspicuous contrasts
carry an "Angel with No Wings," a rambling ditty that resembles its
follower "Shaping Space" in working through another day's horror and
humor (the latter makes an observation or two regarding testimony and
its purpose, but that need not be expanded). Only Kmax could get away
with using "don't wanna" and "blessed suspension" within the same
song: the Mark Townsend co-write "Dead End Moon" has a speaker
suffering with pale skin and a "growing weakness," symptoms of his
fascinating, incurable disease.

"How can I bleed my sorrows and you hide your accomplishments?"
Piercing the mind and emotions with bleak, biting stanzas, Max's
soliloquy "Union of the Soul" has more effect than perhaps a hundred
songs. Number eight on Stereotype Be, "The Secret Circle," is open to
interpretation by all accounts; some think it concerns a prostitute,
others lean towards a metaphorical pattern of stitched truths. Called
by its author "A song on how I felt about the music industry and my
role in dc talk," the misfits anthem "I Don't Belong" clearly comes
from a singer accustomed to lambasting critics and choosy fans. Bass
by Tony Levin and John Painter's string arrangements keeps "Blind"
from being sonically paralyzed, bringing a message on carnal urges
that many won't swallow well. Beginning at that cut's 3 min. mark,
some of the album's cleverest material comes to light. Fulfilling the
Ecclesiastes 9:9 mandate ("Live joyfully with the wife whom you
love*") an acoustic trance draws listeners into a private story "too
old to know it all" called "On and On." "Her Game" turns around the
previous track's subject, feeling how lost love taunts with "little
smiles [that] turn my stomach" (notice its tradition-meets-today
rhyme "Memorex*confess"). To moan over Hollywood superstars seems
pointless but "Deconstructing Venus" sees these people as
casualties, "the eye of the storm" in a lightning-charged societal
climate.

By this point, most are ready to take the song title "I Went Over the
Edge of the World" as a literal verdict on its writer. Yet that poem
itself clarifies his position adeptly by seeking white in a gray-
painted world (very arty technique, keeping drummer Matt Chamberlin
and the band playing throughout). If nothing else, "You" finds Kevin
clearly in the Christian camp praising the Father for rescuing and
comforting him. It's difficult to give Stereotype Be a hard-and-fast
appraisal; Kevin Max simply sought to portray imperfection, and he
did so -- "No joke, no trend, no fad of the week."

Watch Kevin Max's brand new video for "Existence":
http://www.forefrontrecords.com/

Find out more about Kevin Max's good friends and dc Talk at
cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/dctalk


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