Sadly, the CD you're about to read about you will likely not own. That is,
unless it's re-released or you find it by some chance on eBay. You see, this
disc is in the realm of the independent album of a major-label band. Most of
the independent albums never get released afterwards, which is always a
shame. But Hollie's here to tell you what you're missing in this amazing
California worship/rock band's independent days.

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GLIMPSES - SOMETHING LIKE SILAS (2003)
by Hollie Stewart

Why is it that independent records seem to hold so much more creative
promise than their mainstream counterparts? I suppose it's due to freedom
of experimentation. Bands don't have to answer to the big record exec holed
up in the 37th floor of his downtown high-rise. Sure, only 50 people know
of their music, but at least they have the liberty to record anything they
dang well please!

Okay, so the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Let me step back
in time to prove my point. My sisters and I were spending a early summer
vacation at Spirit West Coast Del Mar, the first event at the famous race
grounds. We slouched underneath a white tent to take the weight off our
feet, and we watched this band pour out their energy upon a flailing crowd.
The keyboards, guitars, and lead vocals all screamed "different" to us, and
we sat enthralled at what happened to be the climax of the show. After that
song, we made our way to the merch table and asked what album held that
tune. A loyal fan (hailing from their church, no doubt) handed us their
independent release, Glimpses, and simply said, "track #12." Shortly after
this encounter we would hear Something Like Silas' Sparrow Records release,
Divine Invitation, and choose to use that as a touchstone instead of this
absolute gem that sat collecting dust in my CD rack.

When comparing the independent and Sparrow releases, the first note of
interest is the genre switch. Divine Invitation, while sounding different
than other praise and worship releases, is cookie-cutter friendly compared
to Glimpses. In fact, if Glimpses were the first album to be reviewed by
cMusicWeb, Something Like Silas would be a modern rock band, not a praise
and worship band. Glimpses contains songs that hold hints of Christ (songs
about Him, songs reflecting Christian values, etc.), but most of the tracks
aren't written as congregational movement of praise.

Everything traditionally expected from the Christian music industry never
reaches the surface in this album: there are no safe moments. Lead-singer
Eric Owyoung spends much more time in his falsetto range in an overall
experimental tone. The keyboards play a dominant role rather than being
mere background fluff. The rhythms are sporadic yet uniform, the guitars
rely much more on investigational distortion and Hendrix-style solo work,
and programming is splattered throughout the songs. In other words, these
are not the radio-friendly worship songs heard on Divine Invitation. From
the powerful intro of "We," to the meditative trance of "Introspectively,"
and into the clever marriage of hymn "It is Well" to David Crowder's "Thank
You," Glimpses holds a musical diversity that should have been forefront in
the Sparrow creation.

I will applaud one thing: the original version of "In the Burning," the song
my sisters and I fell in love with at the summer music festival, lacks a
certain punch. The guitars are not nearly loud enough, and Malina Owyoung's
vocals hold much more depth in the Divine Invitation version. But the
Glimpses version of "I Fall" works so much better in placement and
arrangement. Eric's vocals actually die into a croak when he sings, "And
all this world is gone," and the music corresponds to his premature death.

So as you can see, I'm back to my argument. I'm actually angered at the
changes that took place between these two releases, but what can one expect
when a band makes the jump from the independent scene? I would have hoped
Something Like Silas could have maintained the diversity found on Glimpses.
One can only hope that, rather than entering the sophomore slump, Something
Like Silas will return to the power of Glimpses and craft a music
album—whatever genre it may be—that will knock aside any sort of false
creativity… and be allowed to do so by whoever cuts the checks.

Read more about Something Like Silas at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/somethinglikesilas


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http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/anberlin/nevertakefriendshippersonal.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, APRIL 19 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

THE CHEMISTRY - THE CHEMISTRY
After listening to a couple tracks from the album, it's fitting that these
guys are currently touring with Anberlin. This California rock band features
a similar sound to Anberlin, possibly with a bit harder edge. This week has
just about nothing else coming out, so it's of course the PICK OF THE WEEK.


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