This week we have a review of Jake, one of the hottest boy bands to
come out of the Christian music industry since PlusOne. Also,
there's some new releases and some prizes being given away!

JAKE (self-titled) (2000)
Remember East to West, the early 90s Christian pop-group that
disbanded after two albums? Well, Jake, a pop-trio reincarnate made
up of three brothers--none of whose names are "Jake"--has tried to
bring back that sound for the new millennium. On their self-titled
debut, the brothers Penner (Marty, Josh, and Toby) have the entire
boy-band image, an excess of melodic vocals, and extreme overusage of
the word "baby."

The first song on the album, as well as the first radio single, is
entitled "Waiting." It's a decent song about the hunger that we as
Christians experience for God, but unfortunately it masks the group's
true colors since it sounds more contemporary and reminiscient of
something you'd expect on a Watermark album. Only after hearing the
rest of the album can you get a feel for who Jake really is. Now,
first comes the bad news. The first point is that "Waiting," is the
slowest cut on the album. Second, the rest of the songs on the album
sound exactly the same. Not that the tracks aren't good, but a
listener can easily get de'ja` vu after switching from "More"
to "Right Time" to "I'm Okay." This makes the disc boring and
awfully repetitive. With synthesizers too retro to be called "techno"
and rhythms at home in a dance club, the style that Jake is trying to
claim is outdated in the year 2000, another downside to their debut.

So where are the bright spots on Jake? Despite the aforementioned
flaws, there are a few songs that are gems on this album. Track
#4, "The One," is quite an upbeat tune about how it only takes one
person to change the world by living a life that projects Christ and
sets an example for others. "Melt Me," following "The One," provides
very compassionate lyrics corresponding to the way God melts hearts
of stone. Two tracks later, "Believer" is a plea for faith in times
of serious doubt, and track #8, "Don't Want to Lose," is as close to
rock as Jake gets on the album. While the amazing acoustic guitar on
the song showcases Toby Penner's talent, it would be a lot better if
the lyrics were tuned on God and not on women.

There's not a whole lot more to say about Jake. This attempt is very
honorable for a first album but not without its weak points. Still,
if you heard "Waiting" on the radio and are a fan, chances are you'll
enjoy the rest of the album as well. If you don't like monotony
though, you might want to save your money to buy a different pick.

To purchase Jake, find it here:
http://www.musicforce.com/?ForceID=79


AVAILABLE LAST FRIDAY (on cMusicWeb.com and at your local store)

ESTHER: THE GIRL WHO BECAME QUEEN - VEGGIETALES
The amazing folks over at BigIdea have come up with a great video
that teaches the famous Bible story to children, as well as make them
(and you) laugh!


AVAILABLE TODAY (on cMusicWeb.com and at your local store)

BEST OF - GARY CHAPMAN
This man has had many ups and downs in his career, and this is a
great collection of the best moments.

HOLIDAY! - CRYSTAL LEWIS
Just months after her release of Fearless, Crystal is already
releasing a Christmas album. Some wonder if this is a serious album,
but it is just all covers of popular Christmas tunes, nothing
original, except Christmas memories from Lewis.

LEFT BEHIND: THE MOVIE SOUNDTRACK - VARIOUS
Reunion Records puts together a good collection of songs to be used
as the soundtrack of the movie. Although hardly any original songs
are used, such great hits as "Sky Falls Down" by Third Day, "Come
Quickly, Lord" by Rebecca St. James, and more artists like Michael W.
Smith, LaRue, and new artist Joy Williams. The PICK OF THE WEEK!

ONE SILENT NIGHT - VARIOUS
With a great lineup of just about anyone who does pop, including Jaci
Velasquez, Ginny Owens, Leigh Nash (of Sixpence), and featuring the
Irish Film Orchestra and producer Monroe Jones, this Christmas
collection is a big-name production in the style of Streams and My
Utmost for His Highest


CHRISTIAN HIT RADIO CHARTS FOR THIS WEEK
> The bottom of the chart is the center of excitement:
> Becca and Ginny Owens both have strong songs!
1. Your Love, O Lord - Third Day
2. Good Stuff - Newsboys
3. Into You - Jennifer Knapp
4. Center of Your Love - Jaci Velasquez
5. Don't Look at Me - Stacie Orrico
6. I'm Alright - Jars of Clay
7. Where I Wanna Be - V*enna
8. Dive - dc Talk
9. Don't Worry - Rebecca St. James
10. I Wanna Be Moved - Ginny Owens

SOURCE: CCM Update (http://www.ccmupdate.com/)


cMUSICWEB UPDATES
• Revamped - Switchfoot
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/switchfoot
• New Review/Revamped - The Normals
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/normals


TODAY I will be contacting people if they one a prize: a copy of GLO
by delirious?, one of three videos by Josh Harris, or other assorted
items from the Creation East festival! Thanks for reading, and we
will be back next week with even more cool stuff! Please send us
your comments!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb