Skillet: Comatose

I still remember when I bought Skillet's first album. It was in 1996 and I, like most of my peers, was slowly emerging from the grunge era. Skillet's debut album hit a home run with its "alternative" post-grunge sound. It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since their debut, but Skillet is rocking as hard as ever in 2007's Comatose. While still focusing on the rock sound they've perfected over the years, this release is quite a bit more orchestral than previous records. Skillet added strings to many tracks on this release giving the record a dark ambiance. Many people will compare this release to the sound Evanescence has made popular and most of this album is in the same vein musically; however, lyrically Skillet is in a very different place. As with their previous releases there is still a great spiritual element to their tracks. Skillet is a band that is unabashedly Christian and many of their tracks tackle spiritual issues teenagers face. The song "Better Than Drugs" is about a relationship with Christ being better than the highs drugs offer, and in "The Last Night", the character in the song converses with a friend as the friend attempts to convince the other not to commit suicide. Teenagers have always been Skillet's target market and this album will be loved by that demographic. For me, however, this album is a bit disappointing for that very reason. After over a decade of recording music, I would hope that Skillet would have grown lyrically as well as in their sound. In the latter area they most certainly have; the last 11 years have seen Skillet grow from post-grunge to nu-metal to electronic rock to a blend of many rock styles. Despite obvious growth musically the band seems trapped in adolescence lyrically. I would like to see a more mature album from Skillet but unfortunately Comatose is simply not it. If their true desire is to simply entertain and challenge "the kids" then this album succeeds, but for me personally it falls short of anything I'll listen to on a regular basis.

Rating out of 4 Stars: * *

Sherwood: A Different Light

There are countless bands today riding the melodic coat-tails of what was once punk rock. Among the better half of these young bands is Sherwood. After forming in 2002, Sherwood left their base in California to tour the country and release two E.P's and two albums, each of which was on a different label. Long gone are the days of physically selling their albums in malls (and often getting kicked out for not having a selling permit); Sherwood is now aligned with the most popular networking and music sharing website in the world: MySpace. They have found a label home on the newly-formed MySpace Records, and it seems to be a good fit for them. After five years of steady growth, Sherwood has released a solid effort in "A Different Light." This up-beat collection of tracks is a strong release from a band who has certainly earned respect and paid their dues.

"A Different Light" is very well produced which allows the quality of these songs to shine. At times Sherwood's music flows in the vein of Relient K and Mae but a couple of tracks sound very similar to Ben Gibbard's Postal Service. Although Sherwood wrote most of this album in the late fall, they were able to perfectly capture the sound and feel of summer. Sherwood cites the Beach Boys as one of their prime influences, and there is certainly an air of a breezy surfer's summer flowing through this album. Lyrically Sherwood is pretty light on this release. True to form most songs on this effort are about love and relationships. These tracks are likely to fall under the "cute" label with lines like, "I wish I had a plane or a cable car 'cause all I really want is to be in your arms." Though nothing deep or ground-breaking, Sherwood is sure to please their fans with these attractive melodies.

My primary critique of "A Different Light" is that it seems a bit formulaic at times. The songs themselves are not necessarily weak, but they begin to sound repetitive after a while. I'd like to see them be a bit more daring in the future, but this album solidifies that they definitely have a future.

Rating out of 4 Stars: * * 1/2

Jenny Lewis: Rabbit Fur Coat

Jenny Lewis is no stranger to the music world. Although this is her first release sporting her by name, she has been well-known to the indie rock world as the front-woman of indie darlings Rilo Kiley. Rabbit Fur Coat, however, is quite the departure for Jenny. From the down-beat indie rock of Rilo Kiley to the alt-country sounds of Rabbit Fur Coat, Jenny proves her versatility in this refreshing offering of melodies. Switching effortlessly from country to gospel to folk, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins cover a wide range of styles while somehow still managing to make this album feel solid and unified. Every track on this album feels necessary, and none of the tracks come across as filler. From the opening moments of the first track, you are sure you are in for a special treat; the following tracks certainly deliver. Jenny comes across as charming and sweet but also strong and confident; as the album unfolds she proves her vocal strength again and again. Although only the background vocalists, the Watson Twins with their powerful gospel sound make sure you know they aren't taking a back-seat on this record. They not only perfectly compliment Jenny's smooth voice but add a dimension to the songs that bring the whole record to another level. It's not that Jenny can't stand on her own, but with the aid of the Watson Twins, this record becomes a force to be reckoned with. Lyrically Jenny paints autobiographical stories; she sings of growing up poor, love, and struggling with faith and hypocrisy. This album has the old south feel of the film Oh Brother Where Art Thou peppered with the cool stylings of modern pop. On songs like "You Are What You Love" and her Traveling Wilbury's cover of "Handle with Care", Jenny proves she can play more driving songs, but even this she pulls off so eloquently you'd swear she's been doing this her whole life. Stand-out tracks on this album include the single, “Rise Up with Fists”, “Big Guns” and the title-track “Rabbit Fur Coat.” Strong, solid and fresh, “Rabbit Fur Coat" may very well be one of the most exciting albums of 2006.

Rating out of 4 Stars: * * * *

Copeland: Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Copeland burst in to the indie rock world in 2003 with their critically-acclaimed album Beneath Medicine Tree. This album took just about everyone by surprise, including me. Seemingly out of left field Copeland came on to the scene and blew many socks off. Well composed tracks with haunting melodies; Beneath Medicine Tree was near perfection. Several years have passed since 2003 however and Copeland’s newest release Eat, Sleep, Repeat makes me long for the days Copeland was on the top of their game. While a fairly decent collection of songs; Eat, Sleep, Repeat simply fails to be anything special. It's not a bad effort, but it fails to be anything original. If they had come on to the scene with this album as their debut I think most people would have taken one listen, said, “Nothing special here” and quickly moved on. Copeland does a few things well on this album however and a few tracks like “Where’s My Head” and “When You Thought You’d Never Stand Out” are a refreshing escape from what is otherwise a fairly dull album. Lyrically Copeland seems to be forcing out songs on this effort whereas tracks on Beneath Medicine Tree seemed to flow so effortlessly. Copeland just signed a major deal with Columbia Records however and I have faith that they can get through this slump and come out swinging in their new label home.

Rating out of 4 Stars: * *