Review
You may not have heard of The Elms, so let me introduce them. This Indiana-born band consists of four members: Owen Thomas on vocals, guitars and keys, his brother Chris on drums, Thom Daugherty on guitar and Keith Miller on bass. Although they are just releasing their debut album The Big Surprise, they put out a 5-track EP well over a year ago and have been hot on the touring scene since then. All the songs are written by Thomas - bar three which were co-written with producer Brent Milligan - showcasing his undeniable talent and proving him to be one of the finest up-and-coming young songwriters around.
The Big Surprise sounds great right from the first track - a bit like The Beatles meet early Petra, or more recently, Oasis meets dc Talk. The 70's musical influences can be seen in the first song 'Hey Hey,' with its power pop rhythm, engaging vocals and ringing electrics. Catchy? It sure is! As the title suggests, the song features lots of Hey Hey's, from the opening hand-clapping and cheer-leading, through to Thomas' lyrics - which are fun and simple but hey! Who's complaining?! This song will be, and is, a popular hit, and you know you've bought a great album right from the start. To match this, the next song 'Here's My Hand' is a very smooth string-driven rock ballad. It shows off the musical talent of The Elms with a concisely crafted opening and a graceful and upbeat chorus. Thomas' lyrics hit the mark again, poetically appealing, theologically sound, and beautifully sung: 'We all want to get our way sometimes / We're all born then choose to give up our lives / You hook me when you promise the way / So from now until forever I say'.
The album features some in-your-face arena rock songs like 'Who Got The Meaning?' and 'A Minute To Ourselves,' which will surely become live favorites with their flowing guitar riffs and emotion-filled vocals. 'A Minute To Ourselves' succesfully combines full-out driving rock beats with gentle string moments: 'If we only had a minute to ourselves / I could find hope here with You / I could find something to do / Even though I've been missing out for quite some time'. 'The Buzzing Won't Stop!' takes a gentler approach, but its moving guitar riffs will still catch your attention. The title track 'The Big Surprise' is a slowly moving moodful song, which to some may be a bit dull with its sad string, acoustic guitar melody, but it does highlight the writing talent of Thomas at portraying different moods with clever lyrics: 'Filed your tax return, let some candles burn / Played Mozart to make your plants grow / Then I clipped the trees, got down on my knees / Not to work, just to pray you'd see me ... The big surprise is me'.
Unlike too many other albums, great songs towards the start of the album doesn't mean a disappointing ending. Clean electric riffs open the door to pounding beats, beautiful melodies, and some of Thomas' most passionate vocals in 'Lifeboat,' a track that was featured on The Elms EP and many CD samplers. This worshipful modern rock track is a testament to God's ever-present faithfulness: 'When I'm not sure You are my maker / Speak Your words that keep me awake / And when I can't swim You are a lifeboat / When I'm tired and weary You are there'. The album mellows out towards the end with more relaxing songs like 'You Get Me Every Time,' which is an acoustic-led song about how God will always be there for you. 'You're Glowing,' a love song written for a friend's wedding, has poetic lyrics, a stand-out chorus with a metallic rhythm and a horn-tinged bridge which make it unique: 'If you're down the tracks I'll ride the train / If you're in the sky I'll fly the plane / If my hope is gone and I could die / I'll let you be strong and be a rainbow glowing in my sky'.
Finishing the album is 'Real Men Cry,' a thoughtful, piano-based song about the Lord Jesus being the 'man of all men' and how much He is the best example to us all of how we should be. Atmospheric percussion, strings, background vocals, and Thomas' voice highlight this gorgeous track: 'He could've backed down with those people around / But he proved for the last time that real men die / We could talk all night / You can even break down if you think you might'. Perhaps the only disappointment you'll have from buying this album is that, at present, there is no other material by The Elms for you to purchase. This is a truly stunning album, a fact made even more impressive because it's their debut - it'll take a while before it comes out of your stereo. For those of you who love music around the rock/pop scene, you should not miss out on adding this album to your collection.
Album Rating:
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