Description
With Abandon is the sole album by the American alternative pop band Chasing Furies, released on Sparrow Records in February 1999.
Band member Sarah Meeker would later continue as a solo artist under her married name, Sarah Macintosh.
The vocal harmony is a common element in popular music – any music, in fact, where two or more singers weave their voices in varied registers and come up with a blend that’s pleasing to the ear.
But whereas most outfits traditionally use harmonies as more of an ornament or afterthought, the harmonies of Chasing Furies (a la the Everly Brothers, Crosby, Stills, & Nash and King’s X) are far from common.
And it’s not merely that their voices sound incredible together. Boulder, Colo., siblings Sarah, 21, Joshua, 23, and Rachel Meeker, 17, have been harmonizing for most of their lives. It’s their spot-on, perfectly timed execution of every last vocal inflection that makes their 11-song debut, With Abandon, sound like a mass of moody, postmodern angels – and sends shivers down the spine.
Among the many cases in point is one of my fave tracks, «Nothing», a paean to the futility of walking through life without Jesus. Backed by a simple arrangement of drums, bass, a very classy Fender Rhodes electric piano (and a swarm of cicadas outside the recording Studio), Saran and Rachel match each other line-for-line, note-for-note like a more delicate Ann and Nancy Wilson.
But as they’re influenced by the dual worlds of on-the-edge rock (think Radiohead, Sarah McLachlan) and worship music (both their dad and grandfather were church worship leaders), the Meekers offer something refreshing – an original sound and authentic message that can appeal to Christian and general-market listeners alike.
Perhaps even more so to those outside the church: by their look – short, shaggy haircuts, artsy thrift-store garb and multiple body piercings – one wouldn’t immediately picture them in the front pew singing prim takes of «Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing».
No. Instead the Meekers pull rousing tunes like «Throw Me» out of their hats. Another showcase for their sensational harmonies, said ditty opens softly with backwards echoed guitar, piano flourishes and Sarah accompanying herself on acoustic, until the drums and bass kick in and the Meekers do their mass-of-angels thang. But «Throw Me» isn’t just about sound. It also reads like intelligent poetry. Sarah wrote it around the time Chasing Furies was signing with Sparrow, and in it she reveals her (and by extension, our) sometimes fickle dependence on God: “… and don’t look at You when the light is shining.”
Exellent vocals. Top-notch musicianship. Thought-provoking lyrics. Chasing Furies got it goin’ on in spades. About the only oddity is brother Joshua: while his fine guitar work, songwriting and occasional vocal harmony are indispensable to the band’s sound, his infrequent lead vocals aren’t as rangy or angelic as his sisters’.
All that to say, With Abandon is a hands-down winner of an album, debut or not. [Dave Urbanski, CCM, February 1999]
A savvy MTV correspondent described Chasing Furies as “Radiohead meets Jonatha Brooke.” Whereas that is accurate, they also sound like the edgier, less organic side of Over the Rhine cross-fertilized with ’70s glam rockers Heart, and as such bear some resemblance to Raspberry Jam’s Oceanic period. Flawless female harmonies flirt with swirling guitars and driving rhythms. Add intertwining layers of both ethereal and tinkly keyboard bits and other sonic goodies, and their full, thick sound is complete. It’s nearly gothic, but with a wider, more commercial appeal, and ranges from delicate ballads to rockier radio hits. Perfect, if you are looking for gentle modern rock music without all the crunchy edges frayed off.
The band itself is comprised of siblings, Sarah, Joshua and Rachel Meeker, who currently call Boulder, Colorado home. Together they aim to promote hopeful messages and the Truth of the Gospel to disenfranchised youth on the fringe. This mission is also at the heart of their ad hoc Denny’s ministry where they hang-out at the local Boulder franchise, making themselves available to talk and encourage club kids, street people, and other nocturnal folk over cheap coffee and flapjacks. Many after-midnight Denny’s denizens are a long way from the church door, and Chasing Furies wants to reach them as figurative salt shakers.
With this population’s situation in mind, principal songwriters Joshua and Sarah Meeker have penned some surprisingly good songs that avoid the evangelical clichés normally associated with music meant to be ministering. Using simple phrases and poetic metaphors, their songs pit despair against vanquishing hope, and create a sense of longing that finds its only fulfillment in surrendering fully to God. Although ambiguous at times, the lyrics also display the requisite honesty and vulnerability needed to intrigue listeners for whom Christian contemporary music is utterly foreign if not completely dismissible. In one of the album’s most obviously Christian moments, «I Would Drown», Joshua Meeker implores the Lord:
Oh, I need your healing touch upon my head
I need your bread
I would jump into your river
I would drown to be alive in youI’ve sat and watched the autumn rain
As it filled the rivers up again
I’ve heard your gentle voice begin to sing
“I love you.”This particular song is one of two cuts that Joshua Meeker sings lead vocals on and, rather than being distractions, work as welcome, desirable breaks from his sister Sarah’s more lush vocal work and respectable songwriting. Much of the band’s successful sound is not merely the result of all three sibling’s obvious talent, but the other musicians contributing drums, bass, piano, and extra guitar work. It is not clear whether these musicians are full-fledged band members, studio musicians, or a combination of both, or even how much credit their contribution is due. The band may or may not be able to duplicate this lavish, full sound in a live setting, but their current tour with The Waiting and upcoming Cornerstone appearance will be the proof.
Frankly, the album packaging is a bit dull for a band with such sonic texture, but Sparrow Records at least gets credit for promoting worthy contemporary artists instead of pouring all their energies into their recent Keith Green resurgence efforts. Although Chasing Furies skirt a sound that some would deem over-produced, mainstream alterna-art-pop, they transcend this glutted genre by displaying some real charm and quality. They are just plain good at what they do, and this is one of the most satisfying debut albums to come out in some time. More innovation and time and experience in the trenches should catapult this band into even greater arenas and widespread popularity. [Steve S. Baldwin, The Phantom Tollbooth, 4/7/99]
Joshua, Sarah and Rachel Meeker are three church-raised siblings who between them have spent enough time backslidden out now in the world but now that God has sorted and healed them, they want to get out there and bring a few more people onto the right side of the tracks. And tracks is what it’s all about, their debut album is piled high with vibey, edgy, powerful songs that are destined to connect. I always get suspicious when I read the Nashville industry hype that surrounds the launch of some bands but in the case of Chasing Furies, it is more than deserved. Seldom does a debut album come along that hits me with the force of this recording! Although sharing vocal duties with Joshua, in Sarah Meeker the band have a singer who jerks every nuance of passion from the lyrics she has penned and if you add a swampy brew of musical elements underpinning her performances, Chasing Furies soon shape up to being one hot band. Musically and sonically intense, try combining Over The Rhine and Radiohead and then add into the equation some ’70s female rock and you’ll be close to getting the sound here. As for the songs, you get the acoustic whimsy of «Whisper Softly» floating tantalisingly through the speakers at one end and then the light and shade of «Thicker» exploding and receding and capturing. Elsewhere «I Would Drown» is wonderfully dense, whilst «Enchanted» is shiny, jangly and compelling. In total, this is an awesome album which has this reviewer enthralled. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, August 1999]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/with-abandon/723467559)
CD tracklist:
01. Thicker – 3:57
02. Throw Me – 5:01
03. I Would Drown – 5:51
04. Fair Night’s Longing – 3:42
05. Enchanted – 4:36
06. I Surrender – 5:03
07. Romance Me – 3:43
08. Writhe For Hearing – 5:11
09. Nothing – 6:12
10. Whisper Softly – 3:28
11. Wait Forever – 6:53
“Thicker” (VIDEO)
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