Description
The self-titled and third full-length album (and 5th effort overall) by the American synth-pop band The Echoing Green was released on Sarabellum Records in 1998, a division of 5 Minute Walk Records, distributed in the US by Chordant Distribution Group and in Canada by CMC Distribution. The album was recorded at Grace Onsite, One Way Studio, and Jason’s House with band member Joey Belville, Deepsky, as well as Jerome Fontamillas and Masaki Liu producing. Mixed at One Way Studio.
[Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, August 1998]
Joey Belville continues to make great music with that ’80s vibe. Still soaked in the sound of Duran Duran, Erasure et al but these days also embracing a plethora of ’90s state of the art sounds, this self-titled fourth album only proves what we already knew about our Joey – he makes GREAT dance rock music and is woefully underappreciated. Less clubby than some of the other makers of American dance, strong on melody and this time covering a wider variety of styles, this is the best Echoing Green album yet! From the poppy «Tonight», the catchy «The Power Cosmic» and the furious sequencers and pounding beat of «Supermodel Citizen» through to Joey having fun with the instrumental hip hop track «Freak Out» and a couple of curious cover versions of Men Without Hats’ «Safety Dance» and the more obscure «Accidentally 4th St (Gloria)», these are top tunes! Taking in some diverse influences, «Elyon» is great and it has a strong trancey Asian feel with sitar and some Eastern sounding percussion – full of atmosphere. There’s something about the quieter passages in «Redemption» that despite the undercurrent of jungle remind me of Dusty & PSB’s «Nothing Has Been Proved». GULP! Overall what wins through in this album is the sheer quality! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, December 1998]
If you’re sick of all the cookie-cutter grunge bands filling Christian bookstore shelves, but are scared of the faceless world of electronic music, The Echoing Green offers a fun and joyful musical option. Their high-intensity, melody-driven pop music has been gaining fans the past few years. They deftly avoid the problems that befall many techno acts, like overproduction and emotionless sterility. Underground popularity for the group has especially been strong, thanks in large part to energetic live shows and the Internet. The group’s official web site receives thousands of hits monthly, some fans have set up their own home pages for the band, and there is occasional discussion of the Echoing Green on newsgroups like rec.music.christian.
This new album, which came out in June, marks the band’s first release for 5 Minute Walk / SaraBellum records. It starts out with the first single, «The Power Cosmic», with an infectious rhythm and chorus that can’t help but stick in your head. This song also shows the direction the band (primarily Joey Belville) has gone. While the last album, Hope Springs Eternal, relied upon the heavy guitars of Aleixa’s Kevin 131, this album gains intensity elsewhere. Focusing on heavy beats and tweaked electronic effects, there is a happy union between Joey’s synth pop sensibilities and the techno-driven production of Scott and Jason of the band Deepsky (responsible for the theme song to MTV’s «Amp»).
Most of the songs are impressive, but one stand-out track is «Hide», written by Jyro Xhan from Fold Zandura. Its simple chorus – “I will hide myself away in Jesus’ care” – and its inclusion on the ForeFront Records’s Seltzer 2 compilation should gain it some fans.
The album also features covers of a couple of ’80s favorites, including «Accidentally 4th St. (Gloria)» (Figures on a Beach) and «The Safety Dance» (Men Without Hats) – the latter making computer geeks like me dance like freaks when heard in concert! Joey B. puts his own spin on this classic.
It’s hard not to like this album. On first listen, the melodies and beats hit you hard. Musically, this is legit. It’s not like something you heard in the general market five years ago. It’s today, but it’s also the future. Joey B. calls his music “aggressive smile pop” because it emphasizes the positive in life – specifically life with Jesus Christ. The lyrics are honest and thought-provoking, hitting upon relevant yet timeless issues. The vocals are also some of Joey’s best to date. They are abit airy at times, but more mature than before as a result of extensive touring. Overall, there’s no reason that fans of pop groups like the Newsboys wouldn’t like this. It’s fun, musically diverse, and has a positive take on life. With this album, The Echoing Green should attract many fans. [Steve White, The Phantom Tollbooth, August 1998]
> iTunes
CD tracklist:
01. The Power Cosmic – 4:40
02. Empath – 4:36
03. Hide – 4:06
04. Safety Dance – 4:06
05. Freak Out – 2:47 (Instrumental)
06. Tonight – 3:27
07. Accidentally 4th St. (Gloria) – 4:52
08. Supermodel Citizen – 4:28
09. Elyon – 3:24 (Instrumental)
10. Redemption – 3:36
11. Believe – 3:50
12. The Power Cosmic (Deepsky Remix) – 5:00
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Sarabellum Records.
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