Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
There was a time, not very long ago, when the term Christian rock was more or less a misnomer. There was Christian pop, which tended to be bland and faceless, and there were acts like Stryper, which was no less bland, but bland in a different way. Now Christian rock is the stealth bomber of rock & roll; turn to a Christian rock station and you'll hear death metal, indie rock, emo, math rock, and hip-hop of all shades and varieties, and the only way you'll know it's Christian is if you listen carefully (sometimes very carefully) to the lyrics, which still only give away the game about half the time. This makes for some of the most entertaining radio stations on the FM dial. However, not every band on those stations is as interesting in particular as the genre has become in general, and that brings us to Spoken, a group that used to play the harsher, screamier side of the field, and is now sidling back over to a more melodic pop area. Unfortunately, the result feels watered-down and tentative, even in those moments when singer Matt Baird gives in to his inner metalhead and shrieks out his spiritual and emotional angst (as he tends to do only briefly at a time, often only for a few words, which is actually a pretty effective touch). When he's not shrieking, he's singing in a high, petulant voice that sounds like a cross between Steve Perry and Geddy Lee, and the band rocks solidly but generically behind him. At times (like on the misbegotten "Promise"), there is an embarrassing mismatch between roaring, angry vocals, and dewy-eyed lyrics. Occasionally the music rises above itself; the album's closing track, for instance, is a beautiful ballad that easily outshines everything else on the record. But for the most part, this is nothing more than solid, competent, and forgettable stuff.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Aaron Wiese, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Aaron Wiese, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer - Roy Elam, Composer - Travis Pierce, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer - Travis Pierce, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Ryan Jordan, Composer - Garth Richardson, Producer - Spoken, MainArtist - Matt Baird, Composer - Jeff Cunningham, Composer - Jay Thigpen, Composer - Aaron Weise, Composer
(C) 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Album review
There was a time, not very long ago, when the term Christian rock was more or less a misnomer. There was Christian pop, which tended to be bland and faceless, and there were acts like Stryper, which was no less bland, but bland in a different way. Now Christian rock is the stealth bomber of rock & roll; turn to a Christian rock station and you'll hear death metal, indie rock, emo, math rock, and hip-hop of all shades and varieties, and the only way you'll know it's Christian is if you listen carefully (sometimes very carefully) to the lyrics, which still only give away the game about half the time. This makes for some of the most entertaining radio stations on the FM dial. However, not every band on those stations is as interesting in particular as the genre has become in general, and that brings us to Spoken, a group that used to play the harsher, screamier side of the field, and is now sidling back over to a more melodic pop area. Unfortunately, the result feels watered-down and tentative, even in those moments when singer Matt Baird gives in to his inner metalhead and shrieks out his spiritual and emotional angst (as he tends to do only briefly at a time, often only for a few words, which is actually a pretty effective touch). When he's not shrieking, he's singing in a high, petulant voice that sounds like a cross between Steve Perry and Geddy Lee, and the band rocks solidly but generically behind him. At times (like on the misbegotten "Promise"), there is an embarrassing mismatch between roaring, angry vocals, and dewy-eyed lyrics. Occasionally the music rises above itself; the album's closing track, for instance, is a beautiful ballad that easily outshines everything else on the record. But for the most part, this is nothing more than solid, competent, and forgettable stuff.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:04
- Main artists: Spoken
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Tooth & Nail (TNN)
- Genre: Jazz Gospel
© 2003 BEC Recordings ℗ 2003 Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc.
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.