Audio Adrenaline

Item: Bloom
Author: Robert Berman / Ed Rock

Bloom

(1996)

Reviewed by Robert Berman / Ed Rock

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Label ForeFront RecordsThe LighthouseFebruary 1996

ccm pop rock rock

Ed: Bloom doesn't appear to be just the third in a series, but almost a reevaluation of what Audio Adrenaline wants their signature to be. The sound is still "groovy," with lots of scratch guitar, but it seems a little more mature-in a fun sort of way.

Robert: I agree-this album has a very different feel from their previous two. They've chucked all the synthy, sequenced stuff and taken more of a "we can actually do this one in concert, guys!" approach. As a result, this album reminds me more of some pre-metal 70's rock bands. The instantly accessible hooks that peppered Don't Censor Me are pretty much gone, though "Never Gonna Be As Big As Jesus" does come close, both musically and lyrically, to the tone they've taken before.

Ed: Yes! For me, this disc is reminiscent of the funky, fun bands of the 70's like T Rex and the James Gang and maybe a touch of BTO. Even with the retro feel, it's still quite up-to-date.

The first thing that struck me was that there was no instant youth group anthem like "Big House" on this one-at least one that a bunch of kids (of any age) could go around singing everywhere they went. However, as I listened, I really liked their version of Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride." Maybe it's just time for that song to be dug out or maybe they just do a darn good job of it, but I really liked it.

Robert: Lyrically, I see a huge emphasis on humility running through songs like "I'm Not The King" and "See Through," to name a couple. "Man Of God" contains some great introspection along those lines, probably my favorite AA lyrics to date. They have a way of putting a humorous Steve Taylor-like twist on some serious issues of faith and obedience.

Ed: Yeah, it almost seems more personal than previous efforts. I guess they have achieved some amount of success and now they are dealing with some of the things that go along with it. They seem to deal with struggling on this album-realizing that we aren't perfect, but that God is in the process of completing what He has started. It's interesting that dc Talk's Jesus Freak seems to deal with many of the same issues. I guess they got to grow through some things together on tour.

Robert: It's funny that you bring up Jesus Freak. I see a real synergy going on between AA and dc Talk. Beyond the lyrical connection you brought up, I thought that Jesus Freak used a lot of musical ideas seen, in a less expansive package, in Don't Censor Me. Dare I say that AA has already been where dc Talk is now musically, and AA has moved on? In another sense, AA has simply gone back to where they started, substituting actual melodies for the screaming approach of older songs like "My God" and "DC-10." Overall, I think I still prefer Don't Censor Me, but Bloom is a worthy successor to their previous efforts.

Ed: I'm sure certain songs from Don't Censor Me will always be near and dear to my heart, but I think I may tend toward the liver sound of Bloom.