Big Daddy Weave's made a pretty big name for itself in the Christian marketplace. A handful of radio hits, solid record sales, and the ultimate Catch-22 of recognition--a nomination for New Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards--certainly a great way to snatch the attention of the slice-sized Christian subculture of the music industry orange, but also a show renowned by many for its celebration of mediocrity.
A folk-rock act with pop authority in the past, for its third outing the band switches to a folk-pop act with rock authority. Louder guitars and slick production give What I Was Made For the fetching crunch and glossy sheen of any number of rockstar acts already touting the sound.
These five gents clearly have a one-track mind as far as their music is concerned. Each song centers on one of three variations of a single branching theme--I need God, I love God, and you need Him and need to love Him, too. There's not a problem with that in the least; where problems do arise is in how the band handles and presents these themes. They are popular subjects to sing about, so to add impact to their music, they needed to do something with their sound and/or write of the subjects in a way that would set them apart from contemporaries; instead, the band seems to have gone out of their way to make songs that sound like everyone else. Lines like "It's not about you / It's all about me," covers of popular contemporary worship songs, and lyrical narratives from a God's-point-of-view perspective of a runaway sinner carry almost no weight at all. Mixed with pop melodies that shout familiarity, the record quickly loses almost all of its flavor and lasting appeal after one or two listens. There are moments where the band gets down and splashes their songcraft with a little funk--they're entertaining moments, but too few and far between to save the record from mediocrity.
How much more impacting would the band be if it took its experiences, and presented them in a way that truly set Big Daddy Weave apart from the crowd? The Bible encourages us to sing a new song to the Lord, but unfortunately, too many popular and up-and-rising Christian acts choose to recycle old ideas for the sake of accessibility. The friendliness of Big Daddy Weave's sound probably ensures wide-ranging base appeal, but the lack of uniqueness may not keep the recording interesting in the long run.
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Michael DaltonIn their third release Big Daddy Weave rock more than they ever have before. They start fast with the title song and hardly slow down until the last two songs. What hasn't changed is the emphasis that "a moment by moment relationship with God is what we were made for." Almost every song addresses God directly. Words like "It's not about me / It's all about you / It's not about my pride / It's all…Similar sounding releases
1998The NormalsBetter Than This
2004SpymobSitting Around Keeping Score
2002Ed NicholsonOut of My Hands
1998Smalltown PoetsListen Closely
1997PFRThe Late Great PFR
2004PivitplexUnder Museum Quality Glass
