Daniel Amos

Item: BibleLand
Author: Chris Well

BibleLand

Reviewed by Chris Well

Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label WALSyndicateAug 1994

alternative rock art rock modern rock

To paraphrase Bill Murray's character in What About Bob?, there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who like Terry Taylor and those who don't. Consequently, the difficulty of reviewing the works of Taylor as a songwriter and frontman for the trend setting band Daniel Amos is that, to an ardent fan, Taylor can do no wrong. Ever. Well, mostly.

As an ardent fan, I've also learned the best DA works have often been brilliant disappointments: Brilliant in that I am always moved as a listener in a special way, but a disappointment in that to fully appreciate that brilliance, you need patience. The past three DA albums—Darn Floor Big Bite, Kalhoun and Motor Cycle—have all been works of rich depth and spiritual insight, but also took some time swimming in them before the brilliance soaked through the skin. Kids today just don't have the patience.

All of which is to say that the latest Daniel Amos manifesto Bibleland manages at times to grab you by the collar and shout "Brilliant can be fun too!"

From the sweet, swirly guitars of "Broken Ladders To Glory" to the monochromatic thump of "Theo's Logic" to the Golden Earring/Peter Gunn guitars of "Low Crawls And High Times," Bibleland reeks of crunchy hooks and audacious anthems. Daniel Amos as a unit—Taylor on vocals and guitar, Jerry Chamberlain and Greg Flesch on guitars, Tim Chandler on bass and Ed McTaggart on drums—has refined their recent forays into modern guitar rock, easily placing Bibleland alongside Cracker and Radiohead.

Lyrically, songwriter Taylor is as on target as ever. In "Bibleland" we come upon the most nauseating theme park known to man; "She's Working Here" disputes the logic of sexual harassment in the workplace; "Out In The Cold" reworks the post-love song in typically literate, sardonic fashion. And while not all of the ideas are as instantly accessible as the modern rock riffs, experience has certainly proven a Daniel Amos album is always worth the patience.

Which brings us back to Bill Murray. There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who appreciate the work built up by DA over the last 15-plus years, and those who only care about the present; either group can find much to appreciate here. Seems to me it's time to pack the station wagon—Bibleland has all the marks of a great summer vacation.

4.5/5