Guardian

Item: Bottle Rocket
Author: Alex Klages

Bottle Rocket

(1997)

Reviewed by Alex Klages

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Label MyrrhThe LighthouseNovember 1997

alternative rock hard rock pop rock

When I heard that Guardian was releasing a new album, my first thought was, "OK, is this going to be an alternative album or a metal album?" Well, the verdict is in, and the answer is: both! As the title suggests, Bottle Rocket is a compact, yet explosive package of songs-fun, yet with a serious edge.

The album starts innocuously enough, with the friendly lines, "Welcome dear listener/Are you comfortable?" A few scant lines later, this opening cut explodes with sound-a sonic grab-and-shake which augments the lyrics of "Are We Feeling Comfortable Yet?" nicely. Other standout songs, which match musical mode to thematic content, include the title track and "Blue Light Special," the latter seemingly infused with that adrenaline only the truly tired experience.

Musically, this album is suited for being cranked up. A quiet, background-music volume doesn't seem to do the sonic structure of the music any justice. After all, if it's too quiet, it's hard to hear the textures of Tony Palacios' guitar work, the steady and progressive rhythm duo of Karl Ney on drums and David Bach (currently on hiatus from touring) on bass, and the full depth of Jamie Rowe's growling vocals. It seems to me that the band has reclaimed the "pop-metal" hooks of their Miracle Mile days and merged them with the alternative song structures of Buzz for an overall effect of a big, bold, yet musically relevant sound. There's not much of the acoustic feel of Swing, Swang, Swung here, as they seem to be going for a louder-is-better motif this time out.

There's no doubt in my mind that one of the better influences on Guardian, of late, has been their working relationship with producer/lyricist Steve Taylor. While Taylor fans await a new recording from him, they can rejoice in his witty and insightful lyrical contributions to this album (he wrote or co-wrote 10 lyrics). But, not to be overlooked, Tony Palacios (who wrote or co-wrote 8 lyrics) seems to have learned quite well from Taylor, and comes in with some strong lyrics. This development can be seen in such songs as "Break Me Down," with its mad scientist allegory of living life under our own controls, and "My Queen Esther," the touching story of a person struggling with day-to-day life. As with previous Guardian albums, the lyrics are obviously Christian in nature, and seem to be addressed to people already inside the church; although a couple of songs are more evangelical in tone, such as "The Water Is Fine."

It's hard to pick out any flaws of this album. There are 14 songs, which makes the album long enough that you don't feel cheated out of your hard-earned money. All the songs sound different, yet have enough of a band feel to them that they don't sound completely dissimilar. There's lighter ballads, so radio should be able to use this album-"What Does It Take?" and "Harder Than It Seems" come to mind-and louder rock anthems, like "Revelation" and "Salvation." There's even a couple of off-kilter song lyrics, like "Coffee Can," which takes a unique look at Judgement Day, and "Fear The Auctioneer," a song about succumbing to temptation.

While Guardian may not be as alternative (whatever that means) or as bone-crunchingly heavy metal as some other bands, they have managed to make music that is fun to listen to when cranked, and still says something. This is a band that has discovered exactly what it is that they do best, and is having fun doing it. If you've enjoyed Guardian in the past, try this one out; if not, "Come on in, the water's fine!"