Judging by the number of times the word "lip" appears on this album (it leaves its mark on five songs), this is a concept album in tribute to the cephalic membrane of the same name. But Jordan's Wake actually weaves deeper lyrical and sonic themes throughout for a poetic effect and a conceptual experience that lingers in the mind and elicits thought.
Almost all of the songs are traditional emo (you could have probably guessed that from the band's name), borrowing style from the usual suspects like Depeche Mode and electronica-era U2, but Jordan's Wake keeps to the mellow side for the most part. I wasn't much impressed by the music. However, I was impressed with the lyrical depth.
Several of the songs reference the realization of our own sinfulness in the presence of a holy God and the corresponding desire to know Him more. ("Lip" at times recalls Isaiah's encounter with the burning coal). "Under Blue" is one of these songs. Amidst some Weezerish build-ups, Jordan's Wake sings:
The sight of land, the comfort of a shore.
Left me pure left me breathless...
...I wanted you
I wanted someone to breath.
In "Walk Away," a song the band describes as being "against false posturing," they sing:
I could take a road worth taking
I could speak for all the shaking
I could stand before the breaking ranks that walk away
Fans of straight-ahead emo might like this music. I liked the lyrics, enough to break it even with
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth February 2002Reviewed by Trae CadenheadMy roommate accuses me of listening to bands no one has ever heard of. While I don't totally agree that he's right, bands like Jordan's Wake make me proud to know the nobodies. However, if people pick up on Jordan's Wake like I have, they probably won't be a nobody band for too long. The style of music that Jordan's Wake cranks out is not the easiest to pinpoint. For some it would be easy to…The Phantom Tollbooth February 2002Reviewed by Brian A. SmithJordan's Wake makes their debut with Lip, an album that took over two years to come together. The quartet consists of four classmates from Eastern Nazarene University: Luke Sheets (Vocals/guitar), Chad Morgan (keyboards), David Scott (bass/vox), and Nate Trimble (drums). Lip has themes of drawing closer to God by removing the superficial, the obstacles, and the events of daily life in order to…
