If Ronnie Martin and Jeff Cloud ever have time to stop and smell the roses, how is beyond me, but, despite their time-consuming collective musical endeavors, they have still churned out the next installment in the continuing Joy Electric saga. Aside from the poignant title (check out our interview with Ronnie Martin for the title's explanation), Christiansongs has taken a more obvious lyrical turn this time around. Believers are exhorted to not give up, and to stand firmly in their faith. Less of the poetic imagery and fantasy storybook language is used on this album than on prior releases, but the occasional 'fairy wings,' 'mountain berry fields,' and 'shortbread castles' reassure us that this is still the same Joy Electric.
Here, within the electronic framework that is Joy Electric, punk, dance, and pure pop are expressed in their own ways on the familiar Roland synthesizers. By far, the strongest and most memorable tracks on Christiansongs are "Singing in Gee," "I Sing Electric," and "The Magic Of," as well as my personal favorites, "Make My Life a Prayer," and "Birds Will Sing Forever." For lack of a better word, the latter is so precious that it almost makes my eyes mist. And on the flip side, the punk attitude that pounds through "Children of the Lord" makes it a winner as well.
Martin deserves credit for being an ingenious songwriter, and bravely sticking with a format that is largely left alone in today's music scene. With the populace expecting every album by every band to sound entirely different from the previous, it is likely that some people will be disappointed when they find that Christiansongs has not ventured into any "new" territory. But it is a nevertheless a new crop of catchy songs that continue to display Joy Electric's prowess in composing dreamy, bubbly and sometimes haunting melodies, and heart-thumping beats. And for that, this album gets my utmost approval.
Four Cows named Moog, Moogenezer, Mooghilda, and Moogette.
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2005Reviewed by Jason MoreheadWhen I reviewed (maybe "raved about" is a better term) Joy Electric's Old Wives Tales, I made the point that any pro-Ronnie Martin ramblings will probably be chalked up to "preaching to the converted." Literally. And then came the somewhat disappointing Robot Rock, and the critics practically crawled over themselves, labelling Ronnie a pop genius and whatnot. So Martin goes around and releases…The Phantom Tollbooth September 1999Reviewed by Shari LloydDo you need a pick-me-up in your day? You could do a lot worse than picking up Ronnie Martin's wonderful synth-pop release. While Martin has aimed these songs at alienated youth, we can all find a message here. The songs are all Christian anthems or calls to action with a crisp and fresh sound. No Nashville cheese here. Christiansongs is sure to bring a smile to your face and hopeful joy to your…The Phantom Tollbooth May 1999Reviewed by Justin W. JonesJoy Electric's frontman and founder Ronnie Martin struck gold when he teamed up with Jeff Cloud. Now the Joy Electric sound is greater than ever, and CHRISTIANsongs is by far their best album to date. Although Martin picked "aggravated" as the one word to describe the album's theme, I suggest "depth." This time these masters of the electro-zen have spent more energy on the feeling of songs than…The Phantom Tollbooth April 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerRonnie Martin has finally grown up. That's not to say Joy Electric's previous albums weren't enjoyable--quite the contrary. Their delightful, "smiley" synth-pop was always good when you are in the mood for something non-aggressive. Seemingly infatuated with fairy tales, Martin sang off-kilter songs about gumdrops, trolls, and castles. CHRISTIANsongs is not like that. Although it is still…Similar sounding releases
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