Ronnie 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 basically synth-pop, there aren't any conventional instruments, only synthesizers (Martin prefers to say "synth-pop" rather than techno). Of course, Martin still sings beautiful melodies in an English accent. Lyrically, however, CHRISTIANsongs is as far from "The Cobbler" as one can get. Martin has been quoted as saying this is Joy Electric's most important album ever--believe it. The lyrics all center around Christ, yet manage to stay away from cheesy clichés. Here is a good example excerpted from "Lift Up Your Hearts:"
The lackluster play hide and seek
The faithful share the truth of Christianity
Why don't you see?
Are they ashamed to bear the name?
When all the while they fool themselves
With fake acclaim they never get.
As you can see, Martin has traded in the sunshine for brutal, yet truthful, attacks against hypocrisy in the church. His knowledge of Christian music history is also evident in the liner notes acknowledgment section, where he thanks such pioneers as Larry Norman, Daniel Amos, and Resurrection Band--he even covers Keith Green's "Make My Life a Prayer to You."
In case you're not familiar with the delightful style of music known as "synth-pop," here's a brief description. It's completely synthetic. There are no guitars, pianos, drums--nothing but synthesizers. People are usually quick to call it "techno" or "electronica," but Martin has been vehement in his objections to these terms.
CHRISTIANsongs is still not an album that should make up the majority of one's musical diet, nevertheless you'll find that there's still quite a bit of nourishment in the sugary music.
4 tocks
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…Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by Sucré MusiqueIf 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…Similar sounding releases
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