It would appear as though many in the Christian rock scene, from Bleach to Relient K, have been singing the praises of Chico, California's Number One Gun. Jeff Schneeweis is on vocals and guitar; guitarist Ben Teitz, bassist Trevor Sellers, and drummer Jordan Mallory round out the rest of Number One Gun. I really had no idea what to expect, so until I was finally able to hear the album, the main question I was wondering, "Did they live up to the hype?" Well, yes and no.
If I were to describe the sound of Number One Gun I would have to say part Switchfoot, part Jimmy Eat World, and part Taking Back Sunday. The album opens up with "Starting Line" and the listener cannot help but hear the Taking Back Sunday influence when vocalist Schneeweis sings over and over at the end of the track "I just wanted to get this started, I just wanted to get this started." The title track is probably my favorite song on the album where the band really does well at finding its voice, and lyrically it's one of the strongest tracks on the album too where Schneeweis sings, "could it be so bad to follow all these dreams, I have, and use them for your glory." The band strips it down to just an acoustic guitar and strings on "These Things" and then it picks back up from there until the closing song "Today Is Described" which also boasts strings. The band is strong vocally, the harmonies are right on, and Schneeweis does a great job at carrying the vocals throughout the album, and musically they are tight.
There are some tracks like the aforementioned and a few others, that set the band apart from others in the genre, but it stops there. At times it sounds like a lot of filler that relies heavily on its influences rather than its artistry, and it reflects in some of the songs. Lyrically this album struggles with lines like, "Today is gonna be the day that you will see today is gonna be today is gonna be" over and over again. Celebrate Mistakes is a radio-ready rock album that wears its predecessors on its sleeve, it is an enjoyable listen just not one that will pull you back week in and week out.
2.5/4
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Kevin MathewsSeems logical that young Christians weaned on the emo-punk wave should choose the genre as their weapon of choice. Well, it's either that or U2, I suppose. It just smacks too much of uniformity for my liking. Take Number One Gun. What distinguishes them from the multitude of emo bands currently signed to labels like Vagrant or Militia Group e.g. Brilliant Mistake, Hot Rod Circuit, Dashboard…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Len NashCelebrate Mistakes is a well-crafted indie rock effort by new Floodgate Records artist Number One Gun. Although the first few songs lost me with their radio perfection, this CD still caught my ears and pulled me in during the middle of the album. The balance is what makes this cd memorable. Whether you're the made-for-commercial-radio rock/emo fan, the indie rock fan looking for a little…Similar sounding releases
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