Petra

Item: No Doubt
Author: Brendt W. Waters

No Doubt

(1995)

Reviewed by Brendt W. Waters

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Label Word RecordsThe LighthouseSeptember 1995

ccm hard rock pop rock

Earlier this year, when Petra's lead singer, John Schlitt, released his first solo album, he took a few pages from the band's book-straightforward, edifying lyrics with a solid rock sound-and blended in some pop and funk vibes. With their new release, No Doubt, Petra borrows a page from Schlitt's book, weaving some of that pop and funk into the underpinnings of their brand of rock.

This alteration is evident from the first track, "Enter In," as the drums and bass lay a pop groove underneath Bob Hartman's more traditional rock guitar. (By the way, for those of you who have been keeping up with the band's role changes, new guitarist David Lichens' only appearance on the album is in the cover art. We'll have to wait a little longer to hear him play.) With this song, we also get the first taste of a new level of lyric-writing for Hartman. While the lyrics remain straightforward, on several cuts-to one degree or another-they examine dualities in the issues that are covered without trying to cram too many concepts into a single song. "Enter In," for example, rejoices in the fact that Christ's sacrifice has given us direct access to the Father, but then gives a rebuke and warning that we must remember that grace is free, not cheap:

Now without a second look We forget what all it took... He won't look the other way Someone's life will have to pay Once for all it has been done Taken out upon His Son

The next cut lays a deeper, funk-like groove under the rock-n-roll while encouraging us to "Think Twice" when confronted with temptation. "Heart Of A Hero," a straight-up rocker, points us to imitate the examples of faith and integrity in David and the three Hebrew children as they faced Goliath and the fiery furnace. In a slower ballad, Schlitt proclaims that "More Than A Thousand Words" or deeds will never express his thanks for all that God has done, let alone repay the debt.

The title track is a familiar Petra ballad. The words "No Doubt" reflect both the certainty of God's provision in time of need ("No doubt it'll be alright") and the necessity of placing our faith in Him ("All we really need to have is no doubt"). "Right Place" explores similar territory, but on the opposite end of the musical spectrum-this tune is an open-throttle, all-out rocker that keeps Hartman's fingers busy on a hot, grungy guitar riff. Bright instrumentation in guitars and keys on "Two Are Better Than One" give this upbeat, medium rocker a bit of a pop flavor without quite going as far as pop/rock. Lyrically, the song encourages the listener to build solid Christian friendships.

For those less than thrilled with the addition of pop influences to Petra's music, "Sincerely Yours" may be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back. Simply put-this ain't no rock-n-roll. However, it is a pretty good pop ballad of repentance and re-commitment that will probably garner the band a #1 on the AC charts. "Think On These Things" is a lighter rock tune taken straight out of Philippians 4:8 ("Whatever things are good, true, noble ... think on these things").

Like "No Doubt," the pop/rock song "For All You're Worth" has a double-meaning title, representing both our value to God and the tenacity with which we must follow Him. The album closes with "We Hold Our Hearts Out To You," a song of praise and worship that starts as an acoustic ballad, then builds to a fuller anthem sound. Lyrically, Hartman avoids the trap of the overly simplistic, "Isn't God groovy?" mentality of some praise songs by looking at the duality of the unworthiness that separates us from God and the wonderful communion we have with Him and each other thanks to His forgiveness.

As with any change, some people probably won't like Petra's latest offering. And, admittedly, the pop feel robs a couple of tunes of a bit of their punch. But in other cases (notably the first two cuts), the grooves that are laid down actually flesh the songs out, adding depth while taking nothing away from the rock sound. Either way, after a few spins in the CD player-with the exception of "Sincerely Yours"-the pop influences aren't as overwhelming as they first seem. This album will probably gain Petra a few listeners and lose them a few, but will, No Doubt, please most die-hard fans.