The intelligent and spirited alternative pop/rock of Smalltown Poets' self-titled debut made it an unqualified success. The album generated two #1 singles, received both Billboard and Grammy award nominations, and was the fastest selling debut in Forefront Records' history. For the most part, the group's follow-up, Listen Closely, is built upon the same modern rock and pop framework as the debut. Acoustic and electric guitars play nimbly off of one another on the anthemic "Call Me Christian," while a good portion of "Gloria" is carried by the acoustic guitar, with the electric guitar playing only the occasional arpeggio or set of notes to ornament the melody line. "Long Long Way" employs mandolin and delicate orchestral touches to give it a beautifully melancholy texture; and the soaring vocals and folky, ringing guitars of "Anything Genuine" and "The Gospel Is Peace" are reminiscent of the superb mid-'80s jangle-pop of groups like the dB's and REM.
Whereas the music on the new album is mostly straightforward, no-nonsense pop, the lyrics, on the other hand, are carefully worded propositions that require multiple listens in order to fully digest their subtleties. The cleverly-titled "Quasar" compares God's revelation of Himself to man and man's subsequent seeking of God to an astronomer's detection and study of a remote celestial body. "The Gospel Is Peace," on the other hand, uses vivid word pictures sewn together just obtusely enough to pull the listener deeper into the song in order to uncover its meaning. Where the first album may have flagged slightly toward the last few songs, the final few numbers on Listen Closely are true gems, particularly the brilliant "One Of These Days," whose rhymes read more like classic verse than song lyrics.
In all fairness, the buoyant power pop of Listen Closely doesn't sport overly intricate or complex musical structures, but its songs are nonetheless propelled ably by virtue of their infectious melodies and energetic delivery. And though the new album doesn't make significant artistic departures from the initial release, either musically or lyrically, it is nonetheless a welcome second helping of the engaging, well-crafted lyrics that made the debut album such an exemplary addition to the now sizable catalog of Christian rock music. Indeed, while few could have faulted the band if they had opted to vary their trademark sound for the second album, the fact that the new release adheres so closely to the highly successful pop/rock blueprint of the debut will undoubtedly be cause for the majority of the band's listeners to breathe an elated sigh of relief.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Keith GilesFor fans of a lighter Jars of Clay or a less funky DC Talk, this second release from Smalltown Poets is for you. Michael Johnston, former vocalist and guitarist from Villanelle, returns with a second set of radio-friendly tunes. His lyrics are still some of the very best that Christian music has to offer when it comes to the confessional, 'cut to the quick' brand of writing. For example, on the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James Stewart"You're about to hear sounds that are a little different to what you're accustomed to" proclaims a voice at the start of the tenth track of Smalltown Poets' sophomore album. But to be honest, I don't know why, since there's nothing in this track or the album that hasn't been heard before. The Poets sound like any acoustic band gone electric, and the production, like most of ForeFront's output, is…Similar sounding releases
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