The KISS principle is often used in military terminology -- it stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid". The idea here is that instead of overanalyzing a situation, and overplanning for every possible contingency, you take what you know and go with the most obvious solution, thus saving yourself the doubt and hesitancy that comes from delay. On Wonderfully Made, The Waiting employs the KISS theme in living: trusting in God and doing what you know instead of looking for deep solutions in situations that we make complex.
"What Else Can I Say" is a good example of this, a song about finding different ways to praise God, and the writer realizing that it's all been said before:
Try to put the words together
I swear I don't know how
My words are weak; they fall apart
I only know one way to say this now
I love You, I love You
What else can I say...
"The Rest of the World" points us toward the same concept. The subject is looking for solutions, some answer that eludes him as he deals with his frustrations -- he has consulted friends, looked for advice, and found that it all comes back to the same thing:
Love God with all your heart, your mind and soul
Love others as you would love yourself
And the peace that you find
If you don't mind
You can share with the rest of the world.
"Take Me As I Am" demonstrates God's love for his children, regardless of their appearance or shortcomings, and reminds us that that love is certain, even when people fail us. "Diamonds to Dust" is a reminder that God's love is the only thing that will last forever, especially when compared to the things on Earth. "Every Word" is a praise song, co-written by Brad Olsen and Third Day lead singer Mac Powell.
"Sleepless" is this album's most gripping song musically -- it reminds me of "Hands in the Air" from The Waiting in that regard. It speaks of the cycle that all Christians go through, as illustrated in Romans 7 -- the desire not to do the things we know are wrong, yet finding ourselves doing that very thing.
The Waiting has a new label, and new producer, but the sound is the same. Brad Olsen's vocals, Todd Olsen's guitar, Clarke Leake's bass, and the drums of Brandon Thompson cover no new territory when compared to their previous releases, but this is not a bad thing. Wonderfully Made is just that -- this is a great "power pop" or "alternative pop" album.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by John WilsonDo people remember The Waiting? Their popular major-label debut back in 1997 spawned a pair of radio hits ("Never Dim," "Hands In The Air"), and earned them fans across the country. That album was quickly followed up by 1998's Unfazed, which was markedly more formulaic than its predecessor and suffered from lower sales. Now, after a three-year wait, The Waiting finally returns with Wonderfully…ReAL Magazine 2001Reviewed by Jose B.Call it the curse of "Our So Called Tour," meaning that if your favorite band or artist was on that tour, you can expect a very long wait between albums. Sarah Masen just recently released her first album since that tour. Sixpence fans have it even worse, waiting years for an album that's already been recorded. But for The Waiting fans, well, the wait is finally over. After the somewhat…The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Josh HurstWhenever I listen to music, it usually affects me in some way. Whether it's a lyric or a melody, I usually have something stuck in my head after listening to an album. Strangely enough, however, The Waiting's new album, Wonderfully Made, left me with nothing. I could not remember a single chorus- or even a song title- after listening to it for the first time. Fusing rootsy rock with…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by John WehrleThere is a little bit of something for everyone here. While most of the songs are better produced with the likes of Bryan Lenox, the Waiting doesn't leave their traditional roots until the last songs on the project. Die hard fans are going to hear reminiscent sounds from Unfazed, while newer listeners will hear a different side of the band. Some of the traditional, overtly predictable songs are…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Dan SingletonBrad Olsen's thick vocal stylings (think Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies but an octave higher) continue to set The Waiting apart from other straight-ahead contemporary Christian rock fare. But that's the only reason I find this album interesting. All the songs seem to run together, same beat, same style. I haven't heard anything particularly groundbreaking from The Waiting since "Hands in the…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Alex KlagesThe Waiting's first nationally available album, Blue Belly Sky, produced by Gene Eugene was a rare gem of clever songwriting and catchy guitar-pop. Under the production talents of Steve Hindalong, their second album, The Waiting, was better again, with a more polished sound, and some great lyrics. However, many fans were somewhat disappointed with Unfazed. While perhaps the most unified,…Similar sounding releases
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