In a world content with the austerity of many CCM artists, acts breaking this mold can become a shining beacon to those in search of something else. One such coterie is the band, This Train. After being in CCM but not being part of it for the past several years, This Train has released a new project which is sure to catch the attention of a growing crowd not willing to settle for mediocrity.
This Train's latest project, The Emperor's New Band, has a cohesiveness not previously found in their work. Of course, the band's popular tongue-in-cheek lyrics are back, but they are skillfully infused with other elements to tie the project together. The lyrics and music were written in no time with ease and grace. "They just came together," explains Mark Robertson, This Train's frontman. This Train was able to afford hired horns. Their addition stops short of producing a swing/ska sound, but rather, it blends with the band to produce a picturesque sound that is impossible to label into a single genre. Robertson and Jordan Richter are right on with the guitars and Cobra Joe has his best performance to date on the drums. Together all of these elements come together somewhere between swing, punk, slapstick, rock-a-billy, surf, and gospel to form This Train's most spiritually upfront record yet.
The band's spirit of jest continues in their recognition of the power of coffee in the song "The Magic Bean." This Train also has their own tribute to jazz music in the song "Jazz". This song stands out from the rest of the album in that it is simply vocalist Robertson spewing out whatever popped into his mind about jazz music. The fan favorite, "Monstertruck," has been repolished and re-released as a hidden track. With the absence of a female vocalist, this tune sounds remarkably similar to their live sound. "The Emperor's New Band," a favorite of the band, is not quite an autobiography for the band. Instead, it could be considered a tune addressing the subject of celebrity. It fits the band's personality and disinterest in popularity.
Several of the songs from the project stand out as potential singles. The first one is This Train's version of the hymn, "No Not One." The band began practicing this one while on tour with Rich Mullins. It begins sounding a bit swingish and ends with the band singing the chorus acapella. My personal favorite is "She's a Rocket." Mark Robertson describes it as a spiritual metaphor--"I was writing this song about a guy chasing after someone. Then I thought about the girl at Columbine High School who was so sure of her faith that she could stare down the barrel of a gun and not deny Christ. It's so amazing that someone that age had so much faith in where she was headed."
This project is sure to catch the attention of any listener. Those looking for a different sound, other than contemporary Christian music, will immensely enjoy it. If such a diverse mixture of music causes trembling or fear, this is not the record for you. The purposeful distortion of some sounds may take a couple sittings to grow on you but the project is well worth it.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by James StewartFollowing up an album like their previous attempt was always going to be a hard job, and sustaining a similar level of humor just added to This Train's workload. The Emperor's New Band sees the band adding a stronger pinch of swing to their mixing bowl, which adds to the frenetic energy, but unfortunately causes a few fractures to appear in the final result. In places it seems like they're trying…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerI'd accuse This Train of jumping on the swing bandwagon, if only they weren't so blasted good! Yes, their new album, The Emperor's New Band, carries very strong elements of swing and its backwoods cousin rockabilly, but it has so much originality and is played with so much heart that it'd almost be a sin to call them "just another swing band." "She's a Rocket" could be played alongside the modern…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Trish PattersonMark Robertson remarked recently that This Train is something he does with passion. The proof is in this proverbial pudding. A beefed-up recording budget has allowed This Train to add a horn section for their second label release, The Emperor's New Band. Musically, the listener will hear rock-a-billy, jump blues, R&B and jazz--and lyrically the band is more upfront spiritually than ever. The…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinOnce upon a time, in the grand land of Texas there was a rowdy, roving band that desired to play for their Emperor. Both accomplished musicians and songwriters, as well as sort of jocular court jesters, they stitched their music together not with invisible, imagined thread but with very tangible talent and exquisite care. Their collaboration resulted in thoughtful, well-played, accessible songs…
