Listen to the Sound

The new Building 429 album came out today! Apparently they synchronized the shipping so my CD came today; I'd been worried that it wouldn't arrive until I'd already gone home. I immediately dropped what I'd been doing and, after ripping it, put on my "special occasion" headphones (my Audio-Technica ATH-AD700s), sat in my chair, and listened through the whole thing, doing nothing but reading and meditating over the lyrics. Soon after I listened to it again. The third time through, my opinions have solidified enough to write down.

It's safe to say Building 429 had some lofty expectations to fulfill with this album. They've only been my favorite band for years. Their music has been with me through the highs and lows of life, constantly reminding me of God's goodness and faithfulness and my dependence on Him. Their beautiful, heartfelt lyrics and Jason Roy's amazing vocal delivery have combined to form some of my favorite songs ever. So, do they meet expectations or miss the mark on their latest release?

This album is noticeably more intense than any of their previous ones. They've certainly shed the "soft rock" label I'd apply to Space In Between Us. "Made For You" starts off with a synth reminiscent of their spacy third album, Iris to Iris, but soon the tempo picks up, the guitars start firing, and Jason Roy is belting out about how God gives his life meaning. The first half of the album is generally energetic rock anthems of God's goodness and how it affects lives. I hope the days of their quieter, more introspective songs like "Shadow of Angels" or "Oxygen (Bringing Me to Life)" aren't over, but at any rate they do well without it.

But I really don't listen to Building 429 for the music. If they were a secular band, they probably wouldn't interest me much. I'm getting this album at the end of a long and challenging year of college and B429's honest, God-glorifying lyrics give me hope for healing and a renewed, deeper relationship with a Savior who is Life itself. This is pretty much the point of the title track, which like most of the songs on the album has a powerful, uplifting, and undeniably catchy chorus that seals the deal. "One Foot", "Made For You" and "Love Has Been Spoken" tackle our identity and Christ and how it allows us to live transformed lives. "Right Beside You" features a duet with Dawn Michele of Fireflight and focuses on the important of fellowship and being there for each other in crises. "War Zone" is a quieter breather, relatively speaking, that nonetheless tackles the intense topic of spiritual warfare.

The album seems to lose a bit of steam in the second half, as if B429 packed all the best songs into the first, but it's still excellent. "Where I Belong" keeps the energy level high, but has rather stripped-back instrumentation compared to the rest of the album. You can practically feel the joy in "You Save Me", a powerful declaration of faith and a challenge to believers. "Walls Are Coming Down" and finally "Awaken Us" are both calls to action, to sink our roots deep into God's sustenance and let faith transform our lives.

Listen to the Sound is certainly a change of direction for Building 429, but not an entirely unwelcome one. It packs more energy and rocks harder than any of their previous albums, and the new style lends itself well to the uplifting anthems of faith and calls to action on the album. I do miss B429's quieter, more introspective side, which is largely absent on this album, but this new direction shows promise of its own. I highly recommend Listen to the Sound for fans of this fantastic band. For those just checking the band out, though, I recommend looking into Space In Between Us or their self-titled album first.

ADDENDUM: I take back what I said about the second half being weaker. This is the first album in my iTunes library in which every song has five stars.