I’ve been a fan of Christian music* ever since I got exposed to Out of Eden and Jars of Clay. Ever since then, I’ve been expanding my library of music through CDs bought, mp3 downloads (looks around guiltily — yes, like the rest of the world, I do this as well) and shared mp3s from friends. Because of that, I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore, unless of course the station is playing the same music I listen to.
Anyway, I do Christian music reviews for FiSH magazine (a local Catholic teen magazine), and I figured I could do this here as well, since this is my blog. Plus it would also help spread the knowledge of these artists in the country, which I personally think this country needs. ;) Haha.
* I know there’s no such term as Christian music because anything that is sung for Him is considered Christian music. But I can’t think of a proper term for this. Any help? :)
Rating: [rate 4.5]
I first heard of Building 429 from Yahoo! Messenger’s LaunchCast, and that song was Glory Defined. Since I was (and still) on dial up, it was kind of hard to appreciate the song because the airplay was choppy — it would stop around every line and pick up again. I liked it though, and liked it even more when I got a copy of the song through my friend’s mp3 library. Eventually, I got to listen to all their songs and here comes band appreciation time.
Building 429 is composed of four male members, namely Jason Roy (vocals/guitar — amazing vocals, if I may add), Scotty Beshears (bass), Michael Anderson (drums) and Jesse Garcia (guitar/keyboards). The group got its name from Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let even one bad word come from your mouth, but only good words that will encourage when necessary and be helpful to those who hear.” They got the verse number, and added the word “Building” because as the verse says, we’re meant to build each other up, not tear one another down.
Their songs are full of mean guitar riffs, heavy vocals and somewhat simple and quite predictable lyrics. They’re heavy on the rock genre; in fact, even their ballads still sound quite rock. Their lyrics are quite simple (i.e. All I really want to do is to fall into the emptiness that is the space in between us, to break this division – Space In Between Us; Lift me up above it all, I’m feeling broken and alone, don’t let me turn to stone – Above it All; No one ever knew you the way I do, never saw the man you’d be when they laughed at the awkward kid – Rise) and sometimes predictable — by predictable, it means that the song lyrics presents its meaning to you immediately. No need for heavy thinking and line per line analysis (something that Jars of Clay is pretty good at, if I might add). Their songs are also quite anthemic (thank you, ChristianMusicToday.com), meaning their verses are a bit longer than songs by other artists. This particular characteristic made their albums get low reviews in the aforementioned website.
However, I think that is what makes them different than the others. Sometimes, you don’t have to make your song lyrics deep to be able to deliver a message; it’s easier to say it directly to get the point across. Building 429’s songs may not require the listener to think a bit deeper to decipher the meaning of it, but I think they do bring the message across quick. Furthermore, just by listening to their songs, you’d know that they are hardcore Christians. There’s certainly no denying that among them, and that’s something that I think everyone needs to hear nowadays. :)
I look forward to hearing other Building 429’s future songs, as well as seeing them live. :P That would definitely be cool. :P Dream on, Tina. ;)
Favorite songs:
- Show Me Love — amazing and heart-wrenching song! “When my mind denies the love I know, my life sends nails through Your bones!”
- The Space In Between Us — this song always drives me to tears.
- Back To Me — my thesis song. :P
- Never Look Away — reminds me so much of Peter, and walking on water. Another thesis song.
- Because You’re Mine — reminds me of God’s amazing love for me.
- I Believe — The band’s remake of Blessed Union of Soul’s hit.
You may read/hear more about Building 429 on the following sites: