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HM Magazine Reviews "Wordplay"
Sun., Feb. 18. 2007 5:51pm EST
HM Magazine, the national Christian hard-rock magazine, reviews our new "Wordplay" CD in its March/April issue. The review is written by Jamie Lee Rake, a well-known music writer for both HM and CCM who also contributed to the book "The 100 Greatest Christian Albums of All Time."
Here's what review said:
The ApologetiX modus operandi in synopsis for newbies to the band: Scripture-teaching spoofs of general market hits of the past couple years prior to any album release and oldies renowned enough to probably be karaoke fodder.
After a hiatus wherein the Pittsburgh parodists issued acoustic, live and best-of projects, "Wordplay" signals a rejuvenation for the band. Much of that vigor can be placed on the shoulders of new drummer Jimmy Turner (sic), who tightens up the group's garage/bar band (if they played taverns) charms considerably.
Singer J. Jackson's satire sounds to have sharpened plenty as well. He transforms a couple of the [steamier] country smashes since '04 -- by Big & Rich and Trace Adkins -- into theologically solid treatises and gets all up in Charles Darwin's grill with his take on Kanye West's Ray Charles fetish.
Generally, speaking, the older the tune ApologetiX takes on, the better they do at reinventing it. What they do with Steve Miller, Stevie Wonder, Joe Walsh, and the Beatles kicks copious booty, even if they strain the Fab Four's rhyme scheme some. No slouches are they either when assaying current radio rockers such as Velvet Revolver and Nickelback.
Though hearing them produced by someone outside the band could produce potentially revelatory results, self-contained indie success becomes ApologetiX's homemade ethic well enough. And it's particularly well executed here.
Jamie Lee Rake
4 Stars out of 5
Doug Van Pelt, HM Editor
2 1/2 Stars out of 5
Editor's Note: We're honored to have a literary luminary such as Jamie Lee Rake give us such a high rating. Even so, our favorite part was still when he called our drummer Jimmy Turner.
HM has featured ApologetiX many times, including a full-length interview with lead singer/lyricist J. Jackson, in its May/June 2004 issue. Although that interview was edited due to space constraints, HM has posted a longer version on its website at:
http://www.hmmagazine.com/exclusive/earchive.php
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