So, the other day I mentioned that I didn’t really like Christian music (outside of Relient K). I figured I should explain myself before getting attacked by somebody.
Here are the main faults that I find in Christian music:
- The songs are repetitive. Like, Merry-Go-Round-That-Never-Ends Repetitive. Most of the time it’s not just the lyrics, even: the music is repetitive. A lot of Christian bands like to write one verse and one chorus and use them over and over over the same beats and chords. Some write more verses, but in this case the music doesn’t seem to change at all. Learn more than three chords, please. Learn more than three phrases, while your at it.
- The songs sound alike. Because of Item 1 up there, this is about twenty-seven times as bad as it would be otherwise. The terms are usually the same, about how God is infinitely coolio and how we don’t deserve Him and how we like to ignore Him but always should turn back. Yeah, these things are true. Yeah, they could use better terminology over actual unique music. I went to a concert once, and seriously all of the songs either sounded the same as each other or sounded like real-life songs (especially Fall Out Boy songs?). If there are rappers who can come up with countless catchy, unique songs about sex, surely we can come up with a few about God.
- The bands are a dime a dozen. Only a few stand out to me: BarlowGirl, because they’re made of girls, and Relient K and Hawk Nelson because they’ve been around for a good while now and can actually write songs. The rest fall into an abyss of sameness, dressing and sounding alike, and trying to be so punk rock (or pop-punk) that it’s hard to stand.
- Oftentimes, they actually play the same songs as each other. Typically these are hymns that they’ve “rocked up” or something, or songs that Dave Matthews that once were actually good before being overplayed. Have you ever seen a hymnal? There’s like, 500 songs in there. Stop with Grace Like Rain. Please.
- They like to talk a lot (in concert). Sure, I want you to introduce a song or two. “This is from my third album…” is fantastic. “I wrote this because of how I got saved, here is how, [45 minutes] …” is terrible. I don’t mind hearing how the band itself came into being or something, if it’s your concert and I’m here for you and you alone. But when you’re holding up an entire conference (BarlowGirl) then stop. Just stop.
I think five is enough, don’t you? I should probably be constructive now, but I do not write and perform music for a living and don’t really claim to. So deal.
Also, I just found this and it says a few things I think, and a few that I don’t agree with, but I’d reccommend reading it.
I agree. all the christian stuff on the radio sounds the same. I like relient k as well, but i also like switchfoot, david crowder band, hillsong, and jon forman. They’re different and unique.
I used to really like Switchfoot. Stars was an excellent song. We bought their CD though, and Stars was literally the only song I could listen to. I hated the rest of them.
well i really liked there cd the beautiful letdown. that’s a really good one. I actually did like the cd stars was on, but it took me some time. I also was unsure about their newest album, Gravity,and i still don’t like some of the songs on it, but i warmed up to most of them. Have you heard their new single This Is Home?
I’m not sure. I probably have and don’t remember. I’ll go look it up, though!
Oh. I’ve seen Prince Caspian, so yes I have. It took a bit during the song to recall it, but it is a really good song, I think.
Do they have a song called Oh! Gravity?