Grind
Artist: Jawbone Hill
Label: Smart Records
"You...fill me with breath of passion."
That lyric describes Jawbone Hill perfectly. Hands down, they
win my award for most passionate and emotional band. The guitar tones
simply bleed, and Dan Erb's voice overflows with passion. Musically,
they fall somewhere in the indie alternative emo category, but they're
not scrapping it out with the pack on the market today. No, they
sit above said pack, on a tree branch, crooning wistfully to "the Artist
about His beautiful light." They've got a personality all their own,
but sometimes Shawl-era Prayer Chain, Michael Knott's more subdued moments,
The Violet Burning, and Vigilantes of Love come to mind as distant comparisons
(vocals, lyrics, and music). To fully appreciate the talent here,
however, you need headphones. Otherwise, you'll miss half of the
sweet melodies the two guitars sing to each other throughout the album--under,
over, and around Dan's vocals and the occasional well-placed jangle of
distortion. Lyrically, I found the poetry of "The Wolf" to be some
pretty potent imagery for sin in our lives:
I feed my share to the wolves
they're my friends
I hold my heart near to the ground
so they can feed
they crack through flesh and bone
they tear into my chest
they take more than I give
One problem I have with Grind, though, is that it lacks
the standout cuts and variety which characterized their first album, Sackcloth
and Sunshine. All the songs seem to reflect the same tone, and
it's hard to distinguish them from one another. I prefer a wider
range of emotions. Also, some of Dan's vocal inflections are a bit awkward
if you're not totally in tune with his mood. Still, they surpass
most other Christian bands in so many areas that it's hard to complain.
Although Jawbone Hill has been courted by major labels, they're content
for now with their local Pennsylvania following, and with continuing to
be one of Christian rock's best-kept secrets.-----Josh Spencer
   
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