SonicFlood - Resonate

List Price: $17.98
Our Price: $0.78
You Save: $17.20 (96%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases

Music CD Cover

Free Music Notes for Resonate

Free Music Review: Greater Artistry + Passion for Worship = Outstanding CD
Hit: 5 Stars

SF1 basically had two sounds--a rhythmically strong rock beat and a sweet ballad style. SF2 certainly has both sounds, as well--"I Lift My Eyes Up" is a good example of the rock sound, while "Dear Lord" is a pretty ballad. In addition, however, SF2 lays down some 60's rock ("Your Love"), some nice technosynthesized embellishments ("You Are the Holy One"), a few bars of African chanting ("Lord of the Dance"), and ballads that are more visceral and rhythmic ("Fuel", "Lord Over All").

The musical upgrade is most noticeable at the drummer's throne. Aaron of SF1 was a fine "groove" drummer due to his good rhythmic sense. However, he apparently has had little or no technical training. If you like hearing excellent grooves that are smartly embellished with flams, cymbal swells, snare rolls (with dynamics), and buzzes, though, you'll have to take the SF1 CDs out of your player and pop in "Resonate" instead.

Resonate's engineering is much more artistic, as well. The engineering on the SF1 albums was pretty much restricted to getting the levels right. SF2, on the other hand, concocts fascinating sounds with the human voice ("You Are the Holy One", "Your Love") and synthesizer ("Fuel"). The SF2 engineers also spliced in some very imaginative sounds (African chanting, orchestra tuning, aircraft taking off) that add both sparkle and power to the music.

The new band itself has achieved a higher level of musical mastery, IMHO. SF1 had lots of interesting fills and counterpoint, in which the bass and the lead guitar often played similar (or sometimes identical) musical phrases. This coordination was not a trivial exercise, and gave the music of SF1 great energy. SF2, on the other hand, has added much better use of dynamics (crescendos, decrescendos, subito fortissimos)--"Holy and Anointed One", "Dear Lord" and "Lord Over All" come to mind. SF2 also uses a more nuanced rhythmic structure with greater diversity of themes--instead of just pounding out essentially the same rhythm for 4 minutes, which SF1 often did.

Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed SF1, keeping both the eponymous CD and the live CD in my car's player for weeks at a time. However, their relative lack of musical variety has caused these albums to lose some of their luster with the passage of time. "Resonate," on the other hand, has not only stayed in the player for weeks, but has kept coming back for regular visits since.

I would agree with the Resonate critics on one point, though: you are bound to create confusion and disappointment in many fans when you make a huge shift in the personnel and sound in a band, but do not change the name. Expectations are crossed, and disappointment is the inevitable result. If you can just pretend it's a new band, though, you'll be delighting in this fabulous worship album for a long time to come.

My encouragement to those who love worship music: drop your old SonicFlood expectations, buy this CD, and LISTEN WITH NEW EARS. You'll love it!!

Christian & Gospel Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock