Artist Info:Discography Genre(s): Singer Songwriter Album length: 13 tracks: 47 minutes Street Date: January 1, 2022
READER RATING:
(JFH Sponsor Spot)
JFH Staff's Second Opinion
In his latest album, The Devil and the Light, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Watts delivers his usual brand of complex music and emotionally raw lyrics. Highlights include "A Long Time Here," "Mend" and "Been to the Valley."
"A Long Time Here" brings back the chamber music vibes of Watts's album Murder Yesterday, with plucked strings accompanying his power-house vocals. "Mend" shows off Watts's lightning-fast drum fills that harken back to Neil Peart of Rush, both because of his precision and the crisp sound of his toms. The pounding drums, as well as the persistent tick-tock during the verses, matches the urgency of the lyrics. "Been to the Valley" has a southern gospel stomp sound that will remind long-time fans of "Rescue Me" from 2004's The Noise Inside. Lyrically, this song also echoes "Rescue Me" as he sings about the "unconditional and far beyond rational grace of a Savior." He elaborates on his doubts in this song, with lines like, "I left belief, I left my knees / and I walked the edge away from holy."
The lyrics of Watts's indie releases read more like journal entries than those in his '04 BEC debut. He is honest about his disappointments, often in a psalm-like way. In "All My Friends," for example, he says, "All my friends live inside my head / There're dead… All they do is just lie to me / Nightmares whisper as I lie in bed." In the second verse, he echoes Psalm 13: "All my enemies left me for dead / I bet, none there expected my rise."
Watts's confessional style is mostly a good thing, although the opener, "Rest of Me," again rehashes the theme of his metaphorical funeral (e.g., "Murder Yesterday," "Reborn" "Get Myself Together"). He also tends to rehash musical ideas, since the album's self-titled closer sounds quite similar to "When a Heart Wakes Up." Both songs wrap up their respective albums nicely, so, who's to say this is a downside? Plus, anyone who has written songs for as long as Adam Watts, is bound to unintentionally repeat himself.
All-in-all, The Devil and the Light is another solid album from Watts. And, if you're a longtime fan and a drummer nerd like me, you won't be disappointed.
- Review date: 1/24/22, Andie Hardee of Jesusfreakhideout.com
Record Label: Broken City Artists
Album length: 13 tracks: 47 minutes
Street Date: January 1, 2022
Buy It:Apple Music Buy It:Amazon Music (MP3)
This Thursday, September 12, 2024
ALBUMS Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors Strangers No More Volume Two [Tone Tree]
SINGLES Wilder Woods Hide Anymore / Devil In My Eyes - Double Single [Dualtone]
This Friday, September 13, 2024
ALBUMS Yolanda Adams Sunny Days [Epic] Alert312 The Lord Is (Our Evening) Beauty [Reimagined] [Streetlights] Childlike CiCi It's Time - EP [Capitol CMG] Amy Grant and Vince Gill When I Think of Christmas [MCA Nashville] Travis Cottrell Hymnal: One (independent) Hulvey Cry [Reach] iNTELLECT Revolution [Polished Arrow Music] Lofi Sunday Where the Sun Sets [Reach Records] Mark Lowry There Is Hope [Gaither] Passion Kids Worship Sing Praise [SixSteps/Capitol] Stryper When We Were Kings [Frontiers] Unspoken IV [Centricity] Taelor Gray & Peace 586 Let the Church Say Amen (independent) Tim Timberlake, Greg Cox, Kenneth Whalum MOVING MOMENTS, VOL. 1 - EP [Tribl] Luke Wareham Christ is Lord - EP (independent) Darlene Zschech Testament (EP 2) [Integrity]
SINGLES ’68 Intergalactic - Single [Pure Noise Records] Altarheart Save Our Souls - Single (independent) Ashes Remain Don't Let Go - Single [BEC] August Burns Red Exhumed - Single (independent) Luke Barbosa Kiss & Pray - Single (independent) Kayla Berry Who You Are To Me - Single (independent) The Blamed Pride Kills / Best Friend - Single (independent) Chad Bushnell Imperfect Prayer - Single (independent) Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love - Single [DREAM] Chainstay Take the Caseyville Exit - Single [Small Step Records] Church of the City Who is Like You - Single (independent) Colorvault & Alex Taylor Maybe Maybe Maybe - Single (independent) Daniel Hardin & Lane Marie Triple Crown - Single (independent) Paul Demer If The Lord Had Not Been On Our Side (Psalm 124) - Single (independent) Earth Groans Bones of Winter - Single (independent) Ryan Ellis Holy Place - Single [Provident] Glae Lizard - Single [Broken Curfew Records] The Gray Havens The Magic - Single [Blue Flower] homage revelation song - Single [Integrity] ICF Worship Lobe den Herrn (Seele sing) - Single [Integrity] Ic3rd GOD FIRST (ft. Mission & DeandreGODsaves) - Single [Syntax] John Mark Pantana & Lovkn Never Felt This Before - Single (independent) The Kingsmen The Judgement - Single [Horizon] Sarah Kroger Galaxies - Single [Integrity] Tenielle Neda King of Grace (feat. Joshua Leventhal) - Single (independent) Blessing Offor Jordans - Single [Capitol CMG] The Rocket Summer Way Out - Single (independent) Sidewalk Prophets Unbelievable - Single [Curb] Sixpence None the Richer Julia - Single [Flatiron] Sleeping At Last Heal - Single (independent) TAKE Heaven or Hell - Single [Resuscitation Records] Tigerwine Wax Magnetic - Single (independent) TKE3 SALVATION - Single (independent) Tunnel Rats Tell It - Single (independent) Megan Woods The Truth (Strings Version) - Single [Fair Trade] Zippy & OnBeatMusic Who Am I? - Single [Syntax]
VINYL Stryper When We Were Kings Vinyl [Frontiers]
DVD Mark Lowry There Is Hope [Gaither]
Next Friday, September 20, 2024
ALBUMS Alex Henry Foster A Measure Of Shape And Sounds [Hopeful Tragedy] Homeplate Thanks For Visiting - EP [Small Step] Perpetual Legacy Teodrama [En Hakkore] The Rocket Summer The Early Years - 25 Year Anniversary Edition (independent)
SINGLES Sam Bowman Oh Wonder - Single [DREAM] Good Weather Forecast & Elijah Thomas Can't Get Enough - Single [DREAM]
Record Label: Broken City Artists
Rock Band Reborn Plant Seeds of Hope with "Heal The Broken"
RSS
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors Strangers No More Volume Two [Tone Tree]
