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 Friday, March 21, 2025
ALBUMS Anberlin Nevertake [Equal Vision] Kayla Berry Soar - Single (independent) Diatheke ...And The Word Was God [Rottweiler] Ellie Holcomb Sing: Spring Songs [Capitol CMG] Jesus Culture Worthy of Hallelujah (Live) [Capitol CMG] William Murphy THE devil DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH IT - EP [Motown Gospel] Thrive Worship Praises & Prayers (Deluxe Edition) [Integrity] Tauren Wells Let The Church Sing - EP [Capitol CMG]
SINGLES 99 APEX Make Me Cry (ft. De La Cruz) - Single [Syntax] Alabaster Grace Savior of My Heart - Single (independent) John Allan Living God - Single [Centricity] Blindside Dead Weight - Single [Wasa] Pat Boone ONE - Voices for Tanzania - Single [Lamb & Lions] Rich Colón People Mover - Single [Polished Arrow] Faith Worship Arts The Lifter (Live) - Single [DREAM Worship] Alex Henry Foster I'm Afraid - Single [Hopeful Tragedy] Free Worship On Time God - Single [BEC] Sierrah Garcia Joy Like This (feat. ZEKE) - Single (independent) Integrity Worship Abide (feat. Ke'Erron, Mayanne J. George) - Single [Integrity] Leslie Jordan Elegy - Single (independent) KingsPorch Child of Jehovah - Single [BEC] Life.Church Worship Christ In Me - Single (independent) Jamie MacDonald Who He Is - Single [Capitol CMG] MrBigFaith TOP DOWN - Single [Syntax] QEW League Lessonz (ft. Zippy) - Single [Syntax] Sanctus Real The Difference - Single [Framework/The Fuel] Seph Schlueter Turn It To Praise - Single [Provident] SNT. VINCENT Winning (ft. K Cartel) - Single [Syntax] Jordan St. Cyr To Save My Life (Acoustic) - Single [BEC] We Are Messengers A Thousand Times (feat. Cochren & Co.) - Single [Curb] Yancy History Maker - Single [NWN]
Next Friday, March 28, 2025
ALBUMS Steve Camp Fire and Ice (Remastered Collector's Edition) [Girder] Lawrence Hancock Undefeated [LVP] Red Rocks Worship The King Is Coming [Provident]
SINGLES Big Daddy Weave I've Just Seen Too Much - Single [Curb] Disciple Resurrecting Reasons (feat. Decyfer Down) - Single [Tooth & Nail] Good Weather Forecast Now I See It - Single [DREAM] Ronnie Martin Ever Sing For Joy - Single [Velvet Blue] Switch Love Like This - Single (independent) Madison Watkins You Won't - Single [Provident] The Young Escape Every Little Thing - Single [BEC]
Record Label: Broken City Artists
William Murphy Releases "THE devil DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH IT" EP
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Anberlin Nevertake [Equal Vision]
