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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Mainframe

Mainframe
Burn the Boats

Street Date: April 13, 2018
Style: Punk / Rock
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: AmazonMP3



Burn the Boats is a call to action. While lacking in production values, Mainframe is still able to produce a punk album with a great message that manages to stick with you. The album cover depicts four soldiers making a plan on foreign shores and the album's title gives away its message right away. Throughout history, there have been times when a commander forces his soldiers to burn their boats upon arriving on foreign shores -- effectively eliminating any means of fleeing the battle short of victory.

In the Christian life, God has demanded loyalty from His followers and Burn the Boats is both a reminder and encouragement to believers. The lyrics throughout the album are excellent and thought-provoking. The tracks "Burn the Boats," "Undivided Devotion," and the cover of Value Pac's "Don't Look Back" are all reminders of Paul's exhortations for us to "run the race" of the Christian life well (Acts 20:23-24). "Stately on the Shore" is a song rejoicing the life of one who has "fought the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7). In the track "Shrink Ray," which alludes to Matthew 19, Mainframe sings about how the most important thing worth "all our time and money" is our dedication to Christ. Other tracks on the album focus on adjacent themes such as the song "Peter," which is about the life and perspective of the apostle looking at his own faith during the ministry of Jesus, and it concludes with "We love you Lord! Made us reborn!/Into a living hope through your resurrection"; "Dog and Pony Show" is about letting go of what the world wants from us and sticking to our "higher calling."

Musically, Burn the Boats is similar to 90's style punk in the vein of early MxPx, but is more melodic and sticks to more major keys. Unfortunately, the album suffers from poor production which varies from vocal tuning issues to some poor timing in the instrumentation to a global mixing muddiness to the entire project. Even while lo-fi production is a hallmark of the genre, this stands out as being particularly weak. Regardless, its flaws weren't enough to stop every song on this album from being an earworm that would play in my head repeatedly well after listening.

Burn the Boats presents itself as a pep talk to push you further in your Christian walk. The lyrics are rooted strongly in spiritual truth and the choruses are likely to get stuck in your head immediately. With this album, Mainframe has lovingly crafted an album that, while not executed perfectly, feels heartfelt and genuine.

- Review date: 7/6/18, written by Mike Knipp of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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JFH Indie Spotlight Review . Record Label: Indie Vision Music
. Album length: 7 tracks: 31 minutes, 49 seconds
. Street Date: April 13, 2018
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: AmazonMP3

  1. Burn the Boats (5:12)
  2. Undivided Devotion (3:30)
  3. Peter (4:19)
  4. Don't Look Back (2:37)
  5. Dog & Pony Show (5:23)
  6. Shrink Ray (3:58)
  7. Stately on the Shore (6:50)

 

 

 

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This Friday, June 27, 2025
ALBUMS
7eventh Time Down We Praise You [BEC]
The Browns 25th Anniversary: Better Days Ahead [StowTown]
Franni Cash Wild Child - EP [Capitol CMG]
Matt Crocker interlude [Anotherland]
Jimmy Fortune Songs of an American Dreamer [Gaither]
Roxanne Grace Road Trip - EP [DREAM]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise The Live Reunion: Washington, DC [James Town]
Kutless The Seventh Seal - EP [BEC]
Evvie McKinney It Ain't Over - EP (independent)
Rusty Shipp Capsized Empire (independent)
SEU Worship A Forgiving God [Provident]
The Shimmering Carnelians The Doorway (Version 2.0) (independent)
We Are Messengers A Thousand Times - EP [Curb]

SINGLES
Anchor & Braille Rattlesnake - Single [Equal Vision]
ANTHNY imposter syndrome - Single [Provident]
Blanca Right On Time - Single [Curb]
Landry Cantrell & Elenee sunshine & rainbows - Single [DREAM]
Eddie Clark Never Content - Single [Syntax]
Colony House Atomic - Single [Roon]
Megan Danielle Preachin' To The Choir - Single [Provident]
Drea LP & OnBeatMusic Don't Try Me (DTM) - Single [Syntax]
ELI GABLE Glory Bound - Single [Capitol CMG]
Joseph Habedank Running to Me - Single [Daywind]
Lonnie Hunter Flow (Like A River) - Single [Uncle G]
Kashh Kade HELP - Single [Syntax]
KB x KEANU Keanu's Song - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Singing In the Dark - Single [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Hand That Keeps Holding - Single [Motown Gospel]
Claire Leslie Thank God I'm Not Alone (from Claire's Phone) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Tim Lovelace Celebration of America Medley (feat. Charlie McCoy) - Single [StowTown]
Lecrae Tell No Lie (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) - Single [Reach]
LO Worship The Perfect Love of Jesus - Single [Integrity]
Patrick Mayberry Thank The Lord - Single [Provident]
Michael Monroe John The Baptist (feat. Chris Renzema) - Single [Provident]
Alexander Pappas A Great Awakening / Un Nuevo Despertar - Single [Integrity]
PEABOD Summer in Seattle - Single [RMG Amplify]
Rave Jesus Walk On The Water Remix (From The Chosen) - Single [Provident]
The Rocky Valentines Nat Song - Single [Velvet Blue]
Tommy Royale, gio. Like Dat - Single [Capitol CMG]
Saints In Exile & Cutright My Dead End (ft. Jeannie Ortega, Luc DiMarzio, Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Emilie Weiss Take Care (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC]

DVD
Jimmy Fortune Songs Of An American Dreamer DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, July 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Chad Cory America [DREAM]
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SINGLES
Christian Back Now - Single [DREAM]



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