Grace Hotel
  Overall rating: +++

Album Reviews

Though Skypark releases its albums through Word and pens the occasional lyric making a specific reference to Christianity, initial exposure to its second album could cause the listener to recall the summer of 1966, when John Lennon stirred up a fuss by commenting that the Beatles were more popular than Christ. At least on this record, the two co-exist harmoniously. You don't have to wait until the seventh track, "The Girl in Your Picture," and its opening line, "I went on down to Penny Lane," to realize that the members of Skypark have spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles; long before that, the Fab Four's influence is all over the record, from its melodies to its ornate arrangements. True, Skypark tends to rock a little harder than its favorite band, but you're never far from a harmony line or a guitar riff that recalls the famous quartet from Liverpool. In "What God Does" and "Under Your Mercy," Skypark reveals its religious background explicitly, and the lyrics of other songs, such as the title track and the album closer "That's What You Say," support a religious interpretation, but for the most part Overbluecity is no more spiritual than your average U2 album. You might listen to the record through without thinking much about Jesus Christ, but it would be harder to avoid thinking about Paul McCartney.

~ William Ruhlmann

Every once in a while, there comes a band who startles the world with their fresh ideas and groundbreaking sounds. The Beatles were one such group who did that, along with many others that I do not have space for in this review. There are also bands who would have everyone believe they are "ready to make rock history." That's actually a direct quote from the founder and bass player of Skypark, Tony Deerfield. This type of band is something that I've repeatedly come across in secular music, but it's almost refreshing to see in Christian music--that is, a band that's so full of themselves they say things like that. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

I'm going to start with the positives about this album. There are flashes of brilliance that make the listener want more of what they just did. They have a great sound for their guitars that hasn't been heard for a long time. It's got a sort of crunch and distortion that I miss in today's alternative bands. There's a very interesting duet with the Celtic superstar Maire Brennan on the title track, which in itself isn't too bad.

Now to the easy part--their problems. The first major problem (and there are several) is their lyrics. They begin their "history making" album with 'Viva Satellite,' which sounds pretty decent if you ignore the words. But if you happen to look at the liner notes, you'll see such classics as: "keep your eyes on center ring / see the foursome orbiting / miles above this mortal ground / cranking knobs to supersound" and others. I hope they're not being serious, although it does fit with Deerfield's comments. But perhaps the most glaring example is in 'The Girl in Your Picture.' They start out good--a reference to Penny Lane--but roll downhill from there. "You're much nicer on Kodak paper / I really wish you could be / like the girl in your picture." Wow. For a Christian band, God/Lord/Holy Ghost are only mentioned three times in the entire album. There are some metaphors, but it's mostly shallow pop drivel for the rest.

The other big problem is their sound. While I said before I liked their guitar sound, the rest of the sound reminds me of the traditional two or three year gap between secular music and Christian music. It's as if Skypark is living in history rather than making any. The only history they might make with this album is fastest hand-to-trash can time. So, in conclusion, if you really want my opinion, don't buy it

~ Adam L.