Love Like Gravity’s lead vocalist, Billy Pind, (Lead vocals/Guitar) has a voice like a chameleon; reaching different vocal sounds that adhere to each song. From clear, clean cut vocals in songs like the title track “Break the Silence,” to the light growls in the opening track “Devil’s in the Details,” Pind does a glorious job of showing his range and musical diversity on this album (Produced by Tony Palacios and Jim Cooper).
Sparkles shine on “Break the Silence” like a throwback reflection of brilliant influence from another decade that captured Christian rock so well, these guys seem to have tapped into that energy to bring some of that sound back. One of the tracks on this album reminds me of DC Talk’s smash hit album Jesus Freak. Though very different songs in sound and structure, the starting track “Devil’s in the Details” has an electronica rock opening that reminds me of the beginning of DC Talk’s song, So Help Me God.
“Devil’s in the Details” carries you through the first 10 seconds with that electronica sound until a bolt of awakening amps up your attention as the song delves into rock with a powerful outburst of guitar (and, in the video, epic hair) by Cale Kight, (Guitars/bgvs) and a slamming drumbeat courtesy of Stan Mayo (Drums/Programming/Synth).
A song that addresses sin in little ways, the lyrics explore the temptations in life and how the smallest choices can impact negatively on a larger scale. We live in a world of excuses and indulgences. We make choices based on emotion and impulsivity in the moments of desire. How these choices affect our lives is the basis for this song which rings warning bells from the towers of corruption in a world desperately trying to build humanity into a utopia.
The second track on the album, “Let It Go,” jumps into the point of the song immediately with it’s staccato drumbeat. This song is about moving on. A song for healing, this track lends advice on how to overcome the fight against your own mind and memories. “Let It Go” addresses one of the most important lessons you’ll ever learn: forgiveness, and how it’s for you and not the ones who hurt you. Bitterness will eat you alive like a poison, and holding onto anger is akin to grasping a burning coal in hopes of burning someone else. Letting go of the pain others inflicted upon you is how you can heal your own wounds. The “speak-sing” of lyrics at times toward the end of this song, combined with an old radio electronica vibe, once again remind me of a throwback to the 90s… and it’s fantastic. The nostalgia of this album is energetically palpable. This song will grab you and lift you to your feet.
The third track, “Scream,” is a driving song with a fantastic arrangement. Energetic and addictive in all the right ways, this song pulls you in from the first beat. Begging for salvation, the lyrics are heavy in their plea for rescue. The instrumentals radiate fire and passion aglow, and provide the foundation for the heavier rock sound of this song as it grinds into your mind and strips away apology to reveal the tender layer of a broken spirit in need of saving.
The album delves next into my favorite song, title track “Break The Silence.” Easily one of the best tracks on the album, this song would be fantastic as a radio single and music video. “Break The Silence” will rock you to the core. This is a song that explodes with demand that the time has come to break free of our masks and constricting filters to take control of the carnival of life, instead of being a mere side show participant from the walk of truth in the side ring. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When we live in the shadows of our light by circling our own issues, we drive ourselves crazy with delusion and false progress.
Lyrics “They say the truth is a whisper but the silence is obscene. The metaphor is broken, now it’s time for us to scream!” ring true that apathy is akin to evil in its practice of looking the other way instead of facing an unveiling reality. The time for fairy tales has ended and ushered in the dawning age of truth. One of my favorite things about this track is how Love Like Gravity incorporated lyrics from “This Little Light of Mine” to highlight the point of the song. It’s a brilliant play on a classic Christian hymn.
“Through Your Eyes” is as soft as angel’s wings enveloping you in the comfort of reassurance; an answer that whispers as you are guided to home and hope. Poignant and powerful lyrics hum from Pind’s vocals like butterfly wings against a storm. A wandering soul in the depths of searching for purpose and a Savior bleed throughout the message in this song. If you’re struggling and want to know where God went, you’ll find him again in the music and messages of this band. They not only put out great Christian rock, but keep the focus on uplifting their fanbase to a place of insurmountable faith.
This song sees through the veil into the human heart beating with struggle. “Through Your Eyes” implores the knowledge that something far bigger than ourselves swells with love and support while watching over us. This song, like so many on the album, is also open to interpretation. Is it the Holy Spirit who guides healing and encouragement into our beings being addressed in this track? Or is it the love that grows in each of us, extending beyond the exterior to the interior of our weary battles?
We barely hold on in the inky blackness of the night; desperately in need of the sunshine of friends, family and romantic partners to help us save ourselves. This song is a dose of warm cocoa butter for the soul; soothing in each element.
A majority of people struggle with mental health issues, and “Through Your Eyes” taps into this and the need others have for love and healing. Sometimes everyone needs a guide back from a place of darkness, and this song will pull you back from the cliff edge of mourning to the hallows of light and hope.
All I Need begs to be saved. A beautiful song with a lovely guitar intro, this song rolls like the smooth waves of the ocean into some light electronica blending with big instrumentals with a more gentle and toned down vocal, but not in a drowned out way. This song has some wonderful Three Days Grace vibes.
One of my other favorite songs on the album, “Game of Souls,” opens with what almost sounds like electronica church bells at the very beginning before charging right into jamming rock. A harder song on the album, this song rings in some light metal with hard rock walking the fine knife edge of hard and soft that this band so readily shows in their work. This song really demonstrates that Love Like Gravity can hold their own with bands like RED and Skillet. They craft a song well enough that even a non-religious listener can enjoy it without feeling pressured by their message to believe solely one thing. I think this really opens up Christian bands like Love Like Gravity to expand their fanbase and reach more people with messages open to interpretation, but still in all those interpretations, sticking to sound morals found in most people, no matter what their religious belief.
“Grind” drives right into harder rock and the demand for oneself and humanity. The song continues along with its powerful lyrics and hard melody, the arrangement carrying through a swift song with intense lyrics and some growling from Pind until it reaches into a softer, higher bridge followed by a dive back into a heavier sound.
“Thorn” explodes for a few seconds before pulling back into a fantastic rock song featuring Tony Palacios, who is a brilliant addition to a hard banging song that speaks a message of a poisonous relationship still clinging to and finding the freedom to recognize said “Thorn.” A song that could be speaking of one leadened down with sin and darkness, and the resistance of letting go of such a “walking on eggshells” relationship is explored in this song with impressive and commanding guitarwork.
One word can sum up the final song on the album, “Shaken,” and that is “faith”. Faith to find your way through any hardship; any foundation that is uneven and broken can be tackled to find your way to the light. “Shaken” has a fast beat throughout the entire number, keeping the energy going up like the lyrics, with its instrumentals and vocals. “Shaken” ends the album on a high, powerful note, firm in its fantastic transference of upbeat tunes for the positives.
Love Like Gravity may not be able to turn the world into the utopia mentioned at the beginning of this review, but they’re sure going to try through the healing power of music, and that’s just fine with me. A dynamic, influential album that raises the listener to focus on encouraging aspects such as (said in their about on the website) “faith, hope and love”…and perseverance through choice and honesty. This album is an album of sound character and encouragement. Go grab your copy today at lovelikegravity.com.
I’m Music Magazine Writer Breezy Blake
Love Like Gravity:
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