 |
 |
As music buyers increasingly turn to music of faith, encouragement, relevance, conviction and hope Newsboys have once again moved to the head of the class. The multi-million selling group has spent the last fourteen years developing a massive and devoted following, honing their skills as pop craftsmen and working hard at becoming one of the best bands going. Resisting trends and avoiding comparisons, the band developed it's own slick yet imaginative sound and charted their own course to the top. Between a breakthrough 'hits' compilation, their most successful tour to date and adding another three number one singles to their impressive list, 2001 was a good year for Phil Joel, Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips, Jody Davis and their own enigmatic front man, principal songwriter, lead vocalist and occasional upside-down drummer, Peter Furler. Yet somehow in the midst of all that, Newsboys have managed to create their most powerful album to date. With thought-provoking and challenging lyrics set to driving and compelling music, the world will now hear Newsboys' Thrive.
Expectations for the band's ninth studio album are understandably high. No one, however, is holding the band to a higher standard than Furler. His ruthless pursuit of indelible pop hooks and devastatingly clever lyrics has resulted in not only the best release of his own considerable career, but one of the strongest releases the Christian market has seen in years. Influences as diverse as U2, INXS, and Moby intermingle with Furler's fascination with new sounds, beats and samples to form a unique, but consistent palette for this batch of songs to dance upon. Never satisfied to re-tread ground they or others have covered time and again, the musicality on Thrive is more aggressive, confident and modern sounding than anything the band has released thus far. The guitars are bigger, the programming more inventive and the vocals more human and soulful. To top it off the band has re-enlisted their most successful production partner and lyricist to help bring this batch of songs to life. The genesis of Thrive is really to be found in the creation of Shine; The Hits. "I wanted to do something different than most bands do," Furler says of the album, "and that was to put a couple of new hits on it." To craft these new "hits" Furler sought out the assistance and input of his long-time friend and partner, Steve Taylor. "When Steve and I got back together to write, things just picked up right where they had left off."
"Peter called me and wanted some help with three news songs they were doing for the record," Taylor recalls. "I spent a few weekends and evenings helping out mostly just on the writing. After all this time, I still got really excited hearing their music and was still very passionate about the strengths of the band." Both Furler and Taylor felt that the chemistry was as strong as ever and the idea for a new 'old' approach to the upcoming studio album was born.
At that point, Taylor's involvement grew from that of interested on-looker and lyricist to producer as Furler found the task of headlining a touring festival and recording a new album simultaneously a bit daunting. "I was really tired," Furler remembers. "We were doing shows and then coming back to work on the record, and I needed his help to just carry the load." Taylor's job description escalated from lyricist to co-producer as the two began the process of taking song ideas Furler had begun in his home studio and finishing them. "I had myself a little concert every night when I was writing. I would sit down and just play music, and that's what came out. It just started coming and coming." Furler and the band took their demos to their studio and, along with Taylor in the co-producer's chair, Thrive took shape. "We made another record just the way we had always made records. When we're in the studio it's really a collaboration." Musically, Thrive offers everything fans have come to expect of Newsboys, and a little extra. While several tracks sport ragged guitar tracks and hooks reminiscent of the great guitar rock of the seventies, others take Furler's innate melodic sensibilities to new heights. "Million Pieces" is destined to be another hit on radio, while "Cornelius" in Furler's estimation, "will probably be huge with the punters (fans.) I have a feeling we'll be haunted by that one, kind of like "Breakfast," for years to come." With mixing by Tom Lord-Alge (Blink 182, Collective Soul, INXS, Dave Matthews Band) and mastering by Bob Ludwig (Bowie, Creed, Foo Fighters,) the production brings those melodies and tones through with amazing clarity.
Taylor sees enormous talent in Furler. "I honestly think Peter is one of the best melody writers in music. He's got the ability to write melodies that sound familiar but unique. It's the same thing we all like about Abba, the same reason Elvis Costello's first three records are so great. There aren't many people that can pull that off with consistency. He just writes great melodies. He's also a drummer so he's got a really good sense for the feel that goes on underneath the melody.
"I just took various sounds that inspired me and then searched for the melody," Furler emphasizes. "I ended up with around forty demo clips, some fifteen seconds long and some five or six minutes. Then the band got together and added their parts, which is extremely important. The demos sound pretty sterile when they come from my home studio, but when Phil adds his bass parts and Jody lays down his amazing guitar ideas, they come alive. If this record sells two copies, I'm still proud of it. It's by far our best work. It's got great pop moments as well as some crazy stuff like 'John Woo' that represents that side of my influences. We're really excited for people to hear it."
Visit Official Website. |
