Sugarless - Puller (Tooth and Nail, 1996)
Puller was another one of those underground Christian bands that I loved in early high school, and featured Michael Lewis, who had also played guitar and sang in For Love Not Lisa in the early 90s. On Sugarless, their debut for Tooth and Nail Records (now the leader in releasing the shittiest of Christian mall punk and emo), they sound somewhere between a more primitive version of Shiner and a more technical version of Hum with less catchy melodies. They also lacked the spacey and futuristic soundscapes of either of those bands. While their songs showcased complex structures, weird time signatures, insane stops and starts and those jagged guitar rhythms that I love, they tended to limit their guitar chord usage predominantly to drop D power chords and octaves (like another old Tooth and Nail band called Stavesacre, except Puller did it WAY better). Lewis' lyrics are very simple and vague, which is totally my jam, but I'm struggling trying to decide if these days I think they are corny or brilliant. Regardless, there is still plenty for me to enjoy here, and after all these years, I continue to be impressed by Geoff Riley's drumming. Also, I thought "Super Size It" and "Almost Always" were especially awesome when I was a freshman in high school, and I'm glad I still feel that way today.
Top jams: "Shut Off," "Back & Forth," "Prodigal," "Super Size It," "Almost Always"
Closer Than You Think - Puller (Tooth and Nail, 1998)
I actually got way into Closer Than You Think before I had ever heard Sugarless. I saw Puller play at a church in Livonia back in May of 1997 and was completely floored by them at that young age. For some reason I never got around to purchasing anything of theirs until right around the time that Closer Than You Think was released. I was relieved to find that this record sounded even better than I remember the band sounding live. I could tell they had mellowed out a bit, but truth by told, I think that had a positive effect on their sound, because this is the superior record. It's not as raw or tough sounding as Sugarless, and the songs aren't quite as complicated, but those elements still show their faces from time to time throughout the songs. "Out of My Head" and "Bring Me In" are solid examples of that. The majority of the songs have a poppier feel, especially the opener, "Wishing," and usually that bodes well for them. There are still weird time signatures, though, and Lewis' melodies are actually quite strong most of the time. I feel like time has been more of a cruel mistress to Closer Than You Think than Sugarless, but I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting them both, as they are two of the best albums the underground Christian music scene has ever offered, in my opinion.
Top jams: "Wishing," "Bring Me In," "She," "Light in Eve's Time," "Silent Film," "Am I Samaritan"
Ideal Lives - Rahim (Frenchkiss, 2006)
Talk about an overlooked band. If I remember correctly, there was a tiny circle of hype around Rahim when they released the Jungles EP on Frenchkiss in 2005, garnering comparisons to Q and Not U. In 2006 they released their debut full-length, Ideal Lives, and then everyone seemed to forget about them. They didn't put out another record until late 2008's Laughter, which was a split release between Pretty Activity Records and Flameshovel Records. This is a shame. I looked into Ideal Lives right when it first came out, and I thought it was okay. It's goodness didn't really hit me until I finally got around to giving it another chance more recently. J. Robbins did a fantastic job catching their live energy on this recording. The band sort of has a Q and Not U feel going on here, but their songs are less dissonant and more melodic, if you can believe it. "Klang Klang Klang" features some fascinating interplay between the guitar, bass and drums, and "10,000 Horses" and "Forever Love" are simply bad ass. It almost feels like the bass is the driving instrument, while the drumming is smart and innovative and the guitar is sparse and jagged. I like Ideal Lives more now than I ever have before.
Top jams: "Klang Klang Klang," "Something From an Amputee," "10,000 Horses," "Forever Love," "Enduring Love"
Echoes - The Rapture (Universal/Strummer, 2003)
Now this brings me back. Remember when dance-punk was a thriving, kind of popular thing? Ah, how trends come and go. I'm a little embarrassed for any band that tried to cash in on this style after 2004. However, the album at hand did things just right. Sure, The Rapture's Echoes was the best album of 2003, according to Pitchfork, and I still find that utterly ridiculous, but I can't argue that it's not a great record, because it totally is. In fact, it sounds better to me now than it ever has. This time around, I was completely caught off guard by the tracks at the end, "Love is All" and "Infatuation." These were just bizarre and annoying songs tacked on at the end for some nonsensical reason that I couldn't figure out. Now, I hear them as fantastic album tracks that give Echoes a more dense and versatile atmosphere. Plus, there are the obvious jams: "Olio" and it's blips and bloops and hypnotizing, pulsing beat and the chaotic (with blood-curdling yelps and all) yet somehow joyful party grooves of "Heaven," "House of Jealous Lovers" and the title track (it's bass line that descends the scale during the verses kills me). It turns out that Echoes has revealed itself as a much better album than I ever expected of it.
Top jams: "Olio," "Heaven," "I Need Your Love," "House of Jealous Lovers," "Echoes," "Love is All," "Infatuation"
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