Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Some of the songs are very good
Cons: Most are okay
but nothing special
The Bottom Line:
This early release
Shows promise but is weakest
Of Matthew's projects
In the last year, I've become a big Matthew West fan. I love his two latest releases, so I've gone
back to his three older discs. Sellout was released by his label in 2006.
Unfortunately, it's his weakest to date.
The problem with the disc is there is very little to
distinguish it from any other Christian pop release from a
singer/songwriter. The vocals are
fine. I enjoy some of the songs. But unlike his others that really grab me, I
find this one pretty forgettable.
Then again, there's a good reason for that. When I did a little digging on this disc, I
discovered that what I have is a rerelease from his label of his last
independent disc. This is actually older
than the discs I have been enjoying and much older than his previous two
discs. While that doesn't change my
opinion of it, it does help explain why this one doesn't feel like it quite
belongs as Matthew's third release, where I thought it fell while I've been
listening to it all week.
The disc starts out strong with "This Ordinary
Life." It's a toe tapping number
that encourages us to move beyond just living day to day but to step out in
faith to truly live for God. It's a
theme he would revisit with the huge hit "Going Through the Motions,"
but this is a good warm up song.
Equally fun is the title track. "Sellout" is a rocky look at being
labeled. At first, when his friends
accuse him of being a sellout, Matthew tries to deny it. But then he realizes it's the truth, he's
sold out to God. Okay, so it's nothing
new, but I still find it fun.
And there's the hope of the closer. "Just Like You" reminds us that God
is always willing to forgive no matter how far we've wandered. That's something I need to be reminded of
time and time again. With a fun pop
beat, this is a song you're sure to be smiling and sing along to before you
know it.
Then there's the rest of the disc. Again, it's not that it's bad. It's just not good either.
Matthew experiments with several different styles here, most
noticeably on "Love Has No Wall," which has a very distinct gospel
sound. Matthew's early releases featured
a song where he talked the verses and sang the chorus. He does that here with "Mr. James,"
but it doesn't quite work as well as the others do. I think that's partially because the story
about an old man feeding pigeon doesn't seem to quite work with his theme of
not worrying about tomorrow.
"Stand" is a story based around the national See
You at the Pole day. It starts with just
one girl willing to pray for her school, but as her classmates watch and mock
her, others step up and start praying with her.
It's a slower ballad that I bet teens today will enjoy. Frankly, all it does is make me think of my
generation's song, Al Denson's "Shine Out the Light." (Hard to believe just how old that song is.)
While this isn't my favorite Matthew West release, I can see
hints of the artist he would become.
Most of these songs are okay, but they don't quite capture my attention
the way his newer stuff does with insightful lyrics and good mix of music. Matthew needed some time to develop his
talents, and as he has, his releases have gotten much stronger.
So fans of Matthew West will enjoy Sellout for what it is, a
look back at his early career. Just
don't judge his career by this release.
CD Length: 41:10
Tracks:
1. This Ordinary Life
2. Sellout
3. Love has No Walls
4. Mr. James
5. Open Wide My Heart
6. Be Strong
7. Stand
8. Heart of Every Man
9. Forever and Beyond
10. Just Like You
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