Music Review: Two at a Time by downhere

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great songs that wouldn't have been released otherwise

Cons: Physical version has two discs

The Bottom Line: 

Between disc release

Gives these songs chance at new life

Includes some true gems

Between Recordings Release for Twice the downhere Goodness

Canadian rock band downhere has not been a band to leave their fans wanting for new material for very long.  Between many of their studio releases, they've released other goodies that have been very good.  That's the case with Two At A Time.  This 2010 release features two brand new recordings that nine songs that were recorded for but not included with their 2009 release.

Before we go further, however, I have to get my one gripe out of the way.  I bought this as a physical disc instead of a digital download.  Or should I say physical discs.  Yes, this is an eleven song release, yet they put it out on two discs.  Disc one consists of the two completely new tracks.  Disc two has the other nine songs.  Frankly, that's just a pain in the neck since I am changing discs quite a bit to hear all the songs.  Maybe there's a story behind it that would make some sense, but I haven't heard what it is.  From here on out, I am going to treat this as one release of 11 songs.

We start out with the two new songs, and the first of these is "You're Not Alone."  This was actually the only song I'd heard before I bought this, and I instantly fell in love with it.  Yes, it's a song of encouragement that reminds us that God is always with us no matter what we're going through.  Lead singers Marc and Jason do this one very much as a duet, and their harmonies are great.  Overall, it's a great mid-tempo rocker.

They pick up the tempo a bit with "The Song You Sing."  I love the word pictures they paint here of God working in and through us being the equivalent of Him finishing a symphony or singing through us.

From there, we move to the "B-sides."  "One Small Step" is the song that gives the set it's name.  Written to a person dealing with a huge trial in life of some kind, it promises "We'll take it one small step/Two at a time."  The song is definitely written from the point of view of a friend wanting to help a friend, and it always makes me think of the awesome friends I have in my life.

"Everything to Lose" looks at a familiar subject from a different point of view.  Jason's vocals and piano playing lead us off as he marvels at God's grace.  But it tackles the subject from wondering about how God constantly forgives our sins even when we fall into the same ones over and over again.  So maybe it really looks at God's patience at how we treat His sacrifice of Jesus instead of just strictly being about God's grace.

They throw things down for the prayer "Break My Heart," which asks for God to show us the world the way He sees it.  But they speed things up again for the guitar driven "Everything Will," a reminder that God's will is always going to be done no matter how things are going for us.  "Stand with Me" is the slowest song here and again shows off Marc and Jason's harmonies.

"Excavate" is an interesting mix musically.  The verses are pretty quiet, but the guitars pick up for a very rocky chorus.  The song itself reminds us that our treasures show where our heart truly is - the things around us or doing God's will.

I like how the message in "Household Name" sneaks up on you.  It starts out with a couple of verses talking about fame in our society today and what would make you a household name.  But as we reach the chorus, we realize the song is written from God's point of view and issues the reminder that "When you become a household name/The song I sing will be the same…What did you do with orphans and widows."  Yep, no matter how famous we are, we need to take care of the least of these, as the passage they are references from the Gospels states.

"Grown Man" starts out very quiet with some strings and piano, but quickly picks up as they begin to sing about someone who is completely repenting from their sins.  It's enough to make a grown man cry.

Finally, there's "Back to the Chorus."  A nice mid-tempo closer, the song again has lots of musical imagery as it talks about how God is our rock no matter what is happening in life.  The melody is very catchy, and I can't help but sing along every time I hear it.

Honestly, I'm glad that downhere chose to release these songs because there are some real gems in here.  So if you are a fan of the band, be sure to get Two At A Time.

Length: 45:44

Tracks:

1. You're Not Alone

2. The Song You Sing

3. One Small Step

4. Everything to Lose

5. Break My Heart

6. Everything Will

7. Excavate

8. Household Name

9. Grown Man

10. Stand with Me

11. Back to the Chorus