Music Review: Wide-Eyed & Mystified by downhere

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good lyrics and fun songs

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Many great lyrics

In songs that are fun to hear

This CD does rock

Don't be Wide-Eyed and Mystified.  Get This CD!

Despite a Dove Award nomination for Best New Artist, Christian rock band downhere (yep, lowercase is correct) has a small but loyal following. Their lyrics are wonderful, however, and they deserve a wider audience. Wide-Eyed & Mystified, their third, just might do it.

It's obvious from the start that this is a rock group. The CD opens with the upbeat "The More." This fun number focuses on the wonder of the love God shows us and our need to stay "Wide-Eyed and Mystified" throughout life even as we grow closer to Him. It's got a catchy melody that is guaranteed to get the chorus stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

God's love is the focus of several songs on the project. The slower "A Better Way" reminds us that dying for us proved God's love for all time. It's a very melodic song that works as a fast ballad. The more upbeat "Unbelievable" calls for more songs to recognize how great God's love is. What I love about this song is the bridge. They work lines from "And Can it Be," "Amazing Grace," and the "Hallelujah Chorus" into the song.

Another prominent theme is surrender. Besides the obviously titled "Surrender," there's "Dying to Know You" and "I Will Follow Your Voice." Lyrically, these songs don't have much to add to the myriad of songs written along this theme over the decades, but they are all fun upbeat songs that make me think about the topic yet again. And personally, I can use all the reminders I can get.

The cleverest song on the disc is "The Real Jesus." While the chorus calls begs to see the real Jesus, the verses poke fun at our American version of Him vs. what the Bible portrays. The song brings a smile to my face and is disarming enough to make me think about its serious message.

Another outstanding song is "Little is Much." Another ballad, this song reminds us that God can take all our efforts and use them for His glory. Following this song with the call to go out and work for God in the upbeat "Stir" was incredibly smart.

"1000 Miles Apart" was an early favorite. This folk flavored song calls for reconciliation over the little things we often let divide us.

The final song on the CD ties right back into the beginning. While "The More" was about the desire to know God better, "I Miss You Here" acknowledges that we often stray from God. Another nice rock song, the lyrics stop me short with their honest admission that "I've thrown it all away/I can't believe the distance I can stray."

My one complaint about both of downhere's previous two releases has been the lack of variety between tracks. As you might have noticed with my song descriptions, that isn't a problem here at all. They songs go from upbeat rock to ballads and back again. Yet the songs flow well together and present a cohesive package.

This group deserves a wider audience, and Wide-Eyed & Mystified could just be the one to give it to them. It's certainly their strongest release to date. I haven't been able to stop listening to it yet and know I'll enjoy it for a long time to come.

CD Length: 54:11

Tracks:

1. The More

2. Surrender

3. A Better Way

4. Dying to Know You

5. I Will Follow Your Voice

6. Little is Much

7. Stir

8. Forgive Yourself

9. Unbelievable

10. The Real Jesus

11. Remember Me

12. 1000 Miles Apart

13. I Miss You Here