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June
15, 2006
Renown Magazine
1000 Generations - To
Those Who Cry
by Josh McConnell
As you may have noticed from our past reviews here on
Renown Magazine, the worship genre is a tough one to cover.
So many worship albums in the Christian music industry
lack depth, inspiration, and originality, causing us to
become bored with the genre for the most part. Why should
our praise to our creator be second rate artistically?
This is the approach and mindset we take when going into
a worship disc for review. So when we find a band that
is finally crafting a modern worship effort worth noting,
it's no surprise that they are an independent artist and
not tied down by label obligations and marketing teams.
Allow me to introduce you to Indianapolis-based 1000 Generations and their sophomore album, To Those Who Cry. Recording the disc mostly in a living room, twenty-five year old husband and wife duo Steven and Amanda Potaczek are the two creative juices for this four member group. The production is still surprisingly solid overall though and is not compromised because of recording location, thankfully.
All eleven songs on To Those Who Cry are original pieces of work, which is encouraging from the get-go. Sonically speaking, the album could be described as piano-driven modern worship with world and pop influences thrown into the mix. Think Caedmon's Call for the most accurate comparison.
But don't expect a carbon copy as 1000 Generations certainly has a unique sound of their own. Songs such as Help Me Let Me Let Myself Be Loved and You Make My Skeletons Dance are prime examples of the world influences (the latter being a personal favorite), while Not Of Our Hands, Break My Own Heart, and Full of Love feature U2-esque guitar delays to help take the songs in a different direction.
1000 Generations also mixes things up in terms of vocal duties on the album. Usually Steven Potaczek fills the role with his sometimes punk/emo flavored vocals (see Even Then), his wife also steps up to the plate and sings lead on three songs (Prove Us Wrong, The Rest of The Way, Break My Own Heart). This gives the album a nice contrasting experience.
Lyrically, To Those Who Cry doesn't rely entirely on worship clichés as other albums of the same genre tend to do. Instead it features honest and communicative lyrics that still offer a worshipful experience for those who desire one. It's not going to be the most poetic and thought provoking album you'll come across, but its artistic tendencies still impress.
Overall, 1000 Generations' To Those Who Cry is a refreshing modern worship effort due to its superior artistic nature when compared to others in the same genre. Its piano-driven music boldly features world and pop influences, making for an energetic and eclectic sound that proves you don't need to comprise the art in order to worship.
Worship and pop fans should definitely check out To Those Who Cry at www.1000generations.com. Not only is it impressive audibly, but it is also one of the most engaging and enjoyable worship albums this year.
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