  |
The ascension of TobyMac’s solo career has been nothing short of spectacular. In an era of declining music sales he has consistently defied the odds and has seen his sales increase with each new album release. This is no small feat. With his fourth studio album TONIGHT set to release on Feb. 9, he is poised to take things higher yet again. Having climbed the mountain once with the group dcTalk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac knows how difficult the journey can be and how much work the process actually takes. Rarely does an artist get to soar to great heights for a second time, but soar he has.
http://www.tobymac.com |
 |
|
  |
Brandon Heath likes the little moments. Those opportunities to observe, process and act upon what he witnesses in the world surrounding him are the primary traits of a great songwriter, something Heath continues to showcase on his second Reunion Records release, What If We. Even the album’s title grew up out of one of those little moments, a conversation Heath was having with a mentor that sent the Nashville native, now Houston resident, spinning off into thought. “Every part of that phrase, ‘what if we,’ is important,” Heath says. “I don’t even look at it as incomplete – dot, dot, dot – because the ‘what if’ part is about possibilities, obviously. But the ‘we’ part is saying, ‘let’s do this together, let’s not do this alone.’”
http://brandonheath.net/ |
|
|
  |
So, what does one of the most ambitious records of 2010 sound like? In many ways it is a time machine, harkening back to days when music was wide-eyed and meant a whole lot more. Think classic Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, The Who, E.L.O. with a touch of Meatloaf. That’s right, Meatloaf. Who else could even attempt to pull of such a mixture than House of Heroes? Yet, here it is…In one sense, it could fit in arenas. And in another it is appropriate for the campfire. Teaming again with producer Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, Deas Vail), Suburba is broad and anthemic at certain moments, yet vulnerable and intimate at others. There are driving, heavy tracks, as well as worshipful ballads. Make no mistake, the band bled to attempt to make this record not just a soundtrack, but an experience.
http://thehouseofheroes.com |
