78
This review was released on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.
New Horizons
Flyleaf
A&M/ Octone Records
Released Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ - Great
Collected score:
43/55
Flyleaf returns with a bittersweet but brilliant record. Around a week before the release of the new album, the band announced that this will be the last album to feature lead singer Lacey Sturm. While the heartbreak and attention seemed to focus on the departure of the fans' beloved lead singer, Flyleaf helped ease the pain with her swan song, and an extravagant swan song at that. It's a believable notion that most of the album was written surrounding Lacey's departure, as it is believed that the band knew long before the album was released. The album title serves as symbolism for new opportunities for the band's future without Lacey, and for Lacey's future, as she spends quality time with her husband and her son.
The album opens with a soft guitar riff and drums tapping soft beats, but then explodes with a boisterous chorus. In the first verse of the song, the song alludes to Lacey's departure, as she sings, "that's enough now, dry your tears. It's been a long eleven years." The album continues into the album's title track, "New Horizons," which came as a scare to most Flyleaf fans. The song was completely different from previous Flyleaf tracks, as it was heavily pop-influenced and very fast-paced with an overly-happy feel. The beginning of the chorus reminds us of who we're listening to. The song encourages those who have become weak at heart to persevere through life's hardships. "Call You Out" confronts the evil ways of sin, and is reminiscent of older Flyleaf tracks that offer intense vocals, heavy guitars, and clashing cymbals.
The album continues with "Cage On the Ground," which could very realistically be a song about Lacey's departure. In every chorus of the song, the opening line reads, "I'm gonna take my bow and disappear into the sound." The song is one of the best tracks on the album, as it is full of majestic lyrics and marvelous verses and choruses. The album's fifth track, "Great Love," is another one of the greatest on the album. The song is written from the perspective of Jesus Christ as he was filled with love for the world as he was dying. The album's sixth track and highest point, "Bury Your Heart," challenges the idolatry-worshiping world to turn their eyes elsewhere. The song consists of a soft verse that foreshadows the loud, majestic chorus.
After the album's high point, the album gradually declines. The album's seventh track, "Freedom," returns the deafening intensity of vocals and instruments, and "Saving Grace" slows the album down again while inviting God into the singer's life once more. The album's ninth track, "Stand," serves as a voice for children who have been or may become a victim of abortion. The tenth track of the album, "Green Heart," is inevitably the hardest track Flyleaf has ever recorded. The song asks the world why it insists on worshiping money instead of God, for they will only find true freedom when they release their choke-hold on money. The album closes with a fan favorite that was written years before the release of the album. Though the song was written well before the news of Lacey's departure from the band, the song's opening verse can easily serve as a deceleration of thankfulness from Lacey to her fans, as she sings, "thank you for being such a friend to me; oh, I pray a friend for life. Have I ever told you how much you mean to me? Oh, you're everything to me." This bittersweet album ends with a bittersweet track.
While we are very heartbroken by the news of Lacey's departure from the band, we must support Lacey in her new life apart from the band. We admire Lacey for her dedication to the band for over eleven years, as we are incredibly thankful for all of the incredible albums, songs, and memories. More than admire her for her performance in the band, we must admire and support her brave decision to trade in rocking out on stage to rocking her son to sleep. With Lacey's last album, we can honestly say that Flyleaf never lost who they were as a band. With every album, the intensity and the message stayed the same. We admire the band for desiring to continue on without Lacey, as Kristen May will be the new lead singer of the group. We wish only the best to the band and to Lacey Sturm in their futures.
Ratings by track listing:
1. "Fire Fire" - ★ ★ ★ ★
2. "New Horizons" - ★ ★ ★ ★
3. "Call You Out" - ★ ★ ★
4. "Cage On the Ground" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5. "Great Love" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
6. "Bury Your Heart" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
7. "Freedom" - ★ ★ ★ ★
8. "Saving Grace" - ★ ★ ★ ★
9. "Stand" - ★ ★ ★
10. "Green Heart" - ★ ★ ★
11. "Broken Wings" - ★ ★ ★
Top songs of this album:
1. "Bury Your Heart"
2. "Great Love"
3. "Cage On the Ground"
4. "Fire Fire"
5. "New Horizons"
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.
Flyleaf
A&M/ Octone Records
Released Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Holy Visage rates this album:
★ ★ ★ ★ - Great
Collected score:
43/55
Flyleaf returns with a bittersweet but brilliant record. Around a week before the release of the new album, the band announced that this will be the last album to feature lead singer Lacey Sturm. While the heartbreak and attention seemed to focus on the departure of the fans' beloved lead singer, Flyleaf helped ease the pain with her swan song, and an extravagant swan song at that. It's a believable notion that most of the album was written surrounding Lacey's departure, as it is believed that the band knew long before the album was released. The album title serves as symbolism for new opportunities for the band's future without Lacey, and for Lacey's future, as she spends quality time with her husband and her son.
The album opens with a soft guitar riff and drums tapping soft beats, but then explodes with a boisterous chorus. In the first verse of the song, the song alludes to Lacey's departure, as she sings, "that's enough now, dry your tears. It's been a long eleven years." The album continues into the album's title track, "New Horizons," which came as a scare to most Flyleaf fans. The song was completely different from previous Flyleaf tracks, as it was heavily pop-influenced and very fast-paced with an overly-happy feel. The beginning of the chorus reminds us of who we're listening to. The song encourages those who have become weak at heart to persevere through life's hardships. "Call You Out" confronts the evil ways of sin, and is reminiscent of older Flyleaf tracks that offer intense vocals, heavy guitars, and clashing cymbals.
The album continues with "Cage On the Ground," which could very realistically be a song about Lacey's departure. In every chorus of the song, the opening line reads, "I'm gonna take my bow and disappear into the sound." The song is one of the best tracks on the album, as it is full of majestic lyrics and marvelous verses and choruses. The album's fifth track, "Great Love," is another one of the greatest on the album. The song is written from the perspective of Jesus Christ as he was filled with love for the world as he was dying. The album's sixth track and highest point, "Bury Your Heart," challenges the idolatry-worshiping world to turn their eyes elsewhere. The song consists of a soft verse that foreshadows the loud, majestic chorus.
After the album's high point, the album gradually declines. The album's seventh track, "Freedom," returns the deafening intensity of vocals and instruments, and "Saving Grace" slows the album down again while inviting God into the singer's life once more. The album's ninth track, "Stand," serves as a voice for children who have been or may become a victim of abortion. The tenth track of the album, "Green Heart," is inevitably the hardest track Flyleaf has ever recorded. The song asks the world why it insists on worshiping money instead of God, for they will only find true freedom when they release their choke-hold on money. The album closes with a fan favorite that was written years before the release of the album. Though the song was written well before the news of Lacey's departure from the band, the song's opening verse can easily serve as a deceleration of thankfulness from Lacey to her fans, as she sings, "thank you for being such a friend to me; oh, I pray a friend for life. Have I ever told you how much you mean to me? Oh, you're everything to me." This bittersweet album ends with a bittersweet track.
While we are very heartbroken by the news of Lacey's departure from the band, we must support Lacey in her new life apart from the band. We admire Lacey for her dedication to the band for over eleven years, as we are incredibly thankful for all of the incredible albums, songs, and memories. More than admire her for her performance in the band, we must admire and support her brave decision to trade in rocking out on stage to rocking her son to sleep. With Lacey's last album, we can honestly say that Flyleaf never lost who they were as a band. With every album, the intensity and the message stayed the same. We admire the band for desiring to continue on without Lacey, as Kristen May will be the new lead singer of the group. We wish only the best to the band and to Lacey Sturm in their futures.
Ratings by track listing:
1. "Fire Fire" - ★ ★ ★ ★
2. "New Horizons" - ★ ★ ★ ★
3. "Call You Out" - ★ ★ ★
4. "Cage On the Ground" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5. "Great Love" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
6. "Bury Your Heart" - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
7. "Freedom" - ★ ★ ★ ★
8. "Saving Grace" - ★ ★ ★ ★
9. "Stand" - ★ ★ ★
10. "Green Heart" - ★ ★ ★
11. "Broken Wings" - ★ ★ ★
Top songs of this album:
1. "Bury Your Heart"
2. "Great Love"
3. "Cage On the Ground"
4. "Fire Fire"
5. "New Horizons"
This review was written by Austin Lovelace.