todays breakout session handouts compliments of the kobe lawrence

“You really never know what you’re going to get with a self-proclaimed Christian rock band. Will it be blatant proselytizing? Will the band stuff their beliefs as far into their collective back pocket as possible lest they miss out on a chance at success? Or God forbid, will the band find some middle ground where they don’t shy away from their Christianity but don’t make it the absolute center of their creative endeavors?

Impressively, Run Kid Run find that vaunted balance. Their third full-length,Patterns, exhibits absolute respect for their creator while embracing a radio-friendly sound that could push the band into the mainstream. It helps considerably that the quartet have managed to create one of the best pop-rock records of the year. RKR (aided by Relient K’s Matt Thiessen and former D.C. Talk guitarist Mark Lee Townsend) trimmed away the punkish fat that the founding members carried with them from their days as members of Side Walk Slam on their first two albums. In its place, the band have built up a nuanced approach to playing and writing that bears the brunt of Patterns’ emotional weight. The dramatic touches like the piano and bells of “White Noise” and the church organ swell that opens up “Promise” don’t feel out of place. It’s necessary shading that helps add texture and depth to these already finely wrought tunes.

Lyrically, David Josiah Curtis, Run Kid Run’s frontman, toes the line of blatant churchspeak and simple expressions of his inner restlessness. He decries the idea of “living like there’s no tomorrow” in “Last Hurrah,” with an understanding that, as the song title goes, this could be the world’s last hurrah. And as he sings on “Rely On Her,” he is fed up with putting his faith in “a world that doesn’t satisfy.” There’s enough wiggle room for Curtis to say the he wasn’t singing about salvation but by the album’s end, he and the band have decided to make their defining statement of faith: “My King.” If you’re a nonbeliever and have made it that far into the album without dragging the files to your Trash, a little bit of chest beating for the Lord should be easy enough to swallow. But if you have yet to hear Patterns, don’t let that one tune turn you away from what is great about the rest of this fantastic LP.”

Check out the review here!

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