(c) 2020 Independent Release
- Stand Up
- Soar
- Irreverent
- What Is Your Truth?
- Symphony
- Fighter
- Weightless
- All Right
- Someone Somewhere
- Rearview Mirror
Jodi Essex--Lead & Backing Vocals
Jadan Sorensen--Guitars, Bass
Pablo Melgar--Keys
Josh Smith--Strings
Sean Hill--Drums
Jon-Paul Keller--Backing Vocals
Jodi Essex is a newcomer to the Christian rock scene, but she is positioned to make quite a splash when her debut drops later this month (June 26). Essex brings a clean, but somewhat "sassy" vocal approach to a rock world that is currently dominated by women who are generally much harsher in their stylistic approach. Classic rock is an easy label to throw at Essex's music, and while it fits to a good degree, there is an undeniable modern quality to the performance and production that gives songs like the album's title cut, "Irreverent", a definite foothold in today's rock world. While it would not have been my choice as the lead single of the record, "Irreverent" definitely caught the attention of radio and fans, alike, as it launched its way onto multiple Christian rock charts and onto ChristianRock.Net, among other stations. That "sassy" attitude in Essex's voice comes to the front on "Irreverent", with a bouncy chorus that hooks the listener almost immediately. Some gritty guitars from Jadan Sorensen (who also plays bass) really set the tone for the track, and Sean Hill's drum work is tight and driving, with neither man becoming a distraction for the main event, which is Essex's performance. Check out "Irreverent" below...
To me, "Fighter" would have been my choice for the first single, although I can understand wanting to introduce Essex to a bit broader audience with the first track most people would hear. "Fighter" is a hard-charging rock number with some great drum work from Hill and searing guitar licks from Sorensen. On "Fighter", Essex adds a bit of an edge to her vocals that is generally not present on the rest of the material here, and it is for this very reason that I think it was held back as the lead single. Described in the press release as an "autobiographical song", "Fighter" packs a heck of a wallop, both musically and lyrically, and for my money, this type of song is absolutely in the wheelhouse of Essex, and I would LOVE to hear her tackle an entire album of material such as this! Definitely my favorite track on the album!
My second choice for best song on the album would have to be the opening "dirty" rocker, "Stand Up", which features a gritty guitar intro, a killer bass line threading through the chorus section, and some excellent vocal moments from Essex. Balancing her approach between the punchiness of the chorus and the the more Benatar-styled approach of the verse sections, Essex showcases a versatility in her vocal approach that not a lot of singers have today. Sorensen pulls off a catchy guitar solo in this track, as well, and the drums from Hill really drive this track. Good, good stuff right here!
On "What Is Your Truth?", Essex's smooth vocals carry a confidence that is undeniable, and when I first heard her power her way through the chorus, the first two names that popped into my head were Faith Hill and Martina McBride. Now, yes, I realize Hill and McBride are a country singers (I spent a decade in country radio in the 90s), but that has more to do with the style of music they choose to perform than it does their vocal approach and delivery. But the type of powerful, confident delivery style that Hill and McBride utilize regularly is definitely present on "What Is Your Truth?", as well as several other tracks on the record. Not really a ballad, but definitely not a full-on rocker, "What Is Your Truth?" is the type of track that I think could bring Essex a good deal of crossover appeal to more mainstream Christian pop fans and radio, but without compromising who she is as an artist. Recently dropped as a single, "What Is Your Truth" seems poised to make an impact on multiple charts. See if you agree by checking out the video below...
If I had any complaints at all about Irreverent, the album, it would be the ballads. It is not that they are performed poorly, because that is not the case at all. In my opinion, however, they are too soft for the rest of the record, and too poppy. "Symphony" finds Essex approaching the track in an almost breathy style on the verses of this largely acoustic song that fails to produce even a single "rock" note in the first couple of minutes, and just when the guitars and drums hit for the bridge section, they disappear almost entirely once again, serving only as a musical backdrop for the last run through the chorus. Once again, I am really pulled in the direction of a Faith Hill comparison, especially her later 90s/early 2000s material, where she added an epic-ness to some of her songs. The strings here are a nice touch, but there is just not enough to sink my teeth into here.
Meanwhile, not even a really cool guitar solo from Sorensen can propel "Weightless" out of the praise & worship-meets-crossover-country track that it slips into. Again, Essex's vocals are stunning...absolutely breath-taking, really...but the type of music she is working with here betrays the rocker in the black leather jacket on the album's cover. I have no problem with a ballad, but make it a rock ballad. Essex has more than enough talent to drive her way through something closer to a power ballad and doesn't need to play it safe with this type of crossover material.
Meanwhile, not even a really cool guitar solo from Sorensen can propel "Weightless" out of the praise & worship-meets-crossover-country track that it slips into. Again, Essex's vocals are stunning...absolutely breath-taking, really...but the type of music she is working with here betrays the rocker in the black leather jacket on the album's cover. I have no problem with a ballad, but make it a rock ballad. Essex has more than enough talent to drive her way through something closer to a power ballad and doesn't need to play it safe with this type of crossover material.
"All Right" redirects the album back into a more classic rock direction, especially with the big, thundering drum line and the 80s radio rock-styled guitar riff that open the track. Not a full-throttle track, but more mid-tempo oriented with an AOR hook, "All Right" sounds like the type of track a band like Berlin, or perhaps the more melodic rock-styled Heart, might have tackled back in the day. Once again, Sorensen flashes some serious talent on an excellent solo, and the big chorus backing vocals give the track a Foreigner feel that I have to admit to really liking.
"Someone Somewhere" stays in that retro radio rock territory, but takes a bit more of a Top 40 approach, not wholly unlike some of the material Amy Grant put out on her crossover albums of the 80s and 90s. In fact, I think the Grant comparison here is pretty much spot on, as "Someone Somewhere" never really rocks, but stays comfortably in that middle-of-the-road pop rock territory that Grant plied with her big albums like Heart In Motion. The drums are solid, the keys comfortable additions to the guitars, which spend time both in electric and acoustic modes here. Essex sounds like she is really enjoying herself here and feels what she is singing.
The album closes with another slower number, "Rearview Mirror", and once again, Essex showcases a really strong voice with an ability to run it up or down her range with relative ease. A bit less Nashville rock than some of the other slower material here, this is a solid song to end on (although I always want to rock!), and Sorensen proves himself to be a big talent on the guitar, with an excellent, soulful approach to the track that really stands strong when surrounded by the quieter style of the song. The guy can bend the strings, no doubt!
The production here is superb, with Hill doing an excellent job of balancing the instruments on this record and keeping the tracking on the record from bogging down at any one point. I do wish there were one or two more full-on rock tracks here, but as an introductory record, Irreverent seems geared toward showcasing the full scope of what Essex can do. The sound is fully professional, despite this being an independent project, and there is enough of an edge on the rock material to grab the attention of most modern Christian rock fans today. Throw in the fact that there are no fewer than five fully produced videos from this debut album, and it is clear that Essex and her team believe in her...and they should. There is no shortness of talent here! No, Essex doesn't employ the harsher vocals styles of a Zahana, Lacey Sturm, or the English sisters from Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh, but she doesn't try to, nor does she need to. There is enough room in the genre for Essex and her style of guitar-driven rock, so long as she remembers that this is the reason she is here: to ROCK. Fairly similar to what I believe about Jenna Parr, a lot of how Essex fairs from here forward is going to depend largely upon what direction she chooses to take her music. I have no doubt that she will find success in whatever style of music she chooses to perform, I truly hope it is the rock road that she chooses to travel.
Rating: A very solid record from start to finish, with just a bit too much time spent on slower material. Rock this at 6.5 and keep an eye out for Essex in the future, as I think she could be on the cusp of something special in her career, regardless of which direction she chooses to go.
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