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Mid-summer of 2020, Jodi Essex made something of a splash in the Christian rock world with her debut single, "Irreverent" and the album of the same name. At the time, I wrote about this talented vocalist, "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 decides to perform, but I truly hope it is the rock road that she chooses to travel." (You can read the entire review of Irreverent here) While "Offend" is just the first release of her as-yet-untitled sophomore release, she does not disappoint with the direction of the music. Co-written by the highly in-demand guitar player of Disciple, Josiah Prince, "Offend" is a straight-up hard rock track with an equally punchy message to those members of the church who choose to teach a watered-down version of the Gospel in the hopes of attracting more congregants. Similar to the way Fireflight addresses the show biz-like atmosphere of many churches today in "Welcome To The Show", the video for "Offend" gets right to the heart of the matter with a steam-punk outfitted Essex asking "would you offend for the Gospel?" as she addresses a panel of wishy-washy church leaders. From there, thundering drums kick start this driving rock track, with "Offend" taking a far punchier approach than anything on her previous album. Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising considering the background of Prince, but I truly hope this is the direction Essex has chosen to steer her musical career because "Offend" fits her vocal style extremely well. Alternately gritty--almost sneeringly so--and soaring, the verse sections showcase the various styles that Essex spread out over multiple tracks on Irreverent, with a snappy, energy-infused chorus blasting the listener with that same opening line..."Would you offend for the Gospel? Or will you bend for mankind?" I love the diversity in her vocals here, with Dawn Michelle from Fireflight being a great comparison point, even if their pitch and delivery aren't exactly the same. The solo work from Jen Ledger may get some comparisons, as well, although this Essex track punches much harder than most of the material from Ledger. There is a definite power to Essex's vocals here that were not always present on Irreverent as she rocks her way through the track, and the burning stare she backs those vocals up with is impressive. The style just fits her, from her appearance to her attitude to her performance, "Offend" is EXACTLY the type of rocker I was hoping to hear from this hugely talented vocalist! I can't wait to hear what she backs this effort up with! For now, check out this monster of a rocker below!
"Offend" drops September 10, so be sure to hit up your favorite Christian rock stations with requests for this track that I see shooting up the Christian rock charts this Fall!
Follow Jodi at www.jodiessex.com as well as on Spotify and the socials.
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