Vertical Window
DECLARATION
Independent
Will appeal to: fans of Casting Crowns, Caedmon’s Call, and Philips, Craig, & Dean
Highlights: “Be Glorified”, “Declaration”, & “61”.
Vertical Window have been leading worship, and releasing original c.d.’s in my neck of the woods for some time now, but in the past their recorded output has either lacked the proper production approach to really highlight their strengths, or featured a line-up of musicians that - though always very good - often tugged Curtis and Jill Geary (the heart and soul of Vertical Window) in a direction that simply wasn’t ideal for their songwriting.
I’m happy to announce that their latest c.d. is a huge step in the right direction. The current line-up of the band is a near-perfect compliment to Curtis and Jill’s writing. The songs are simple, and easy to sing corporately, but not dull and forgettable.
Fans of Casting Crowns and Caedmon’s Call will likely find much to enjoy here, as will those who enjoy Phil Keaggy, Joe Satriani, or Steve Vai’s guitar acrobatics, as Roy Gentry’s leads - as surprising as they are in this context - really pull things together, and are one of the highlights of the disc. More than once, during one of Roy’s solos, a grin crept across my face. Yes, 80’s hair metal was a one-time pleasure of mine - I don’t deny it. Anyway, to top it all off, the CD layout is beautiful: top-notch and appealing.
As songs are concerned, the brightest spots are the first radio single, “Be Glorified”, “the Cross” - a bluesy number, and the beautiful ballad “61”. All the lyrics are Biblical, and the songs are all easy to sing, especially in a corporate setting.
My only significant critique would be that the mix occasionally falls flat - I’d like to hear the instruments breathe, allowing for a bit more dynamics - maybe altering the instrumentation between verses to add more variety. I suppose that’s just to say, I’d like to hear these guys get a chance to record on a significantly larger budget - and I’m sure they’d enjoy that too. That said, this is their best release to date, and definitely a positive step in the right direction. Better yet - in a live setting these songs soar! The c.d. release party for Declaration was inspiring, to say the least!
Here’s hoping they make this available on iTunes soon! Until then, you can purchase a copy HERE.