Earthsuit Gives Christian Pop Music Refreshing Twist

Whoa, now. Before the hate mail machine starts churning, understand that I in no way mean to disparage Christians or Christianity -- or any other faith, for that matter.

Instead, I am making what is actually a common observation about Christian pop -- that it has often lacked punch over a tendency to bang a single note over and over and over again.

Jesus good.

Devil bad.

Be good, won't you?

These are fine sentiments (if you're a young Christian), but they don't exactly scour with the concerns of the average young person, Christian or otherwise (i.e., their hormones, social problems, whether mom and dad are space aliens, their hormones, etc.).

Much has changed in the world of God-pop over the past decade or so, however, as bands like dc Talk, P.O.D. and Creed (yes, that Creed) have stretched the envelope -- not to mention the sales charts.

It's an encouraging trend, frankly, because there are actually some pretty swell bands out there rocking for Jesus, with new crusaders popping up daily.

And because they don't sacrifice musical experimentation and emotional exploration at the altar of their main message, they're finding huge audiences -- even in the highly secular arena of mainstream rock'n' roll.

KALEIDOSCOPE SUPERIOR

Enter Earthsuit.

If this quintet from (of all places) the Sodom and Gomorrah heathens worldwide know as New Orleans doesn't make big, big waves on the pop charts with their debut, "Kaleidoscope Superior," I'll swear off Mardi Gras for the rest of my life.

It doesn't really matter what musical styles you're most into when listening to this 10-track collection of tightly performed and produced power pop, because Earthsuit covers just about every option, from ska and reggae to jazz, techno and arena rock.

The result is that something interesting can be found on almost every cut, something downright exciting on more than a few. And while God is the emcee of the proceedings, he doesn't bully the band.

"Christianity's role in modern society should be like a lighthouse," says Earthsuit frontman Adam LaClave. "But too often the church has come across as judgmental, more like a courthouse.

SALT AND LIGHT

"Our real calling is just to be salt and light, to show the world the truth. As a band, that's what we want to be about -- just jumping right into the middle of everything and shining the light of truth where the world can see it."

And feel it, particularly on funky numbers like "Wonder" and "One Time," which showcase the band's musical prowess and biblical knowledge while gettin' the old butt a'wigglin' (in a deeply spiritual sort of way, of course).

For fans of darker, heavier imagery that doesn't rely on the schlock value of say, Marilyn Manson, check out "Whitehorse" and "Sky Flashings," which boast enough apocalyptic imagery to make Ozzy Osbourne blush.

"There's definitely a strong rock undercurrent, a little reggae flavor, certain jazz progressions, patches of rap and some of the New Orleans influences mixed in," says LaClave.

"One person tells us we sound like Generic Rhyme Nuts and the next person tells us we sound like the Police. To us, it's just a question of whatever elements seem right at the time to a given song.

"There's never been anything real predictable about our music."

Amen.

CHRISTOPHER J. KELLY is entertainment writer and music critic for Times-Tribune newspapers. For more on EARTHSUIT, check out www.earthsuit.com on the World Wide Web.

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