Album Description
After a hugely successful foray into the genre of worship music, newsboys return to their rock roots with “GO,” their first rock album since “Thrive” in 2002…. More >>
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“I Am Free” rates the album 1 star; the single rated alone deserves five.
However, “Wherever We Go” automatically takes off the other four stars and immediately shuts off KLOVE (Christian Radio Station) for me. It’s a self-focused, syrupy hap-hap-happy song that 1) doesn’t say much about honoring God IMO and 2) doesn’t minister to Christians struggling through daily, ordinary trials. The following lyrics don’t characterize most of our lives wherever ‘we’ go, not to mention the words are ridiculous to the point of offense.
Where we go, little glow-worms glow
Little roadrunners run ahead
Gonna tell their friends
Little mice, little men
Get `em all excited
All invited
Rating: 1 / 5
If you liked “I am Free” from the Newsboys, then you’d love the original version by the Desperation Band in “From the Rooftops.” Jared Anderson is amazing and the song rocks so much that it just doesn’t sound right coming from the Newsboys.
Rating: 3 / 5
Just got this and listened to it back-to-back-to-back with their “Shine” hits compilation and “Thrive”. Not that I’m expecting them to continue to kick the way they did years ago, but IMHO this CD is overproduced, poorly sequenced and in general pales in comparison with “Thrive”. I know. The group membership has changed, the members themselves are obviously changing, and, frankly, their fan base isn’t getting any younger. If “Go” reaches new listeners with The Message and serves to strengthen the faith of the group’s existing fan base, that’s great. It’s just not what I was hoping for, and it definitely won’t join “Shine” and “Thrive” in my “music to commute by” listening rotation.
Rating: 3 / 5
Note: If you can’t handle criticism of the Newsboys, please don’t bother to read my review. I love this band, but when they’re not up to par, I say so honestly.
My impression of this CD is that the Newsboys wanted an album to release “I Am Free” on, so they grabbed a couple songs they had waiting in the wings and then wrote a couple more real quick to flesh things out. It just doesn’t appear to me that they tried very hard with this album. A few of the songs are good, but most lack energy and are rather tedious to listen to.
1. Wherever We Go- 3.5 Stars
This is a fun little song that will likely grow on me more and more. However, the bridge is HORRIBLE, and I think that the pacing of the song is too slow. The song would be ten times more fun if it were just a little bit faster. As it is, it makes me think the Newsboys are too tired to really put forth some energy.
2. GO- 2 stars
Good concept, but I couldn’t really get into this song and had a hard time not skipping it after the first verse or two.
3. Something Beautiful- 3 stars
Nice, but nothing special.
4. The Mission- 4.5 stars
I really like this song; definitely one of the best on the album. It has a great sound.
5. Let It All Come Out- 1 star
UGH. “Positive Christian pop” drivel that is pretty much torture to listen to. Sorry, guess I’m not at a place in my life where this song reaches me.
6. In Wonder- 2.5-3 stars
Chorus sounds nice, but whenever I listen to it I get impatient for it to end. Might have been better if they sped this one up a bit too.
7. Your Love is Better Than Life- 1 star
Talking songs like this are a risk that usually turn out to be really great or really horrible. Unfortunately, this falls under the latter category. Even the chorus, which is sung rather than talked doesn’t sound very good.
8. I Am Free- 5 stars
An awesome song. The lyrics are simple, but there is real feeling in it. This is pretty much the only song on the album that they seemed to put their whole hearts into.
9. Secret Kingdom- 4 stars
The sound of this song grabbed me right away. Fun and one of the few truly upbeat songs.
10. One of a Kind- 1.5-2 stars
Boring filler song.
11. Gonna Be Alright- 1 star
UGH! Positive drivel, like track 5. Even if “it’s gonna be alright” type songs weren’t a pet-peeve of mine I’d still give it one star for how horribly it’s sung.
“GO” competes with “Love Liberty Disco” for the privilege of being the worst modern Newsboys album. And like LLD, I doubt any of these songs will make it into the concert lineup after a few years, except maybe “I Am Free.”
Rating: 2 / 5
Borrowing riffs and sounds from their best/bestselling GOING PUBLIC, “GO” is a major disappointment from a band that is seriously in a rut.
This CD came out and thudded on the charts so quickly that they released the GO remix CD, which is actually “alternate versions” of the songs on this album. (A remix is an extended version of the song and the songs on the “remix” album are all only 2 or 3 minutes long with one exception.)
Not sure what went wrong here because both the lyrics AND the music are unmemorable with only two exceptions in my opinion:
1) SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL is a wonderful single.
2) YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE stands out (like it or not) because at least it “sounds” different from the other songs on the CD.
But they have basically stepped way back to GOING PUBLIC yet lack the lyrics and musical hooks to match that now-classic CD.
CITY TO CITY on the remix would have been a nice addition to this, and the remix of GO, I AM FREE and LET IT ALL COME OUT are MUCH better then the versions on this CD.
So wait a few more months, buy this and the remix used and then make your own CD of “GO.”
I think a new producer with higher standards needs to step in and shake up this band.
Rating: 2 / 5