Seth Davis: Sleeper title contenders, Florida's unpredictability and more mail

You Went Your Own Way


Image by ashley.adcox
This past week I saw The Listening in Nashville and my mind was completely blown. Their set…there was something so much higher going on during their entire set. I distinctly remember the feeling I had as they were playing The Undiscovered (which is actually from the Worship Circus days, but yea)…it was almost trance-like.

Needless to say, I came home and bought their latest album (that was up on iTunes, anyways) as well as The Undiscovered, and I’ve been completely hooked.

I’ve picked up a number of really amazing albums lately, and they’ve kind of prompted some thoughts…I feel like I’m on the verge of something. I’m really over the shiny happy Christianity- because I’ve never felt as though I fit in there, as much as I try. But these albums, and interviews that I’ve read from some artists- and then my own time with God…I guess I’m starting to feel that Christianity doesn’t have to be "shiny happy Christianese" in order to be legit.

I don’t think my faith is going to end up as I once dreamed it would. I don’t think I’m going to have that life I always figured I was meant to have…but I think I’m going to have something that was made for me- that was meant to be…something that will work because it’s the very essence of who I am.

Sometimes your best efforts toward a seemingly good thing still leave you coming up way too short…and that’s not always a bad thing. I suppose it’s just getting difficult reconciling my idea of Christianity, faith, spirituality, life, and a relationship with God’s ideas. One of us is going to have to throw our ideas out the window…and I think I’ll just go ahead an volunteer mine to make that trip haha …I’ve just been getting WAY too frustrated trying to connect it all and reconcile my short-comings and all of that junk…so…here’s to that working out better.

I think over the last couple of months, after having such a terrible year last year, I started subconsciously longing for the "pretty" Christianity. The mile-wide/inch-deep version. Where it looks really good, and it might even feel good…but there’s not much work/heart involved. …I guess I get distracted easily…but it’s hard to remember what I’m even trying to do with all of this most days.

So yea. I could go on for hours- thankfully, I won’t for that very reason! My mind is all twisted up in ridiculous amounts of new thoughts, ideas, and feelings colliding with all my old ones…and it’s all feeling very disjointed and messy and slightly annoying at the moment…but…soon enough, eh?

Because I feel the need to force my musical discoveries on other people- your life simply isn’t complete without these tracks:

Jars of Clay- Headphones Jeff Savage Mix, Weapons, Boys (Lesson One), & Two Hands (from the album Long Fall Back To Earth)

Castledoor- Free, Fifth Tambourine, Hush (from the album Shouting At Mountains)

The Listening- Hosea in C Minor, Lovely Red Lights, (Untitled), The Factory (from The Listening LP)

Rock N Roll Worship Circus- MUST MUST MUST get The Undiscovered off Welcome To The Worship Circus.

Remedy Drive- Daylight Is Coming, All Along, Heartbeat (from the album Daylight)

Abandon- Providence, Hold On (not on ep- but an iTunes single), All Because of You

Phillip LaRue- Erase & Rewind, Black & Blue, Running So Long, Home (from the album Let The Road Pave Itself)

Didn’t believe when I gave you the diamond
buried underground so no one saw it shining
none of the people who told you could hear it
voices on the tele always there to deceive it

you didn’t know you were sleeping with demons
you wouldn’t listen to the husband that cried
from the tops of cathedrals and churches you walked right on by
you went your own way

Now you’ve fallen down, love
now you’re on your own
won’t know its love ’til its taken away
and you’ve thrown your own soul into hell for a day

now you’ll carry on, son
now…now you know
won’t know its love ’til its taken away
and you’ve thrown your own soul into hell for a day
its the ransom you owed, but a debt that I paid
yet you’ve hated your freedom and envied the slaves…

didn’t believe when I called you my lover
you’d be pulling on the walls until they tumble over

you didn’t know you were drinking with demons
you wouldn’t listen to the angels that cried
from the tops of cathedrals and churches
you walked right on by
you went your own way

Now you’ve fallen down, love
now you’re on your own
won’t know its love ’til its taken away
and you’ve thrown your own soul into hell for a day

now you’ll carry on, son
now…now you know
won’t know its love ’til its taken away
and you’ve thrown your own soul into hell for a day
its the ransom you owed, but a debt that I’ve paid
yet you’ve hated your freedom and envied the slaves…
- The Listening: Hosea in C Minor

The Listening is by far the most challenging band- the most all around inspiring band (spiritually, creatively, etc), I’ve come across in a very, very long time. They’ve quickly worked themselves up to being my favorite band of the moment. I love it. They’ve officially become the "sountrack" to this period of my life. It’s just ridiculously encouraging to see someone who seems to go to the depths- but all of the songs- even the ‘down’ ones…there’s a sense of worship. And not corporate worship- but worship It’s really been nagging me all week- trying to "figure this out". Like…I consider myself a Christian- but for whatever reason this band has totally stumped me in an amazing, amazing way. For whatever reason, I see faith worth envying in this band (haha…I mean that in a good way- not a creepy way!)

This is the first artist since Phil who’s ever inspired me to dig deeper in my faith. To go beyond the surface. To make me think that there’s SO much that I’m missing out on. And with Phil, that was a given…I didn’t even really believe in God, so clearly I was missing a lot. But to feel as though there’s *so* much awesomeness that I’m currently missing out on…that actually excites me beyond words.

seriously. buy their LP…it’s so worth it. They’re not your typical feel-good CCM band. They’re not your typical band period, for that matter. I get lost in their songs every time I put one on- they’re brilliant songs, but they’re hard to "listen to" if that makes sense. Their shows are not concerts- it’s a total experience…their songs are very similar- but I think it’s a bit easier to detach yourself from the experience with the songs & force it into entertainment. So ridiculously easy to get lost in, though!

(forgive this not making sense. It’s 3:30am- plus, my mind has been mush for the past week anyways)

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