A MIXED BAG
Ian Eskelin is a “Renaissance” musician whose many talents in-clude a knack for commercial production (Krystal Meyers, Stellar Kart) and a bent toward songwriting for other artists. But when it comes to crafting melody and lyrics for his own band, Eskelin errs on the side of consistency. Evident in the past four All Star United discs, despite the band’s rotating cast over the last decade, is the same high-energy punk enthusiasm, emo intensity and ska theatrics. Some would simply call it rock & roll.
Love and Radiation, the newest ASU offering, is an expected mix of electric guitar, bass and drum-driven tracks, staccato lyric phrasing and garage band discord. The overall sound emerges as a perfectly sensible blend and houses a vertical theme of God’s grace and its impact on humanity.
The title track is the CD’s most dynamic, as Eskelin’s supple vocals are draped in British rock atmosphere. The song demonstrates a capable range that should be exploited, but lacks the same passion, on songs following. The album’s closer, “Take Me Away,” is a testament to the spark and swagger that drew accolades the world over. The song’s lyrics paint a dark picture of life devoid of God, and the sonic landscape echoes such emptiness with the beautiful melancholy of Guster and Jars of Clay. While Love and Radiation commences and concludes with All Star United’s best efforts, the in-between begs for more time to marinate. Tracks sprinkled from four to nine leave the listener longing.
LIZZA CONNOR BOWEN
Review Provided by CCMmagazine.com
