Former Caedmon’s Call-er, Derek Webb, has a new album out. We don’t and won’t normally do music reviews. But we’ve always considered Derek Webb’s music important.
Stockholm Syndrome is available for download now, but won’t be physically released until September. And now, Derek Webb joins the ranks of Dr. Dre, Marilyn Manson, and the Wu-Tang Clan as this “Christian” artist’s album will have an explicit lyrics sticker on it. The CD will be offered in a ‘clean’ version and ‘explicit’ version. We highly encourage the explicit version. Sounds more Christian. (There’s a few shits and hells and damns, but you’ll live.)
As to our last question, the answer is- not totally. While Webb’s music is moving in a digital direction, it still sounds like Derek Webb music. Mainly because of the lyrics. Clearly polemicizing against his evangelical culture, Webb condemns highlighting homosexuality as the epitome of sin, even sexual sin, in this day with the song What Matters More. And we see Webb’s theological poetry deepen in Becoming A Slave. And we get kind-of an acoustic track with Heaven.
Musically, Derek Webb’s interest in different sounds is fully enjoyed on this album. If you want another 10 tracks of Derek Webb playing his Martin and signing by himself, this is not the album for you. But if you’ve enjoyed the musical development of I See Things Upside Down and The Ringing Bell, then you’ll understand Stockholm Syndrome as the next logical step.
Lyrically, Derek is becoming very comfortable (or at least finally public) with his words. He does not have to withhold what he thinks or dilute how he thinks it as he would if he were still in a contemporary Christian music band. His theological poetry is prophetic.
Please take your hands off my brother.
Please take your laws off my lover.
-Derek Webb. American Flag Umbrella
UPDATE: Listen to the Prayer of Jabez story (and why Webb left Caedmon’s Call) here.
did you hear about all the controversy with this album and his record label? i guess it had to do with the explicit part of the album but supposedly they did not want to release it and he had to lay low for a while and not discuss any of the issues for legal reasons. it was all quite suspicious and i wasnt sure whether to believe it or not. anyway, im so glad that it is out and it will be the first thing i ever buy on i-tunes. we did a whole sunday school series on his song, “i repent”. such great, convicting music.
There’s somewhat of an explanation here: http://derekwebb.net/archives/2009/07/06/the-end-is-the-beginning-pt-1/
I haven’t heard anything since Caedmon’s Call first came out (I think I was in high school at the time), so I am unaware of developments, divergences. Other than a damn here and there, how has the music changed in substance? Is it responding, reacting to the earlier stuff?
Well first, its not Caedmon’s music. Derek left the band some years ago. The reasons are a few, but one of the tipping points (so it sounds from an interview we heard) was Caedmon’s playing the altar call for a promotion turned “evangelistic” service for Bruce Wilkinson’s Prayer of Jabez. There’s a post on it here. Derek left after that and has been doing his own thing since (though he has done some stuff with them recently. And Josh Moore of Caedmon’s had a heavy hand in Stockholm Syndrome).
If you haven’t heard any of his solo stuff, its well worth it. Discography here.
Not to belittle Caedmon’s (we still listen… to old stuff), but there is a substantive difference between Caedmon’s and Derek’s solo stuff, musically and lyrically. There are clear examples (I Repent, New Law, What Matters More) of Webb solo songs that would never make a Caedmon’s album because Caedmon’s plays to the CCM crowd and Derek often offends them. We could go on, but its more fun for you to listen.
this is the first Xn cd i’ve wanted to buy in a long time.
Really? What do you listen to?
any and everything non-country. But even with country, i can handle some of the older stuff, as long as its not southern pride/my truck tires are big type country.
i don’t feel like naming bands and coming off a certain way, so i’ll just copy what is on my blogger profile thing
” * radiohead
* outkast
* talking heads
* french kicks
* mos def
* phil collins”
This is not about the post. However, are you going to the University of Stellenbosch? I was thinking about going there but did not know if it is good or not? I would not be going to SA because I live in Venezuela. So I would do the MA in Biblical Languages from a far off.
Daniel Darling
Typically, students have to come here to study.
We asked Andrew Peterson if he knew anything about all of the legal stuff, when he played in Humble and he said, “Derek’s very good at marketing.”
I don’t know if that’s all there is to it. But it certainly puts things in perspective.
Also, Caedmon’s is, for all intents and purposes, done. They really haven’t had anything other to stand on than Andy Osenga and Josh Moore (with some hired hands) writing songs to keep this band, that doesn’t need to keep going, going. Hopefully they’ll let the horse rest in peace and let the people in the band who have a future in commercial music go on. I hear Cliff works for the family business now, so he may take himself off the market.
I’m looking forward to this album. Derek has not disappointed yet, except for the One Zero Remix fiasco.
One Zero was good.
Relevant magazine ripped him a new one about “deceiving” listeners for the sake of selling records.
Who’s we? You and Laura?
Derek better be good at marketing. He worked with a Young for years!
One Zero Acoustic was good, but the Remix wasn’t my bag.
I don’t think he deceived anyone. I think the legal issues were legit, he just wanted to use them to his advantage.
Laura, Michal, Lauren Weiner and Michal’s fiancee. Chris Jones was there too but he’d left. Also, I saw Robert Landis at the DPS a while back and he said hello.
Why would a young be able to teach him good marketing?
How can an Okie not like country?
i’m from Memphis originally. Which doesn’t help with your reasoning there either, i guess.
I just hate it. I do have some older country stuff. In fact, I just picked up a Judds record at a yard sale the other day for 50 cents.
The update link at the bottom regarding why Derek left Caedmon’s is worth listening to! Thanks for sharing. Listening to it reminded me of why I like Derek and his music so much. I’ll definitely be getting his new one.