Jt’s Indie Christian Music Podcast

Artist: Alakrity
CD Title: You are here 5 song EP
Style: alt - pop punk
Website: www.myspace.com/alakrity
Itunes: Buy the EP on I-tunes Here!!!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Playlist
1 - Make a day of it
2 - The Percussionist’s Anthem
3 - For the Good of Getting Better
4 - What is it with Words
5 - The Aviator

I picked up the Alakrity CD on my trip to the Summer Slam Music Festival, so I was lucky enough to see these guys play live. Let me give you my first impressions of the Live Show before we go on to the Review of the CD. I only get to hear the very beginning of the Concert before I had to go to a meet and greet with another artist. But I did get to enjoy several of the songs at the end of there set, Including the Theme for GO GO POWER RANGERS!!! which should tell you that These guys aren’t afraid of having fun. With an impressive live show that the kids were really getting into and a great pop-punk sound I was really looking forward to getting to know more about the band. I was not let down, After their set they headed up to the Merchandise table where I got to talk with several of the members of the band. Each of them was willing to talk to everyone who came up and you could see that they have a real passion for what they are doing. During an Interview (which you will be hearing here soon) I asked the band what they thought was the most important part of what they do. The answer was clear and short. “The Message” and the message they are putting out is a clear message of hope, this message of hope comes out clear in their music, without it being overwhelming or coming across as preachy. Even after listening to CD alot I still find myself picking it on my MP3 Player over other music, Especially if I am looking for a pick me up. I find it hard to be tired or grumpy (both things I’m gifted at being) when I have Alakrity playing.

Ok, On to the Review of CD, “You are here” is a 5 song EP that has been very well produced and is put out by Spurgatory Records (www.spurgatory.com). The first thing I noticed while listening to the first song the first time is that the vocals were a great fit with the music. With strains of Greenday and Blink 182 that only lacked the angst. I truly enjoyed the whole CD and while I like some of the songs more than others, there isn’t a song I find myself skipping over. It is clear that A lot of time and talent went into these 5 songs. This is clearly a CD I will be playing on my show in the future. On the CD The Song I like the Best is “What is it With Words?” The songs talks about our problems with words and how easy it is for what we say to cause us trouble. The Lyrics at the end

What is it with words
All they’ve ever been are letters
So precisely put together
And they never seem to make things better
What is it with me
All I ever do is complain
Reprimand and lecture in vain
And it never makes it better

I guess that being a man who relies on the words your reading right now to get across the time and space that separates us my thoughts and feelings, I find the words of this song especially poignant. All of us have been faced with that situation where anything we say just seems to make things worse and that is the time where you simply have to shut up and love.

The only negative thing I could say about the CD, beside the fact that it was way to short, is that like a lot of the pop-punk style bands the songs tend to sound similar and several of the songs on the CD were similar enough that I had to listen to the words to know where I was in the music. I will say that I got a new song from them titled “Abbey’s Song” off their new upcoming full length album and it is a great song, a ballad almost but clearly by the same band.

My over all thoughts on this CD are as follows. If you get a chance to see these guys live don’t hesitate you won’t be let down. If you like bands like Three cord wonder, Greenday, Blink 182 then definitely check these guys out. it is clear that the guys in the band are a talented group of musicians who are on a mission to bring hope to the youth of today. One of the things I noticed is that on the CD sleeve the band is supporting Food for the Hungry, Check it out at www.fh.org/alakrity. I, for one, am always pleased to see that a band is thinking outside themselves and has a mission larger than the band.

I gave this EP 4 stars out of 5. Really the only thing that kept me from going all out and giving them 4.5 was the fact that it was an EP and only 5 songs long. I am really looking forward to getting hold of there New CD and hearing what they can do with a Full length Release.