THIRD TIME’S A CHARM FOR INSIGHTFUL INDIE ROCK BAND

If you’ll recall, Solid State band As Cities Burn issued its inaugural CD in 2005 before deciding to call it quits only one year later. And though personnel shifted, the one-time quintet became a quartet and stayed intact, thanks to the insistence of a devoted legion of fans and serious persuasion from fellow rockers Jonezetta. Reforming and refocusing, the Louisiana-based rockers now showcase a significant departure from the band’s scream-oriented hardcore debut, incorporating insightful lyrics, melodies galore and singing (!) on the road and in the studio.

In a concerted effort to capture the band’s “live” effect and to continue the paring down process started with 2007’s Come, Now Sleep, the Christian indie rock outfit spent three months holed up in a studio, keeping it basic. The result? Hell or High Water maintains the intensity of the band’s previous two discs while further stripping it down to leave room for a more artful exploration of its roots-oriented rock and imploring lyrics.

The opening lines of “Pirate Blues” exemplify the kind of raw lyrics the band pursues, mixing Jesus up in the everyday grit of life. “Before you/Your mom and dad used to smoke in the Texas sun/They were young once too/Your mom, she found Jesus/While your man stepped out and drew up his veins.”

And “Made Too Pretty” creatively comments on how humans have misconstrued our reflection of God’s image into believing we are our own gods: “I think we were made too pretty/We’re caught up in a stare we cannot break.”

The young band’s charm lies in its ability to create music that sonically portrays so accurately what the lyrics express. Where other bands play music merely as a vehicle for the words or vice versa, As Cities Burn sees a bigger picture; and on Hell or High Water, it’s even more effective in its communication. —Andrew Greer