Tales of the Knife (CD) by Lucerin Blue

CD. Sometimes, Christian rockers get it from both sides. On one hand, they are attacked by militant fundamentalists who believe that a rock beat and Christian-oriented lyrics are incompatible. On the other hand, they are viewed with suspicion by much of the secular rock world. Nonetheless, some Christian rockers have a better chance of reaching secular audiences than others; it all comes down to how they present themselves. Although Lucerin Blue's name appears on quite a few Christian music websites, Tales of the Knife certainly doesn't beat listeners over the head with the band's religious views. In fact, someone who didn't know that the Canadian alt-rockers were part of the Christian rock community could easily lump them in with the abundance of secular post-grunge bands that were enjoying airplay in the early 2000s. Their contemplative, reflective lyrics are spiritual but not preachy, and Tales of the Knife never actually mentions Jesus Christ by name -- this CD never goes out of its way to tell you that Lucerin Blue is a Christian band. So when all is said and done, Tales of the Knife is no less radio-friendly than Live, Creed, or U2 (three spiritual bands that have had no problem appealing to secular audiences). Musically, this 2003 release isn't groundbreaking. The Canadians' style of post-grunge -- aggressive yet melodic and intricate, hip-hop-ish without being outright rap-metal -- doesn't point alt rock in any new directions. Nonetheless, the material is sincere and enjoyable, if derivative. Tales of the Knife won't go down in history as the most earth-shattering release of 2003, but in terms of likability and craftsmanship, this CD leaves the listener with a generally favorable impression of Lucerin Blue. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

Tales of the Knife (CD) by Lucerin Blue