“American Dream” critiques materialistic ambition and states, “I want to live and die for bigger things/I’m tired of fighting just for me.” “Amateur Lovers” is weary of seeing shallow people stuck in addictive, unhealthy relationships. A sunrise reminds an insomniac to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures (“4:12”). “Let Your Love Be Strong” may be a prayer asking God to bring order out of chaos. Lead singer Jon Foreman embraces objective truth and rejects the modern machine that has him going in “Circles.” A tired city dweller “living for nothing but deadlines” has an “Awakening.” The moral of a dream on “Faust, Midas and Myself” is to quit chasing perfection and appreciate the blessings we already have. Grief over a friend’s death is tempered by the knowledge that the deceased is “free” and a reunion awaits in heaven (“Yesterday”). The love song “Head Over Heels (In This Life)” praises a good wife. A guy cleans up his messes and presses forward, preferring to “Burn Out Bright” in the pursuit of excellence rather than simply “limp through the human race.”
Obscure mentions of a liquor store and the backseat of a parked car could be confusing, though they don’t endorse drinking or promiscuity (“Oh! Gravity.”).
This may not be a “Christian” disc, but the band’s biblical worldview informs terrific, prophetic songs about aiming higher than worldly goals. Oh! yeah!
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
