1956 [Extra tracks]

1956 [Extra tracks]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
One of the more unusual Christian albums of late, 1956 is born out of the full use of creative license. The three members of Soul Junk are to their contemporaries as a funky secondhand store is to JC Penny. This effort starts with a hip-hop-rap sound, mixes in some alternative rock and folk, adds a dash of retro vibe, and then dumps the whole concoction into a vat of experimentation. Blended with lyrics that are comical, social, and overall spiritual, this disc must be handled with care or it may explode. Complete with an eclectic use of voices, electronics from every imaginable angle, beat-boxes, and raw guitars, the music is happily danceable. As is common with rap groups, Soul Junk has attitude in their vocal and lyrical styling. As well, the melodies and textures often take on the relaxed sway of the partied-out. But these expressions don't come across as aggressive or rebellious. They add an earthiness that somehow causes the comedy to seem deep, the commentary to seem vital, and the spirituality to seem paramount. --Israel Button

CCM Magazine
There's a phrase, which probably started in jazz circles, that is typically used to describe a performance that is slightly beyond the grasp of the audience: "too hip for the room." Glen Galaxy's Soul-Junk is unquestionably too hip for the room that is traditionally Christian music. Since one rarely hears the terms "avant garde" and "Christian music" in the same sentence anyway, this should come as no shock. But Soul-Junk's 1956 goes beyond offbeat, beyond eclectic, beyond 99-and-a-half percent of all Christian music to deliver a record that defies description.

Vocalist/guitarist/chief sound manipulator Galaxy-with at least 14 helpers-offers a diverse collection of synth and drum loops and trip-hop that moves skillfully from stream-of-consciousness free association ("How We Flow") to groove-inflected Bible story recounting ("Dry Bones"), all the while drawing the listener deeper with each revolution of the turntable. Soul-Junk's evident musical influences include-and this is the short list-Beck, Beastie Boys, Frank Zappa and John Coltrane.

Backward-running tape ("Life to False Metal"), low-fi groove combined with polyrhythmic rap ("Eyes, Externally"), a delightful instrumental break ("Monkeyflower & Yarrow"), a classical string line ("Pumpfake") and an indictment of violent rap ("The Peacemaker") are all part of this psycho-phonic journey.

With 1956, the new millennium has its answer to the beat poetry of the '60s. And while it may be beyond the grasp of its market, the brave souls who stretch to reach it will not be disappointed. -- Derek Wesley Selby (c) 2000 CCM Communications, Inc.

1956,Soul-Junk,Sarabellum,Experimental,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Rock Music

1956 [Extra tracks]

Rock Music: