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Do you miss the days when bands like Dear Ephesus reigned supreme? Do you like your guitars heavy as well as your lyrics? And do you like a band that oozes--really oozes--passion? Then Joey's Loss is for you. Musically, this band incorporates elements of emo and power rock. Joshua Tipton has a wonderful melodious voice that permeates each of these songs. And the constant onslaught of guitars by Adam Miller and Mike Gentry help make this album definitely worth the listening experience. I had never heard of this band before hearing this album and did some research to discover they are one of those groups that make its mark by putting on killer live shows. Although I've never had the privilege of seeing Joey's Loss live, the people I asked in the Nashville, TN area raved about their raw energy and their ability to capture an audience.

I mention all these elements because upon hearing this album I was immediately captured by the sheer honesty of Joey's Loss. "Ides of March" is one of the five saddest songs I have ever heard. It tells the story of losing a dear friend to a car accident and how March of every year reminds the narrator of that tragedy. The point of this song is that some wounds will never heal here on earth, but His grace is sufficient, even though tears still fall. It is simply a beautiful, albeit bittersweet glimpse into the human psyche.

The strengths of Joey's Loss don't stop here; what they do best on this record is pushing the envelope. While most Christian bands are content with saying how wonderful God is (and without a doubt, He is) this band goes one step further to say, "yes, God is wonderful and has blessed us immensely; now, how does that change me, and how can I change the world." The calling to impact our world is displayed on the sixth track, "Thoughts On Indian Removal." This composition is quite culturally relevant, asking the Native American community forgiveness for what happened to its people here in America. It's done in a very intelligent manner, acknowledging that no one is happy about what happened to Native Americans and that only God's grace and forgiveness can truly right the injustice done. Joey's Loss should be applauded for taking such a risk in addressing such a controversial topic as this and showing the love of Savior even in such a misuse of power. This song alone is worth the price of the disc. "Friction of Distance" is an utterly amazing song about trying to be honest with God and live a life honoring Him but being restrained by this mortal flesh. It's yet another brutally honest song pointing to the Creator and how perfect He is, also noting how imperfect we are; there's no use in trying to pretend we're good when all we have to do is look around and see what we've done with the world. This band does an excellent job with this album to illustrate our fallibility and God's greatness.

Unwelcome Travelers and Other Brave Men is an excellent outing from Joey's Loss, which I highly recommend. Its only drawback is after awhile, the tracks start to sound the same, which isn't all bad. The formula that Joey's Loss has created is definitely excellent, but this release is lacking the tempo changes and progressions that would have made this disc a near-perfect project.

Aaron Anderson    September 7, 2004

In addition to writing for Phantom Tollbooth, Aaron also independently writes poems, devotionals and more about the human condition. To read more of his writings or order some of his books go to: www.aaroncanderson.us.