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So Clearly
Among the heaps of crappy records and tired-hard rock albums, you occasionally hit the jackpot, like with the debut from Stereo Deluxx. From the growing nest of Organic Records' artists, Stereo Deluxx don't really fit in with their label mates who explore the boundaries and edges of rock music. Instead, they venture outside the world of rock music, into the small scene of progressive Chrisan synth/electronica/pop/rock artists, a scene which was begun by Plumb back in '97. While holding quite a few similarities to Plumb, Stereo Deluxx offer something different. Lacking the massive guitar grooves that added a harder edge to Plumb's debut, Stereo Deluxx seem content to explore the endless possibilities of synthesizers, keyboards and turntables, resulting in some interesting tunes. The vocals provided by Stacy Tiernan, while having a faint resemblance of Plumb's Tifanny Arbuckle, are not as haunting, but work well with the lighter musical context. Thematically, Stereo Deluxx talk about the shortcomings of humans, while weaving in a strong message of hope through God, as on this extract from "Good Intentions" My head is in the cloudAn added bonus to So Clearly is the racing car game which can be easily accessed through the computer. You've got the choice of three cars, one for each band member. You win by collecting as many CDs as you can and trying to get over the finishing line as fast as possible, while carefully avoiding large rocks on the course and puddles of oil. It may not impress fans of Playstation or Nintendo 64, but hey, you get it for free! After giving So Clearly a couple of spins in my CD player, the thought suddenly struck me that Stereo Deluxx's music --pop with a strong electronica beat and lots of synths and keyboards - could easily fit into a secular radio format. I also realized that Christian music is completely and utterly void of any such artists, except for Plumb. Christian music is still at a stage which secular music reached a couple of years ago. I, for one, am thankful Stereo Deluxx are paving the way for other Christian acts to invade the secular world. I can hardly wait to see what these guys (and girl) will pull from their sleeves in the future, but while I'm waiting, I've always got this splendid debut to enjoy. Eric Daams 11/27/99
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