Quick and The Dead

Hey, know what the Org needs more of? Christian rock reviews! Kids, put down that Choking Victim record and gather round. Ol' JTP (that's me!) has a story to tell you. California Christians Quick and The Dead crapped out four albums in four years before being taken to heaven in a flaming chariot… I mean, breaking up. Their last will and testament, Going Home, dropped last year, complete with Jimmy Eat World-style positive vibes and ultra-clean rocking.

Going Home actually starts out OK before degrading into an indistinguishable emo/pop rock mess. Intro track "Please Come Home" is mostly ambiance and nothing more, but it's follow-up, "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side," is actually catchy. Like Jim Adkins, frontman Shane Gould offers some uplifting advice for teens, telling them to take their time figuring out who their identities and avoid stereotypes even though they offer easy roles to fall into. In idea, at least, "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side" works. I'm all about positivity. The recording fails the song, though. Gould produced and mixed the album, while the mastering was handled by Troy Glessner. One of them messed up on the guitars, causing them to sound clipped, and in a declawed sense, not in a Raw Power way.

"Grass" aside, though, the record is a an unappealing hodgepodge of power ballads and faux-rockers. I'd like to say these guys just needed some more practice, but honestly, at four full-lengths, maybe the band's split was for the best. Now please… continue to live your life as if you never read any of this.