Family Force 5's new EP, Dance or Die, came out yesterday. Naturally, I bought it as soon as I could. I mean, new Family Force 5 songs?!
So, here is my take on the "album."
Song One- Dance or Die: I honestly thought I had purchased the wrong CD. This song is techno-ey to the max. Kelly thought their last CD sounded like someone had put Hannah Montana and MxPx in a blender. Well, on this song, they threw in Daft Punk, some static, and a synthesizer. Actually, several synthesizers. The result was a cheesy song about robots attacking the earth and dancing being the only way to survive. In the words of Soul Glow Activatur, the lead singer of the band, "There is a story being formed about the whole album right now based on a planet that has been annihilated by robots and the only way to defeat them is to dance! DANCING IS YOUR WEAPON!!"
Song Two- Fever: Musically, this song was very enjoyable. It sounded a lot more like the "crunk rock" Family Force 5 I know and love. However... lyrics like "Fever, turning up the heat/Fever, come on and get sick with me/Give me whatcha got/Cause you know it's getting hot" and "This fever's got that thang that I just can't shake/Tried to sweat it out but it would not break/My heart has taken all the heat that it can take/Just let it burn me up for heaven's sake," leave me wondering what happened to the "Positive Message" that FF5 is trying to send out with their music. Again, according to SGA, "'Fever' is about catching a fever from the Holy Spirit and turning up the heat in your life while spreading it to others." But would a new listener, who doesn't avidly read every interview she can find (teehee) know this? Probably not.
Song Three- Wake the Dead: This is the high point of this EP, both musically AND lyrically. The sound is much more like classic FF5, and according to Soul Glow, "'Wake the Dead'" is pretty explanatory because it is talking about waking up a dead society and waking up the people that want to keep it that way- music, politics, and spirituality need to be woken up today." This is a good one.
Overall: This EP was really disappointing. I loved it just because it was Family Force 5, and there are some classic things about it. But "Fever," although it's supposed to be the band's best and most popular new release, really kind of ruined it for me.
I DO know that these guys have a heart for Jesus though, and want to reach as many people as possible, as evidenced in another interview with them.
"The Family Force 5 believes that we love all people and it doesn't matter what venue it's in, if it's in a club, or in a church. We love these people no matter what. We give them the same show, same message, same interaction, same way we're gonna hang out, no matter who they are - if they don't love Jesus, if they do love Jesus. Because that's the only way that we can reach everyone. And that's the way we're planting seeds in people who don't know Jesus. So that's kind of where our hearts lie on venues. It's not a big deal. I love it when a crowd's going crazy. Doesn't matter if it's a club or if it's at a Christian event. The thing is we're still worshipping God no matter what. So it doesn't matter what house we're in. That house is the Lord's house." -Soul Glow Activatur.
