It’s been 23 years since veteran Christian alternative rockers the 77s released a recording of original material. By all normal standards, even the most devoted music listeners should have long forgotten the band as an ongoing enterprise. It is a testimony to the enduring quality of their mix of salty and shimmering power pop, equally infused with electric blues and Beach Boys flavorings, that the band has retained a devoted fan base that has never ceased clamoring for something new from Mike Roe and company. Finally, the band has delivered. “7” by the 77s is here, and it was worth the wait.
The 77s have never fit into an easily defined category. Even their most aggressive moments contain sufficient melody to keep them out of the chainsaw rock department, while at their sunniest, there was enough tension to remove them from pure pop consideration. Lyrically, the band pushed the envelope of what was considered acceptable in Christian music, often addressing relationships far removed from happily-ever-after land. While this clarifies why the band has never achieved widespread commercial acceptance, it also helps explain why 77s fans are among the most devoted on the planet. The band has never denied or downplayed Jesus’ divinity, but it has never denied its own humanity or disparaged its listeners for being human with all that entails.
Musically, “7” is the 77s at their best. The rockers, such as “Out of the Clouds” and “Saddle Up,” are well-constructed pieces of joyous, bubbling energy. Roe is a superb guitarist, one who, while possessing chops that can leave an audience awestruck, always opts for taste over haste. His solos are quiet, melodic fire, not once eschewing melody for flash. The same is true for the band’s songwriting. The 77s are restrained without self-constriction, allowing ideas to flow naturally with tuneful melodic strength. At their upbeat best, the band pulls off the rare feat of creating music one can dance to and sing along to with equal fervor.
On the quieter side, the new album’s pop-oriented songs are warm autumn sunshine, a chance to recharge in light of the coming winter. Roe has never disguised his admiration for the late legendary Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, and when turning his attention to the softer side of things pays homage to, without slavishly copying, his inspiration’s gift for richly layered melody and harmony that at its peak fulfilled Wilson’s expressed intention of creating “a teenage symphony to God.” A sign of Roe’s guitar skill is how he often uses textured chimes as part of his smorgasbord of sounds, subtly suggesting the multi-layered vocals Wilson favored.
Lyrically, “7” follows the 77s’ established patterns of directly addressing others and itself with unflinching honesty. The chorus of “Out of the Clouds” makes it clear this is anything but another surface-skimming praise album:
I’ve said too much
I take it back and I’m giving it up
I only wanted you to come round
To pull your head down out of the clouds
Elsewhere, the band discusses relationships on a level seldom if ever heard in Christian music, such as with “Heart Back.”
If I wait ‘til all the stars are aligned
It might be a long long time
And if faith is all it takes
To change your mind
Babe I know that I’ll have to pray
You’ll return to me one day
In my mind
Despite being mostly inactive most of this millennium, the 77s remain one of Christian music’s shining lights. Mike Roe, Mark Harmon, and Bruce Spencer have created a body of work that speaks to humanity’s ups and downs in the light of Jesus’ love for us, not as a deflector of life’s storms, but instead as a refuge and a restoring place from them. “7” is a superb album, one containing art and ministry of the highest order.
The album is available for immediate purchase as a download, as well as a preorder on both CD and vinyl, from the band’s Shopify page.
Are you tired of the mainstream media disparaging your faith? Do you want to find a place where you will be politically and spiritually accepted? Here at RedState, you have a home. Please help us in our mission to continue proclaiming the truth on all fronts by becoming a VIP member. Help RedState fight the liberal media by helping yourself to daily riches of learned political, cultural, and Spirit-led commentary. Knowledge is power, so feed the mind and join in the fray. Join RedState VIP today!
