“I’m not goin’ down behind the mountain/I’m never gonna fade away,” sings Derry Daugherty in “Midnight Sun,” the lead-off track of Burning Like the Midnight Sun. The tune is a testament to both tenacity and devotion, a dual message from a band whose prominence has unfairly diminished. One of the godfathers of the Christian alternative rock scene, the California-bred/Nashville-based Choir garnered Dove awards and #1 Christian radio hits 20 years ago, and is still cited as an influence by Jesus rockers. The group authored a sheaf of classic albums – 1988’s Chase the Kangaroo, 1989’s Wide-Eyed Wonder, 1990’s Circle Slide, 1994’s Speckled Bird – that earned both critical acclaim and chart popularity (at least in the sacred world). But after a break-up and a low-key resurrection, the band is now so far under the radar that even the Christian music industry barely acknowledges its existence. And the secular music world? Forget it.
But, like any true artists, the members of the Choir – singer/guitarist Daugherty, drummer/lyricist Steve Hindalong, bassist Tim Chandler, saxophonist Dan Michaels, guitarist Marc Byrd, aided by Byrd’s spouse Christine Glass on harmonies – quit making music for anyone but themselves a long time ago. The band has always confidently strode down its own path, mixing the psychedelic sounds of the 60s with anthemic jangle pop for a sound familiar to fans of underground 80s rock, especially those inclined toward British sonics. In addition, Hindalong’s poetic but plainspoken lyrics always downplay proselytizing and explore worship songs (the coin of the realm on the Christian charts) sparingly, concentrating instead on his own personal experiences and points of view, light or dark – even if they diverge from the sentiments of the Christian mainstream.
The group’s last few records have been fairly low-key, full of lush, moody and occasionally self-indulgent songs that often contained a bit too little of the band’s melodic verve. But even those albums offer a few gems that hold up to the best work of the band’s peak. “Flap Your Wings” and “Hey Gene,” from 2000’s Flap Your Wings, “Away With the Swine” from 1996’s Free Flying Soul and “Fine Fun Time” and “How I Wish I Knew” from 2005’s O How the Mighty Have Fallen have certainly stood the test of time. But it’s been a while since the Choir made a record that’s a start-to-finish killer.
Until now. Burning Like the Midnight Sun, the Choir’s tenth studio album and first in five years, feels like the culmination of a slow buildup, as it’s the band’s strongest record since Speckled Bird. Bandleaders/producers Daugherty and Hindalong have tightened up the sound and opened up the arrangements, clearing away the clouds and polishing the melodies to let the air flow and the sun shine. Guitars – sparkling, ringing, ethereal – dominate, but never to the point of overkill; Daugherty and Byrd have rarely played better. Similarly Daugherty’s soulful singing hits new peaks – in a quarter century of the Choir’s existence, he hasn’t lost an inch of his prowess. More bluntly put, the band sounds simply amazing.
Then there are the songs, bursting with the band’s trademark brooding, whimsy and joy. “That Melancholy Ghost” and “Between Bare Trees” surf on waves of undulating melody as they address children’s fears and concerns. “A Friend So Kind” pays tribute to a fallen comrade, its potentially maudlin sentiments made beautiful by a plush bed of six-string atmospherics and Daugherty’s understated vocal. “It Should’ve Been Obvious” uses a singalong chorus to criticize those who wield the Bible like a bludgeon; “The Word Inside the Word” acknowledges what Christianity has in common with other cultures’ spiritual quests. The band also continues its long tradition of self-reflexive commentary, as Hindalong bemusedly recounts an airport misunderstanding for “Mr. Chandler,” pays playful tribute to Byrd in “Legend of Old Man Byrd” and regrets a careless reaction to a Michaels accident in “I’m Sorry I Laughed.” The record comes to a gentle close with “Say Goodbye to Neverland,” a farewell to innocence that’s uplifting in spite of its acknowledgement of death.
With its timeless sound and excellent songs, Burning Like the Midnight Sun is not only a striking return to form but also a fine entry point to newcomers. It’s a creative rebirth that proves the Choir are not a nostalgia act trading on the good will of its core audience, but a band that still has something to say and the creative will to say it with grace and fire.
