Coming Up to Breathe
They set out to nail down a defining moment in their career, the MercyMe golden spike if you will. The goal forComing Up to Breathewas a genre groundbreaking release such as Amy Grant'sLead Me Onor U2'sThe Joshua Tree. While it's hard to go that far, it's safe to say that MercyMe's artistic integrity has met commercial appeal somewhere in the middle withComing Up to Breathe. The one-time worship band certainly know how to write a hit and they bring us more of the same with radio-ready tracks like "So Long Self," "Last One Standing," and "Safe and Sound." But lead man Bart Millard digs a little deeper on the self-revealing "No More No Less" and "One Trick Pony." Lyrically both tracks reveal a band unapologetic about their faith and creative destiny. "Pony" is a pleasant divergence with its slide guitar and Mississippi mud atmosphere, conjuring up images of the band sitting at a crossroads somewhere in the Southland. MercyMe has never been afraid to show their musical influences on their sleeve. That's why you shouldn't be surprised by the Edge-like guitars on "Something About You" or even the pounding rhythm chords of "Hold Fast," which evoke Coldplay comparisons. So it's that struggle between creating something new and holding true to your principles that the band spells out for us. Perhaps Millard sums this up best on "3:42 AM (Writer's Block)" when he sings of a man out of words but not out of passion to allow God to speak through him. That's always been the aim of MercyMe and in this case, their hammer has driven this spike solidly into the ground.--Michael Lyttle