Derek Webb’s Stockholm Syndrome

13 posted on July 13, 2009

POSTED IN: Blog Posts, Music

Many of you have probably already heard the buzz surrounding Derek Webb’s new album, Stockholm Syndrome. While not officially releasing until September, I got an email last week letting me know that if I pre-ordered I could get an immediate digital download of the album. Being the faithful Derek Webb fan that I am, I of course pre-ordered it.

Turns out there’s a lot of faithful Derek Webb fans because no sooner had the email gone out to his mailing list than his ordering system crashed due to the large amount of pre-orders coming in. I had to wait nearly 48 hours for my “immediate” download but, in my opinion, it was worth the wait.

You can always count on Webb to write songs with deep and challenging lyrics and this album is no exception. Derek is and always has been a protest songwriter choosing use his music to shed light on problem areas in the church.

On The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum, Derek deals with a cavalcade of contemporary problems in the church, writing about how many have gotten so caught up with the latest trends that we seek relevance over relationship.

I don’t want the Spirit, I want the kick drum
I know how it works, so I’m not dumb
Like sex without love, Like peace without the dove
I don’t want the Spirit/You know I want a kick drum

In Freddie Please, a tune reminiscent of a 50’s ballad, Webb writes a song from God addressed to Fred Phelps (pastor of Westboro Baptist Church that is frequently on the news for their hateful rhetoric).

Freddie Please

Freddie, please
How could you do this to me?
How could you tell me you love me
When you hate me?
Freddie, pleaseThe stone’s been rolled away
But your picketing my grave
For lovin’ the things you hate
But why do you seek
The living among the dead?

And yes, by now you’ve heard of the song with the s-word, What Matters More, where Webb addresses how often we get hung up on the smaller things while ignoring the big picture.

What Matters More

Cause we can talk and debate till we’re blue in the face
about the language and tradition that he’s coming to save
Meanwhile we sit like we don’t give a shit
about fifty thousand people who are dying today
Tell me, brother
What matters more to you?

His Music Caught Up To His Lyrics

But honestly, what has impressed me the most about this album wasn’t the thought-provoking, controversial lyrics (that I’ve come to expect), but rather the huge strides Derek has made musically. I’ve told people before that while I love his lyrics, his music never quite hit me on the same level. Not so with this album. In the case of Stockholm Syndrome, I feel that his music has finally caught up to the amazing lyrics he’s known for.

What You Give Up

If you were expecting more of Derek’s acoustic rock from previous albums you’re in for a big surprise. The music has complicated layers of electronic loops and beats that aren’t quite 80s retro but definitely have a similar feel. There’s plenty of washy synthesizer action going on behind these in-your-face lyrics. It’s almost a Moby meets Radiohead kind of sound.

Since I purchased this album I’ve been listening to it over and over and I’m continuing to enjoy it more each time. This is an album that I’m sure all of his current fans will love but, more importantly, will also be accessible to new fans as well. His music and songwriting continues to improve making Stockholm Syndrome, in my opinion, his best album yet.

Have you heard the album yet? What did you think? What was your favorite song?

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21 Comments

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July 13, 2009

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1 alece said:

i can’t wait to hear it. i’m a huge fan of webb’s lyrics. not sure what i think of this new album sounding 80’s-esque, but… i’m enough of a webb-fan to get over it i think.

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July 13, 2009

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2 Dave Carrol said:

Actually to be honest… I really don’t like the style of the music.

I like Derek Webb… but I likely won’t listen to this album… as the crappy 80’s synth/ dance music just SUCKS.

Sorry ha

Dave

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July 13, 2009

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3 Zack said:

Yep! Terrific album.

Thanks for putting the ‘Freddie Please’ song in perspective.

I had trouble lining up those dots…

Did you get the ‘Paradise Is A Parking Lot’ documentary?
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July 13, 2009

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4 Brad Ruggles said:

@Alece – yeah, if you’re a Webb fan it’s definitely different from his previous stuff.

@Dave – Hey, that’s cool. It’s a little out there for most people. Wasn’t expecting everyone to like it!

@Zack – yeah, Freddie please didn’t make sense to me either until I read the back story on it. And no, unfortunately I didn’t get the documentary when I bought mine. Did you? What did you think of it?
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July 13, 2009

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5 Jeremy Lucarelli said:

Thanks for sharing! I’ve been reading all the hype for the past couple of months on this album. It is nice to actually hear some of the samples. Were you able to go to the show in Nashville or the listening session at his house?

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July 13, 2009

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6 jason salamun said:

great review brad.

i’ve been listening to it since last week as well and his lyrics are just as provocative as they’ve ever been- which i’ve always appreciated about webb.

but the point about his music catching up to his lyrics is exactly what i’ve been thinking. he is spreading his wings as an artist and it’s cool to experience. that said, i love his acoustical stuff too but its good to mix it up.

viva la derek webb!
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July 13, 2009

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7 Brad Ruggles said:

@Jeremy – Oh man, I wish I could have been at his live show or his listening session! That would have been so sweet. Alas, no, I’m up here in Indiana. We don’t get all the cool shows they get down in Nashville.

@Jason – Yeah, like you, I love acoustic rock but this album was a nice break from his more standard sounding material.
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July 13, 2009

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8 portorikan said:

Thanks for sharing the clips. I liked a Derek Webb CD I picked up a while back but the acoustic-ness kept me from spinning it more than a few times (just for a point of references, I’ve been spinning a lot of Muse and radiohead recently, and can’t seem to stop).

I like the way this sounds, so I might check it out.
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July 13, 2009

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9 sTim said:

I’ve only heard a couple of songs so far, but your sentiments echo what I was thinking. I was always reluctant to rave about him, because the music seemed like it was half-finished in a lot of cases (almost like he released his demos of songs rather than finishing them). This time it sounds like he actually used the studio to polish them. Awesome! Now if only I had the money to buy it…
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July 13, 2009

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10 Stephen Bateman said:

haha “the song with the S-word” aaaaahhhh he said WHAT??!?!

I bought the album the other day, lovin it.

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July 13, 2009

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11 David said:

Yep, got the email, the crashed server, etc.

Like you, I’ve loved his lyrics, but the music was always a bit ‘meh’. Not now though.

This album is awesome. I’m still loving What Matters More mainly because of the music, but Freddie Please is convicting to anyone, not just Mr Phelps.

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July 15, 2009

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12 jordan said:

I’m used to being the one who’s introducing the cool music to everyone else. Where have I been on this guy..?

thanks for the introduction!
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July 16, 2009

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13 nate said:

I don’t agree with everything Webb says/sings about, but I can always find something worth contemplating.

Spirit vs. Kick Drum is right on, illustrated with beautiful metaphorical imagery.

I love acoustic/folk, but having put out several electronic songs myself, I am looking forward to hearing his new stuff and adding it to my collection.

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July 23, 2009

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14 Stockholm Syndrome Review at Zoomtard said:

[...] You can hear more of the album here. [...]
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July 26, 2009

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15 Rebecca Carpenter said:

I don’t understand why Derek would think it’s SO IMPORTANT to keep the “s” word in his song. Seems to me, as a writer, he should be able to come up with something else. There are lots of other words in the English language. If it’s some kind of artistic right he’s after- find another genre. The Christians who are buying into Derek tend to be older and with kids. These people naturally don’t want their kids running around the house saying that particular word and insisting on artistic freedom. Derek- act your age and get over it. I’ll listen to your clips online; but I won’t do anything more than that. If you think the “s” word is important- your judgment is off.
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July 26, 2009

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16 Rebecca Carpenter said:

Sorry to post twice- now that I think about it- I wonder if what I read on the internet is even accurate. I have a hard time thinking that anyone would really, truly believe that “s”pecific word is worth fighting for. I will give Derek the benefit of the doubt and assume that he picks his battles more wisely. Right? I try not to believe everything I hear or read- sometimes it’s just plain not true.
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July 26, 2009

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17 Tim Jahr said:

Hmm… kinda seems like that last post (or two posts, I guess) proves his point. We care more about what “bad word” he used than about the actual suffering he’s referring to.

(as an added bonus, we seem to miss the fact that he’s directly referencing a famous Tony Campolo quote, and we don’t seem to question Tony’s judgement very often…)
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August 18, 2009

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18 Rebecca Carpenter said:

Tim-

There is a non sequitur between “thou shall not bash gays” and I’m going to sing the “S” word. There’s no connection between the problem and Derek’s response. At best, it’s a “food fight” mentality. I don’t like the words you’re throwing, so I’ll throw distasteful words right back.

This is an important issue- anything dealing with how we treat our fellow human beings is important. Derek has confused an already complex topic with inane conversations about a useless word. And, if I personally think he made a bad call by including the “S” word in a Christian song, it does not follow that I am somehow unmoved by hate talk towards homosexuals. That’s another disconnect. I make it a point not to bash and have gone out of my way to correct the problem when I see it.
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September 3, 2009

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19 Dave said:

Unfortunately, the mainstream church in America is so out of touch that this album is laughable to me. How can this possibly seem progressive, controversial, or make Derek a “rebel”? The issues he brings up are the very reasons the majority of people under 40 have left church in the States. I’m glad he is finally addressing them, but it is sad that he is the only one and that people NEED to be challenged in this way. Isn’t it obvious that the church is completely out of touch with the average American’s daily life? “Freddie Please” only works half way because according to the comments, none of his fans even know what he is talking about and I’m sure most don’t allow homosexuals in their church anyway. We’ll see if the evangelical movement ever really changes? I doubt it.
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October 28, 2009

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20 Rebecca Carpenter said:

Dave-

There are fellowships that are open to homosexuals. People should not try to join those groups with the hopes of changing their established doctrine. It would be an example of joining a fellowship with an outright divisive purpose in mind. There are also churches that strongly hold to the scriptural belief that homosexuality should not be openly practiced in the church. Active homosexuals should not join those churches. It would be divisive. No one should be joining fellowships with the intent to disagree with and attack those fellowships and their unity. Live and let live and don’t be intimidated by the politically correct Dereks.
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February 3, 2010

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21 Ana said:

The answer seems to elude the author. The answer is that it all matters equally. I know this is hard for our finite minds to wrap around but God is not limited by our limitations. He wants us to care about holiness as much as we care about poverty. Sadly, our own smallness boxes us into one or the other or another because ‘apart from Christ I can do nothing’. The solution…’I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. Remember the warning ‘woe to those who call good evil and evil good’. God’s mercy is truly triumphant and His grace amazing but He is also not a liar. He never lied in His Word. He and His Word are One. So, love the repentant sinner, hate the sin because God does. But those who follow a Ben Franklin bible…pulling out the verses they want the world to ignore, sanitizing truth? Not for me. Still, I have many loved ones caught in addictive lifestyles and I always tell myself that it is not God’s wrath but His kindness that leads us to repentance. Pray because you know what happens when God’s people pray.