Colony House | Leave What’s Lost Behind | (Roon Records)
Videos by American Songwriter
3.5 stars out of 5
Pop music can be a fickle occupation. One day you’re filling stadiums, appearing on “Saturday Night Live” and selling a massive amount of product, and the next…well, you’re yesterday’s news. Consequently, the Tennessee quartet called Colony House deserves credit for not succumbing to a quick stab at success. In the five years since their debut, they’ve managed to expand their musical palette and dig deeper into their own psyches for inspiration. Imagine Coldplay or U2 dallying in a few poppier precepts, and you get an idea of Colony House’s current pastiche.
Of course, the fact that the two brothers at the helm of the band — Caleb and Will Chapman — are the offspring of contemporary Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman may account for some of the deeper thoughts expressed herein. Even the title, Leave What’s Lost Behind, suggests some concerted introspective and rumination. Whether it’s the somber repast of “Runaway,” parts 1, 2 and 3, or the inherent drama that billows forth from “Looking for Some Light” and “Why Even Try,” it’s clear that Colony House is eager to tackle more expressive emotions and do so in a way that leaves an immediate impression.
Occasionally, those sentiments are conveyed by way of over arched ballads, among them, “Where I’m From,” “The Hope Inside” and “Trying,” three songs that gather their momentum under the guise of quiet contemplation. More often that not however, the band allows their arena-sized ambitions to take hold, with the title track, “Original Material” and “El Capitan” maintaining an upbeat energy that ought to give their dedicated devotees reason bounce along with the beat, especially when an uptick in energy is needed most.
In a sense, Colony House could be considered a thinking person’s pop band, one that manages to balance its headier intents with the effusive exhilaration so necessary to endear them to a frivolous fanbase. As a result, even despite the title’s entreaty, Leave What’s Lost Behind isn’t an album that’s easy to neglect.
