Are you listening Well hey, welcome to Hey Are
You Listening? This is a podcast exploring the
past, present, and future of Christian music.
My name is Joel and I'm here with my good friend
Brandon. We connected over a mutual love of some
particular artists but also have pretty different
tastes when it comes to things. So we get to
experience new stuff from each other while inviting
some friends along for the journey. Brandon,
how's it going today? I'm doing bedding out my
microphone is to my face. As I was about to answer,
I realized that I had it about two feet away
so the listener would have heard. Well, I'm thankful
that we were able to correct that and excited
to dig into what we're doing today. Today, we
are going to be listening to the album Ad Astra
Per Aspera. I don't know if I said that right.
Sounds like the right by Abandoned Kansas. And
so I'm looking forward to getting into that in
just a little while. But today we are starting
a brand new segment where we're going to check
the mail. Brandon, let's check the mail. Let's
do it. So today, first, if you have questions
for us, you can reach out to us at heyareuelisteningpod
at gmail .com. Today, our friend of the show,
Andrew Blaylock, who we've had on writes us this.
Dear Brandon and Joel. I really enjoyed hearing
your top 10 albums of 2025. What's your most
anticipated album of 2026? Still listening, Andrew.
Brandon, what are you looking forward to in 2026?
You know, I'm scrolling through here right now
to kind of look and see if there's anything new
that's been announced. And, you know, I think,
you know, we mentioned that last week on the
podcast, it's kind of just a You got like a dry
season kind of the beginning of the year like
it's not usually I feel like till February or
March that you really start seeing like Stuff
start dropping I know there's one album That
I know is coming out, but I don't know if it
is been announced yet. So I don't I don't want
to be breaking news But it's an album. I'm really
excited about I think out of the stuff that has
been announced is... Brandon, wait, wait. So
you have insider knowledge about something that's
coming out this year that you're unwilling to
share with the rest of us? I feel like I don't
know. You ever had one of those conversations
where you're like, how many people have you told
this to? Because I've had that. Back in the day,
one of the things... Well, I still do it, but
I do a lot of NASCAR interviews. Right. And I
had this guy that announced this movie they were
making. And I was like, I don't think you've
announced that. And the guy's like, no, no, no,
we have. It's out there. It's going to be so
amazing. And after the interview, I realized
this has not been announced. So I reached back
out to his PR person. I'm like, hey, I'm happy
to announce this, but I don't think you want
me announcing this on my podcast. And they're
like, yes, please delete that. And it's pretty
good because COVID happened and it never happened.
But I have a rule that I'm like, I understand
that, but I'm fascinated. When it gets announced,
I'll be like, oh yeah, this thing is coming out.
I'm fascinated to know who you're getting insider
info from and what's going on. I know it could
be that new DC talk, the Jamie Grace, David Crowder.
I'm not going to say it's that or not that, but
I think of what has been announced is Colony
House's 77 part two so they released the 77 album
in two parts last year so that was my second
favorite release of 2025 and I'm pretty excited
to see where it goes because I know part one
kind of had mixed reviews so I'm kind of excited
to see if part two kind of furthers what they've
been doing in it, or if it's more, you know,
like faith driven, or if it's kind of like what
it falls into. So I'm pretty excited to see kind
of what that looks like, and that'll be dropping
the second week in February, so it'll be here
before you know it. Yeah, not too far away. Yeah,
I was trying to think through this a little bit
for myself. One, a band that I've really enjoyed
over the last year, Idle Threat, has new music
coming out I think this year in 2026 and so I'm
excited about that because I got to see them
at Furnace Fest and I've really enjoyed their
record and I'm pumped to see what an evolution
of that looks like, like what the next thing
looks like because they just have the one record
out and so... and it's been a few years and so
I'm pretty pumped about seeing that and I saw
them like post that they were like filming a
music video for it so and they've said it's coming
soon so I'm assuming that before too long we're
gonna have news on that which would be really
fun And then the other one probably that I'm
really excited about is also a part two It is
as long as I am in the tent of this body. I will
make a joyful noise by John Van Dusen part two
And so I'm pretty sure that one's come in this
year I know he's working on finishing it up right
now and he's self releasing all that stuff Has
he announced how many tracks there's gonna be
on that one? I think it's about the same as the
last record about 18 36 tracks all together and
I think they're like He didn't release the first
volume on vinyl because they're waiting to release
them both together on vinyl. And so I'm really
excited for that and to get my hands on that.
So yeah, it's gonna be a lot of songs, basically
really three could be four albums, depending
on how you look at. what an album is. So I feel
like we're due for a Star Flyer 59 album this
year. I was thinking about that a little bit
too. It's hard to know with Jason. I mean, it
feels like the Rocky Valentine's are just putting
out music left and right these days. But yeah,
I would love a Star Flyer, especially after Lust
for Gold. I would love to see something new from
Star Flyer and just imagine what what that's
gonna take on. Yeah. And so is it gonna be something
to do with Americana? Like is he gonna reimagine
like an old style again? Yeah, I don't know.
You know, I think that I'm really excited just
to see what like Velvet Blue music puts out this
year. Yeah. Because I feel like they've become
just a record label that really surprises me
and I feel like they're just doing stuff that
other people aren't. or I guess like there may
be just I don't know how to describe it but I
feel like a lot of the labels are kind of like
you know what you're getting like with that but
I found myself loving a lot of their stuff like
Fepeste and all So i'm pretty excited to see
what their roster puts out this year. Yeah, no
i'm with you Are you picking up all the ronnie
martin stuff that's coming out and get into that
his hit stuff? I feel like it piles up and then
I go and like listen to it and so But I I feel
like I read more I read more ronnie martin books
last year than I did listen to albums of his
so I don't know what that I don't know if that's
Good that I don't know you were like probably
never a big joy electric fan. I I like their
stuff I think it's stuff that you put on like
every so often you go and like put on it's not
a daily listener Yeah, so which we'll get to
that later on our game, but okay sounds good.
Well, I'm excited for that So Ronnie Martin game
Um, well, Andrew, we appreciate the question
and look forward to getting more questions so
we can talk about, um, these things that you
guys want, uh, want to hear us chat through.
And so thanks for that. Um, send in more questions
to us at, Hey, are you listening pod at gmail
.com? And we will love to have, um, those conversations
as we go. So, um, it's time for us to play a
game. Brandon, what have you got for us today?
Alright, so this week we are covering an Abandoned
Kansas record, so I was trying to think, should
we look up Kansas trivia? What should we do?
That would be rough. So instead of a trivia,
I have a... I don't know if you would call it
a would you rather or just what. Okay. But we're
gonna go with the first part of their name and
that's Abandoned. So for this game, Joel, you
are going to be on an abandoned island, okay?
Gotcha. And you are going to have to make a choice
about three artists, okay? And here's the three,
like, um, I guess that questions you have to
answer, okay? So you're stranded on this abandoned
island. You can choose one artist whose entire
catalog you can bring. And just to make, just
for clarity's sake, we're going to say like if
it's Toby Mack, it's just his solo stuff. So
it's not DC Talk. It's just, you type in the
name and you get all of that. So one artist,
you can have their entire catalog to bring with
you and to listen to while you're waiting to
be rescued or while you're enjoying this abandoned
island or whatever. One artist is stranded with
you on the island. So they're alive, they're
hanging out. and so they're they're helping you
get off the island or like I said you guys are
waiting to be saved or whatever and then you
have one artist who's rescuing you all right
okay so let's go let's go first with uh whose
catalog are you bringing all right so the artist
whose catalog that i'm bringing to the album
or to the album to the island um this abandoned
island i think I think I have, and this could
be recency bias, but just the sheer catalog that
already exists out there. Plus the variety that's
there. I think I'm going to have to go with John
Van Dusen because you've got the, you have all
the, the four I am origami albums, some of which
are like, Tooth and now more like alternative
indie rock more and you've got more worship stuff.
There's just a lot of variety That is in his
stuff. And so I feel like it would give me a
good like broad Amount of stuff to listen to
and so I'd probably go with that Yeah, I think
for me I'm going with Toby Mack and I think that
a lot of artists I listen to it's this like deeper
stuff So like if I'm stranded, I don't know if
I want to listen to like a me without you or
a house of heroes. So I feel like with Toby stuff,
there's if I just need to relax, I've got that.
If I need something to get me like going, I've
got some more stuff that's like a little heavier
on there. So go with some Toby Mac. OK, I think
that makes sense. All right. So now who's going
to be stranded on the island with you? So this
is someone who is Like I said, you're either
either hanging out with or you're getting them
to help you build your raft or your boat or start
a fire or whatever. So I think for all of the
above, the answer that I would have to give is
Rich Mullins. Rich is a guy who's kind of rough
around the edges in a lot of ways. And so when
it comes to living on the island, like I just
feel like it's going to be natural for him. And
so I can naturally just kind of learn from him
what that looks like. Just because he's a guy
that got back to like the simple stuff of life.
Like he left the limelight of the CCM stage and
went to live on a Native American reservation
and just taught kids about the gospel and sang
songs. And I'm like, yes. So. But I think we
would have the most fascinating conversations
as well. And I think Rich looked a lot like Jesus.
And so I think if I had to pick an artist, like
he would be the one that I would want to be hanging
around with and spending time with. So, yeah,
Rich Mullins. I think it's funny real fast is
because I tried to look, I typed in manly Christian
artist. You want to guess who's the number one
Google when it popped up? Brandon Lake. Chris
Tomlin. Yeah, that surprises me. It would be
funny if it came out that Chris Tomlin actually
was a huge outdoorsman. I think for me, I'm going
the route of I'm hoping to be saved fast. So
they're not the person that's saving you they're
the person that you're hanging out with yeah
Yeah, so it's like i'm not planning on being
this island for long So I feel like I don't need
someone who's like needs to help build a shelter.
I got you i'm just going with someone that I'm
thinking we start a campfire Um, and I think
I need someone who's like on maybe the same basic
survival Uh level as me i'm going not more No,
then for some reason I just I don't want them
to I don't want to spend my whole time on the
island feeling like I'm not helping. I need someone
who's like, I don't know how to fish. Me neither,
man. I don't know how to build a raft out of
a boat or out of an oak tree. I'm going to go
with Gable Price. I feel like just from his Instagram
and all, I feel like we would get along really
well if he's listening to this right now. I could
be one of the friends. Gable, if you ever want
to get stranded on an island, I'm in. That's
what if I ever do a meet and greet, I'll be like,
hey, man. That's funny. And then finally, the
artist who is rescuing you. So this person is,
I don't know, showing up in a plane or on a boat
or they're just like one day they come cutting
through the forest with a machete. this one's
the hard one for me and I guess because like
here's does it actually are they rescuing me
no matter what or This is these are the people
that are attempting to rescue me. Yeah, they're
gonna rescue no matter what okay, so like That's
interesting because I'm not like thinking about
their actual ability to rescue me Whatever they
do it works out, right? Then I'd probably have
to go I'm gonna go with a large group of people
just because it's more fun And so I'll go with
five iron frenzy I would want Reese Roper to
be the one busting through the foliage saying
we It just sounds like it'd be a good time of
rescue so Yeah, five iron frenzy. You said large
group. I was thinking like casting crowns No,
I meant people I'm going to go with Jason Martin.
Okay. I just imagine him showing up. He's got
a leather jacket on and I don't know, he shows
up like in a semi truck or whatever. Jason Martin
would be an interesting one too for like with
you on the island because he's so cool that like
everything he does would just work. And so you
wouldn't have to worry about anything. Just because
you're with Jason Martin. He's like the epitome
of the cool guy. He's just snapping his finger
coconut falls on one hand fire starts in the
other It just works. I love that. That's a great
answer. There you go. It sounds like we're both
we're gonna be thriving on these abandoned islands
Let's hope so. Let's hope so. That's fun. That's
fun. Well, thanks for walking us through that
That's a fun thing to think through Um, Brandon,
let's talk about what we've been listening to
lately. What have you been spending time with?
I had this just pulled up before you said that
if you want to go for, I can start if that's
helpful. Oh, no, I actually, I can go. Sorry.
I just pulled it. I didn't know where I had it
pulled up. Um, I was listening to, um, some bleach
the other day. I was, um, I was listening to,
I forget what I was listening to, but you know
how like, um, I don't know if it does the same
with Apple, but with Spotify, once you finish
an album, a lot of times it'll just start on
a playlist of stuff kind of the same way. And
it came on and I was like, oh, that's Bleach.
And it ended up being like four or five of their
songs that came on. So it wasn't intentional.
But it was cool. And I feel like in the coming
week or so, I'll definitely be diving more into
them. Because I think even in the past, it's
kind of like a little bit of this album or that
album I've listened to. But I'm pretty excited
to get to dive in and learn a little bit more
about them and their sound. That's fun. Do you
remember any of the songs that popped up for
you? I think it was primarily off of their like
self titled. 1999 release with like a count on
it. That's a good record And then I think again
for the first time because I think baseline came
on there. I recognize that The other ones Man,
i'm trying to I feel like if I played them I
would those are probably those are probably my
two favorite bleach records. So Um, that's fun
for sure Yeah for me, um, I Again, we've talked
about the beginning of the year being a little
bit of a dry spell for like new music So it does
feel that way for me. And so I I don't have a
CCM Christian answer for this question this go
-around But I think that one thing that came
out that I didn't know about until my nephew
actually told me about it was the band cigarettes
They re -released in 2025 uh 20th anniversary
of their talk album um which is one of my favorite
records by them and so that by itself was really
cool but then they put out um a different version
of it called tape variations as well which is
more like um chill almost like dreamy kind of
versions of the songs that i think somebody else
helped them like reimagine um and it's really
really good and the kind of music that i can
turn on and get some work done too and so it's
been something that's like popped up in the background
a lot for me um but i uh yeah i love cigarettes
they're great all right well let's get into Abandoned
Kansas and so um i'll give us a little information
about this record there's not a lot out there
um on this one But Ad Astra Per Aspera is the
second studio album by the American Christian
rock band Abandoned Kansas. It's their first
full length album released by Goatee Records
following up their EP on Goatee. We're all going
somewhere. Jesus Freak Hideout gave this four
stars and HM Magazine three stars when it came
out. Brandon, talk to me. a little bit about
your history with this band and this album. Yeah,
I found Abandoned Kansas. So I go back to before
streaming, there was this magical time where
there was digital music that you could get for
free legally from places and Goto Records was
one of those places that gave away music for
free. So each of their artists, they would have
like sometimes like one sometimes three tracks
on there you could download so i downloaded it
from um a couple of tracks from there we're all
going somewhere ep yeah um and just really liked
um because i think they were kind of around the
time that i was getting into more of this like
um i guess alternative or like indie sound and
i think that's where like i really found a home
um with like my music listening was just bands
that were their own thing. And I just felt like
they were doing that. So whenever they released
this one, I remember being like, oh, that's pretty
cool. They're releasing this one. And what's
funny is going back and listening, I don't think
I ever listened to the like second side of this.
Like I haven't come my way like it or not. Our
songs have been on so many playlists, but there's
a lot of this album So it was funny that I remember
you asking Hey, is there one of these anniversary
albums that you want? And I think I even said
we should do this album. It's awesome I was like,
I don't know why I was like, this is awesome.
Even though I haven't listened to majority of
it. I'm just assuming it's awesome What's funny
is And I think that this album holds a distinction
of it is the only album that I own an air freshener
of. Because back in the day, Goatee was doing
these really cool things with their releases
where like with House of Heroes, they would send
these dog tags with the end is not the end. And
then they would send out like postcards with
Suburba. And then with this one, they gave out
postcards. And I think maybe a bookmark, but
they also gave away an air freshener. So at my
house on my bookshelf, I've got a air freshener
from this album. Is it still wrapped? Yeah, it's
still wrapped. I don't know what the scent of
this album is. But it's heavenly. I was about
to say I was a sucker, but I'm still like a sucker
for, I think that's so cool whenever people put
out just some kind of creative thing like that,
like it just adds to the album. I think I've
got the Suburba postcards from when I bought
that album, from when the vinyl, when it came
out. Yeah, that's cool. So when this album came
out, I'm pretty sure. I don't remember the year.
I'm pretty sure. Yeah. So band in Kansas, I was.
in student ministry. I was a youth pastor at
the time and I was getting that whole thing where
youth pastors will pay, I don't even remember
what it's called now, and get like Christian
albums. You'll get like a box of them every month
or every two months so that you can listen to
and expose your students to all this music, which
was cool. It really allowed me to get exposed
to a lot of these bands that I probably wouldn't
have because I tend to like stay in my own lane
when it comes to music. But when I got these
CDs, I'm like, of course I'm going to go and
check them out and listen to them. And so one
of those that I got was that EP, We're All Going
Somewhere by a band in Kansas. And so I put it
in and instantly was just like, man, I love this.
I dig this. It's creative. It's out there. But
the songwriting is so good. There's like a randomness
to their music. Yeah. And we'll talk about as
we get into the album, but they take a lot of
creative risk. Not just like. big ways but in
a lot of small ways which which I think is really
interesting and so for me like on that EP we're
all going somewhere that just worked like all
the time yeah and there's not a song on that
EP that I don't love and I think it's I think
it's really good and I remember when Ad Astra
Prosper came out I think I somehow have the Amazon
Release of this that came with a bonus track.
Yeah I don't know if I just bought it on Amazon
or I probably did buy the CD on Amazon or something
and somehow got the bonus track but but yeah
I just the whole time was like, this is a band
that's pretty creative. And so, um, however,
like I'd never spent like you, I never spent
as much time with this full length record as
I did with that EP. And so it was interesting
for me to kind of go back and listen to it and
catch up on it. Do you know what add Astra per
Aspera means? I actually looked it up for this,
but I was seeing different, um, translations.
Like one was like, it was like, Hope and faith
and another one was like doubt and fear and then
another thing said like To the stars. Yeah, I
think it's the to the stars So what I saw was
he was lying to me to the stars through hardship
or suffering or something like that And so I
thought that was really interesting. You know,
what's really fascinating about this though Brandon
add Astra per aspera is the motto of the state
of Kansas. And so I couldn't help but think through
that a little bit, because they're abandoning
Kansas. And so does that also mean that they're
abandoning the idea of To The Stars through hardship?
I don't know. Maybe they're just a band that
Abandoned Kansas. Yeah Yeah, you have to wonder
I actually think there is something to that that
they were joking about being an Abandoned Kansas
and I think that's where it came from. Yes. Yeah,
we're just abandoned Kansas Yeah, and then they're
like, oh abandoned Kansas. Yeah Well those names
that you're like it sounds so cool, but you're
like doesn't make sense Anyways, that's kind
of a cool title um just knowing everything that's
there um about that so i thought that was kind
of an interesting tidbit about this um any any
big thoughts before we kind of break into track
for track that you have you want to talk about
no i i think it's just um it's interesting because
i think that like um you know i made a comment
earlier that i think abandoned kansas came at
a time where there was just a lot um going on
and I think bands like this sometimes get overlooked.
Because, you know, I think that like a House
of Heroes, they're not like a household name,
but I feel like there's a good bit of people
that if you mention like a House of Heroes or
a Showbread or even like a Family Force V, they're
like, yeah, I know them. But I feel like a band
in Kansas, they fall more into not like a neon
horse level, but I think that they're a band
that you have less people or people might it
takes them listening to a song to um and i don't
know i think bands like that is always kind of
sad when you listen something like this because
i if i remember correctly i don't think that
this was a huge commercial success yeah and um
and listening to it like it kind of i don't know
like i i love knowing the Backgrounds to albums
and sometimes that helps and sometimes that just
kind of it gets a little kind of Depressing when
you're like, oh this song this album doesn't
have the best like yeah history whatever yeah,
I think um So I don't want to get too far ahead
and talking about it, but I think there's a lot
on this album that works really well. Mm -hmm
Um, but I don't think that it's as cohesive and
it works as well as that EP. We're all going
somewhere. I don't think that there are songs
here that are the height of the songs on that
album. Um, and I do think that they probably
take, it's just interesting because to me, that
record is a little more raw and a little more
edgy, a little heavier. And they don't ever really
get there on this album. So it's a little bit
of a like softer take on their sound in some
ways, but Yeah, I don't know. We'll get into
it. Let's start. Yeah, we'll start track by track.
So First track on the record is heaven come my
way. What were your thoughts on that one? I think
it sets up the rest of the album really well
There's this like struggle and this search going
on This is a song that, like, I've always loved.
I think it's, if I had a Mount Rushmore of abandoned
Kansas songs, like, this one's probably making
it onto there. I think it's just, it's good,
and I just love that, like, Jeremy, the lead
singer, like, he just paints this picture of
this, like, this dysfunction or this despair
or this struggle, whatever you want to call it.
like just really well and it comes across as
just that this is a guy that someone's not handing
him like here's someone else's story can you
please like tell that like it feels like this
is a band that's telling how they're feeling
um and i think that that works really well um
for them yeah i can totally agree with you this
this is one of my favorite songs on the album
um and i think that um one of the things that
i do love about this record that i think from
start to finish is just really strong are the
lyrics um i think he's a great songwriter and
really thoughtful and so um the lyrics all are
um creative in all those ways and i think that
they work really well and i think i mean this
song is an example of that but The things that
stand out to me here like they they are weird
guitar players Like they do things with a guitar
that other bands don't do they're riskier. They're
like The tempos that they play on are weird with
guitars the rhythms that they use There's like
weird chorded rhythm guitars with these also
interesting and kind of weird lead lines but
it works really well on a song like heaven come
my way and his vocals are great i don't think
they're the vocals are as like present as they
are on um on we're all going somewhere on that
ep um but but they're really good i think it's
a great opener it's got a lot of energy it's
i would say probably the poppiest song on the
record the catchiest song on the record um And
I love the end like the tie -in to the album
title the to the stars section and ending like
is a clear call to like This is what this album
is. Um And so yeah, I think this is a great song
and it just it works. I love it Uh next we move
to liar. How do you feel about that track? Yeah,
um, I was again the guitar work is Interesting
and kind of fascinating to me the rhythm guitars
reminded me of some of like the killers Guitar
work these like just really interesting ways
of playing a rhythm to a song. That's in like
a pretty normal time signature And so I thought
that was fascinating the drums are great on this
I like this song but like all of the like catchy
and pop Melody of the first song I feel like
is missing uh -huh on this song It just it doesn't
catch me as much like melodically if that makes
sense. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, I think this is a track
that um, I Feel like back when I listened to
it. It was kind of like a skip track Just because
I feel like it wasn't on the same level, but
I think that now I really appreciate um The chorus
I feel like it's got a really strong chorus And
I think too it's just like whenever you introduce
tim skipper into the equation It just lifts a
song up. So I think I appreciated it you know,
like all all of the um Like the the fan of house
of heroes aside and all I feel like even if I
didn't um like no Tim I would still be like okay
this this other guest vocalist is like adding
a little bit of like heart or whatever like to
the the calling out or like the accusing of like
you're a liar yeah so um yeah I feel like it
it um it's an it's not like as good as like heaven
come my way but I feel like it was still like
a solid track that's cool Track number three,
like it or not. What'd you think about this one?
It's got a little bit of a different feel. Yeah,
I'm really excited to get your thoughts on this
one. I love this track. I love it. It's got a
really fun music video. I feel like that stuff,
it's hard to disconnect sometimes. I feel like
there's tracks where I'm like, I love the track,
but that music video was really bad. But I love
it. And I think it's a nice change of pace to
keep this whole record from being a like, oh,
I'm stuck in sorrow or I'm depressed or whatever.
I feel like it was a nice kind of change. And
I think it is a lot different, but I think it
it works well um because you still have this
like cleverness throughout it and just this like
um like fun funness to it yeah i love the fact
that it's different um i love that it opens up
with like piano and hand claps yeah um that's
the kind of stuff i'm here for like let's change
the pace up from just starting with a guitar
riff to doing something that's a little different
and so i thought that was great um this song
works really well for me throughout most of it
but they do this thing on the verses like on
the first verse you have the piano hand clap
thing going on and on the last verse you have
this like these guitar hits that are really on
verse three these guitar hits that are really
cool That work really well verse three is awesome.
I love the feel of it Yeah, but they do this
thing on verse two where they they're transitioning
throughout the song to that and they do the guitar
hits with the piano thing And it doesn't work
for me like together in verse two Um, and that
for whatever reason like I love the rest of the
song but verse two i'm just like what this feels
super disjointed Like the two things I just didn't
feel like worked well together. Even though I
love them both individually. And so that's one
of those moments where I'm like, they tried something
that was creative and I just don't know like
that it landed super well, but I love the fact
that they were trying it. But the song is great.
I love the gang vocals that are on it. I love
the drums on the bridge are so cool. And yeah,
I think the chorus, the melody is better. than
a lyre and so this was definitely like a step
up for me and i'm like yeah i love this this
is cool yeah um yeah we move into uh golden state
next what are your thoughts yeah golden state
um i like the guitars that are at the start um
it's not my favorite song um and this is one
that i definitely remembered because that line
just stands out to me That like the idea of California
burning like a cigarette or whatever Like um,
it stood out to me years ago. Um, and so I mean,
I think it's I think it's it's fine. Um, but
And it's weird because I really love his vocals.
Um, I love his voice and I love his vocals but
I feel like again They try and do these things
creatively that are a little like dissonant That
aren't like standard pop whatever And so I just
feel like this is a place where the chorus Takes
a hit because of that And there are places where
I feel like he could be going up and like lifting
the chorus up a little bit But instead makes
the choice to like go down It just like loses.
I think a little bit of what it could do because
of that So I yeah, I don't know I think this
is it's this is one of my favorite tracks on
the album I get it. I get it. Yeah, and it's
it's hard to describe. I think the the The part
that just sets this and every time I listen to
it, like I think it just um like think it just
makes the whole song is that there's just this
like Power behind whenever he goes like then
I came around and the whole place caught on fire.
Mm -hmm. Like it's this I don't know how to describe
it because I feel like it's not like they're
doing this grand thing but it like starts with
just kind of this like, you know, like then that
hits and it feels like there's just like Like
I said, I don't know how but it's like the the
energy volume or power just gets like shot up
like with it and I just like I just think it's
really cool Like it almost gives you like it
for me. It almost gives me like chills when I
hear it. Yeah and I just I I appreciate like
that part like of the song Yeah, I know this
is one of the more popular songs off this record
And and I get why and I mean it's one of the
songs that stuck with me that I remembered Pretty
significantly from when I was listening to this
record and so I get that I just wish that some
of the choices were like a little a little different
on it. So Alright track five is a conversation
with the sky. What were your thoughts on this
one? I Liked it I liked the the thing they were
doing where his microphone it sounded like he
was like Talking through like a walkie -talkie.
Yeah, or there's just like I don't know like
there's like paper in between his voice or whatever
I felt like it it added like I feel like with
his um with his voice like It's it's definitely
a voice that people either love or they get like
tired of after a while. Yeah So I feel like it's
cool when you're doing these little things, like
even when it is just this little tweak of this
effect on a microphone, I think it helps with
that. How about you? Yeah, I like this one a
lot. I think the groove of it is cool. I think
the song builds in all the right ways as it goes
on. I love the guitar work. I think it's really
good. The pre -choruses are cool. The ending
of the song is cool. There's like Some pretty
strong scents that are going on there And so
yeah, I like I like this one. I think it's it's
for me one of the stronger songs on the record
Where else can we go but talking about track
six where else can we go? Yeah So track six where
else can we go? I can't wait to hear your thoughts
on it. I this is one of my favorite maybe Top
two favorite songs on the record. Um, I think
it's a good pace change, which maybe you're not
here for, I don't know, but It worked well for
me. There were like qualities of like a hymn
almost in it that I felt and maybe that's part
of why I loved it because I love I love hymns,
but There's like a lot of changes that happen
throughout this song and it's one of those like
risky Creative things that abandoned Kansas does
it doesn't always work for me, but it works for
me on this one I think I think I think it works.
Well, I really really like this one Yeah, no,
that's uh, that's actually what I wrote down
too was that I just really enjoyed these like
changes of pace and how it transitions from this
like Slow soft to like this gradual like more
energy. Yeah For me it like worked i think it's
just it's really fascinating too that um i think
for me a lot of times like there's stuff where
it's like um like lyrics or something that i'll
think about like the choices people are making
with this or that but i think it's fascinating
um kind of hearing you point out the little things
with like guitar or like the little sounds um
and it's just like i don't know to me it's just
interesting kind of like Hearing you build like
your your case for your review off of this, right?
Because it reminds me of albums that I'm like,
yeah This could go either way because it's like
it's like if you make these ten changes, it's
a 4 .5, you know album or whatever But if you
make the other ones, it's not so much like that
So I I think it's just interesting kind of like
going with this and seeing just kind of like
almost keeping a tally of how many Like choices
are being made where it's like let's take this
risk. Yeah, so Yeah, I definitely on this one.
I was taking notes on all the creative risks
That's the thing that is interesting to like
judge a band by but But yeah, I don't know Track
seven is take my lead. What do you think about
that one? I like the the change of sound with
this one. I like that they're taking that risk
and just giving a little bit of a different spin.
I think the lyrics on this record have stood
out, but for this one, I especially love the,
why do the best of us feel all the shame while
the worst of us don't feel a thing? Sometimes
I don't feel anything. Like I... I think this
just came at a point in my life where so much
of Christian music was like, it's almost like
a wink -wink, like, oh man, I only prayed for
five minutes today, I'll do better like next
time. And stuff like this was just like, oh,
there's a middle ground where you can be at a
healthy place where you're not just saying like,
I'm horrible, I can't fix anything, but also
there's this place of, yeah, like I... I'm not
doing anything. I'm yelling at these people for
not helping the poor, but what am I doing to
help the poor or whatever? Yeah, that's good.
I agree with you. I like the theme here, the
lyrics. I think we're super strong. Just the
idea of being a wanderer through this life. It's
also really synthy, which I love. I love synthesizers
and I think that there's a great use of that
here It does really interesting things like later
on in the song There's like instrumental section
and these horns come in which I thought was kind
of fascinating I think they're just like some
creative elements that didn't work as well for
me things like the horns and stuff that but but
overall like I I liked What the song was doing
and where it was going and with you, I think
especially the the lyrics I thought were really
strong here. So Next we have wings fear of heights
were your thoughts So this song kind of comes
out of the gates like blazing like full -on just
like yeah but And then again this there's this
really unique like lead guitar thing that sounds
like only a lead guitar part that a band in Kansas
would play on the song. And you have to respect
that a lot. The fact that somebody's creating
something that's unique because, man, how many
bands are playing these lead guitar lines? And
I never listened to a band and I'm like, oh,
that guitar work is really unique. It's just
not something that hits my ears ever. But it
does with them. And so I I have to give a lot
of respect to that For sure, and I like the piano
that's going I just feel like this song hits
like full -on blazing and then it never like
goes Yeah Anywhere from there like it it just
kind of I don't know. I wanted to do something
Mm -hmm different, especially with who they are
as a band and their yeah creativity and I just
felt like it always Which just kind of it started
and ended in the same place. Does that make sense?
Yeah. Yeah, I I think for me it almost is like
It started at this higher place, but then turned
into just kind of like a regular band in kansas
song so like I I appreciated that um There was
like a a change to like keep it fresh. Um, but
there wasn't like a giant like like it almost
feels like with this one there's those like chance
there's all these like little chances but there's
not this like like breaking out right um type
thing and um i feel like this one almost like
i mean it's been a while since i've listened
to but i feel like it almost stands on its own
as its own thing because like i either they're
indie stuff before goatee i've only listened
to like a little bit maybe one time through but
um we're all going somewhere it's just kind of
like I think you described it was like gritty
or like this more indie thing then you have this
then they move on to like their last goatee thing
which was very much a poppy how do we get radio
hits like type of feel so I feel like this one
was this like almost mixture and it's been a
while since I've listened to like um Jeremy spring
like interview about this so like I'm trying
to remember like if this was like all of their
baby or if there was like Goatee stepping in
and saying we need this or that from it because
I want to say this was what they made what they
wanted to make on this one, but Yeah, like I
could be wrong on that Yeah, we'll just pause
this and I'll go listen to it for two hours I
do think this is This song is like. For all the
creativity on the record, this one feels most
like just like a standard song. And so for that
reason, it doesn't like really stand out to me
as much, but yeah. Track number nine is learn.
Tell me about learn. Yeah, I like the bass and
this was the track I was telling you earlier
about that. I couldn't figure out who the. Like
other vocalist was I don't know if it's a member
of the band or Who it was but Yeah, I like the
track though, sorry as I said that I was like
I'm gonna look it up so I'm Let me pass it to
you before I start typing and yeah. Yeah. I like
once it gets going I'm in it's one of those instances
where like the opening guitar is kind of like
weird And it felt It's one of those songs where
it feels like they're like They felt the pressure
to try and do the creative weird thing and like
that guitar line like it's It's like pretty standard
and then at the end it like takes this weird
turn and every time I heard it It just kind of
like unsettled me a little bit and so I don't
know But I liked together kind of where it was
going And I was trying to figure out this like
is this a song about like discipleship? like
which I just thought was kind of an interesting
thing for them to be talking about but like As
I read through the lyrics and was thinking about
them like that's the idea that that came to my
head at least Maybe not what the thing that they
were they were thinking but But but yeah, once
it kind of got into its groove I I was into it
Yeah, I'm so I'm looking this up now and it goes
back to what we were talking about earlier is
that chat GPT does not understand Christian music
because I typed in the like credits for the album
and it came up as artist abandoned Kansas label
tooth and nail records release year 2002 in the
band members Mike Nelson lead vocals. I don't
know any of these people That's funny. Yeah,
I And I think part of that is is what we said
earlier. There's just not a lot of information
about this record out there The same was produced
by Mark Lee Townsend. It was I didn't didn't
realize that was like as any good goatee album
is It's gonna be produced by Mark Lee Townsend
so Um, yeah, do you have anything else to add
on that one? Uh, no, I think I think i'm good
on that one All right. Well, let's talk about
track 10 last track on the record give and take
tell me about it I think that it was such a nice
surprise to see stephanie smith or skipper appear
on there I feel like that was like a Really big
highlight to be like, oh, she's here I like ending
on this type of song too. I feel like it wraps
up the album in a really nice way and I feel
like when you're dealing with a band like this
or album like this like that's really important
to end with something that like you don't want
to leave them being like that's that's it or
what's going to go on so I feel like it was kind
of just nice like I think it wrapped it up in
a nice little bow at the end yeah This doesn't
really have anything to do with the song but
I wrote down in my notes at the beginning of
this I said there should have been an acoustic
song on this record But I think it's just what
I was thinking like it feels like a missed opportunity
because I feel like they could do some like really
interesting creative things With some acoustic
work as like a change of pace. Yeah, and I just
kind of felt myself like wanting that on this
Anyways, no, I thought the song was really cool.
Um, it's, you know, it starts out as like the
chillest song on the record. Um, but I thought
the strings were pretty fascinating and kind
of cool. The lyrics I just love like, and please.
Like if you're going to end an album, end an
album with like a lyric that you repeat over
and over again, that's like really well written.
And so the idea of, am I more than the sum of
the things that I have or haven't done? Is I
think such a great like almost? Anthematic like
theme at the end and then the idea of can you
restore what's been taken? At the end I I thought
the lyrics were really good on this and I like
you like I thought it was a really good rap um
to the whole record and so this one this one
was like a really positive like surprise to me
kind of at the end because I don't know how often
I'd listened to him before yeah so well any kind
of closing thoughts that you have on the album
and I can't wait to hear where your rating sits
for this one yeah I I think um like I said you
know when I first sent this to you I was like
man I love this album and then listening to it
i was like i actually i feel like i'm going into
it with a i know 20 of the songs on here um if
that and um and so yeah i um i was really happy
because i think that one of the reviews i had
read was that they were like this is an album
that can quickly become a okay we've already
been here um So I didn't find myself wanting
the album to end or whatever. And I feel like
it was cool to have Tim and Stephanie appear.
I feel like that's cool whenever you have the
people on the same record label appearing in
each other's stuff. And I feel like for me, that
was kind of this nostalgia of, man, what a time
in music. I think for me, You know, like I said
like 2010 to I don't know 2013 or whatever that's
when I was just finding all of these New artists
and being like this is out here or this is help
shaping like who I'm gonna become now, you know
or whatever So yeah, I I really enjoyed this
I think for me I landed at a four for this album
or yeah for this album I felt like it wasn't
my favorite abandoned Kansas release. I feel
like it's saying something when it's like, I
feel like it's like a Switchfoot thing. For you,
if you were to say this is my four star Switchfoot
album, but it's not really their best one. I
felt like they put out something that was special
and I think that I applaud the chances that were
being taken on here. Yeah, I feel like a four
is a pretty strong rating for not your favorite
Abandoned Kansas album But maybe you love Abandoned
Kansas more than I thought I think it's just
you mix and you like I said you add in a little
bit of Tim Skipper Some Stephanie you have I
I don't know what the secret recipe is for that
first verse of Golden State But I feel like that
just that track was so good at the beginning
that there's at least like a like point four
like that was added to the uh thing just for
those like that two lines from that or whatever
um yeah i i think that depending on the day i
i could see it being a 3 .5 but i think that
i think a four um is pretty pretty good for it
yeah yeah i yeah so i think for me again just
some highlights for me are definitely the lyrics
um I think the writing on this is really good
and I have so much respect for just the creativity
that they put into making an album like this
because most bands are just gonna do a straightforward
record with songs like this but they always take
the opportunity to do something weird with it
and And so I think that's both like a strong
point but also a weak point for me on this one
because Where it works, I absolutely love it.
Yeah, but where it doesn't work for me as much
like I feel like hurts hurt some of the songs
and so So I'm gonna go with a 3 .2, which is
my kind of like averaged out right? Yeah, and
there were some songs on here like heaven come
my way and where else can we go? that were like
4 .5 songs for me like just great great great
songs but there were some weak some weak spots
for me too that were just kind of a struggle
but um overall i think i think it's a really
good record and um i'm looking forward to one
day covering we're all going somewhere talking
about that Um, because that's one that one that
I really love from them So I think one of my
takeaways from this is just the what if this
would have had an acoustic And what's funny is
when you said that I think that's when I started
thinking Man, maybe this is a 3 .5 because that's
true. There's not an acoustic. Um Do you remember
because like so for me, I listened to it on spotify
Do you remember what that bonus track sounded
like on amazon? I don't I probably have it in
my Like, I just listened to it off Apple Music,
but I probably have it in like my iTunes library.
If I looked in my library instead of like going
straight to the Apple Music version of it. Yeah,
that just makes me like, I wonder if that track
like... improves or takes away. I do have it.
It's called Don't Forget Where You Came From.
And so we'll have to give it a listen after we
get finished recording and see what we think.
Maybe it's the acoustic song that we were waiting
for. What a game changer. I might have to revise
my rating on the next episode of Hey Are You
Listening for this one. Well, that's cool. Well,
Brandon, let's talk about the lyric of the week.
All right, our lyric of the week comes from their
track, Give and Take, and it is, Can you restore
what's been taken? Can you restore what's been
given away? I'd like a little of your blood,
but that's all. Just enough forgiveness to keep
on being careless. That's heavy. Yeah, a lot
to think about there. Really interesting. That's
cool. Well, this has been fun to work through
and talk through it's cool for me to revisit
an album That's not like a 30 year old record
But one that was more recent even though it's
it's got some age on it at this point And kind
of dig into it. So I appreciate being able to
hear from you I think that it's the 15th so it
can legally drive with a parent or guardian now.
There you go. Congratulations to the stars a
lot of the albums we're reviewing can buy a house
or right we're not quite there yet but we'll
get there that's cool well hey thanks you the
listener as well for joining us we're so grateful
for you and ask keep listening share The podcast
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