Album Review: "Stereotype Be" by Kevin Max

Synopsis: Kevin Max, one-third of mega-popular Christian band dc Talk, branches out on his own with this solo debut.  Whether he is singing about being yourself ("Be,") crooning a love song to his wife ("On and On,") or proclaiming God's totality ("You,") this is decidedly different from Jesus Freak or Nu Thang.

Production Values: 4.5/5
This has been one of my favorite albums since 2001, and many of the songs on it are great.  "Dead End Moon," "Return of the Singer," "I Don't Belong," and hidden track "You" are amazing tracks.  Where it falters a bit are the poetry readings, especially "I Went Over the Edge of the World," which is slightly annoying.  Still, for the most part, the music is wonderful.

Moral Content: 4.5/5
This may be a Christian album, but some people might find quibbles with a lyric or two.  Mr. Max addresses a woman--not his wife--as "baby" in "Existence" and "Angel With No Wings".  "Shaping Space" has a lyric that says, "And the woman at the endless well? She's drawing water from the mouth of hell."  "You" uses the analogy, "You are the drugs that kill the pain."  I can't think of anything else anyone could have a problem with, and even those are minor issues, in my opinion.

Conclusion: Whereas some bands/artists--ApologetiX, Relient K, and Hilary Duff come to mind--have had songs come and go from my playlists, dc Talk and the solo acts have stayed in my music library since Day One, and I don't think they will ever leave.  This album's tracks continue to get spins on my iPod, just because of how good they are.  Is it different from dc Talk's works as a group? You betcha; however, that doesn't make it bad.  Stereotype Be is definitely worth a listen.

Score: 5/5