''Becoming Who We Are'' is the debut studio album by

Kings Kaleidoscope Kings Kaleidoscope is an American rock band based in Seattle, fronted by Chadwick "Chad" Gardner. Their music features an eclectic range of electronic, woodwind, string and brass instruments, with a musical style described as indie rock meets hi ...

with label partner Tooth & Nail Records. It is their third release after 2014's ''Live in Color (EP)'' on Bad Christian Records and 2013's independently made ''Joy Has Dawned (EP)''. The album came out on October 28, 2014. Upon its release, it was acclaimed by various music reviewers, who highlighted its eclectic and experimental musical nature. It has been noted as an unconventional work in the world of modern worship music, and is credited with pushing the genre's boundaries with an unclassifiable style.

Composition

Reviewers acknowledged the album's musical eclecticism, from " autotune usage" to "a ska-like horns section" to "strong hip hop influences" to "an orchestral string section". The record is kicked off by "Glorious", which "starts off with a

David Crowder David Wallace Crowder (born November 29, 1971), known professionally by his mononymous stage name Crowder since 2012, is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and author. He was the lead singer in ...

-meets- Arcade Fire-esque indie sound" and features leading vocalist Chad Gardner "sing ngwith an engaging and worshipful

alt-rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

style." "I Know" has "edgy electro tones."

Reception

From '' HM'', "Clearly an album that pushes the boundaries of worship music, Becoming Who We Are aims to move beyond the comfort zone of the inspirational genre by adding layers and unique compositions to bring out a truly original sound and uncompromising message." From ''Indie Vision Music'', "There are no words to describe it because there is nothing else like it." From Jesus Freak Hideout, "To point out all the highlights of this album would make for an extremely long read, because the entirety of the album is a highlight." From ''New Release Tuesday'', "incredible album". From ''Worship Leader'', "Energetic, frenetic, and infectious, ''Becoming Who We Are'', is a musical cacophony of joyous praise and at times chaotic beauty." From ''Louder Than the Music'', "This is a stunning album and well worth exploring." From ''Christian Review'', "''Becoming Who We Are'' is chaotic and eclectic".

Track listing

Personnel

* Jared Buck – guitar * Nadia Ifland Essenpreis – vocals, keys, violin * Chad Gardner – lead vocals, guitar, keys * Lindsay Gardner – vocals, cello, keys * Zawadi Morrow – vocals, flute, piano, violin * Andrew Nyte – drums * John Platter – bells, drums, percussion * Julianne Smith – accordion, violin * Blake Strickland – trombone * Zack Walkingstick – bass guitar Technical * Chad Gardner - production Artwork and design * Matt Naylor - cover artwork

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2014 debut albums Tooth & Nail Records albums