''Lift'' is the sixth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
band
Audio Adrenaline
Audio Adrenaline was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1986 at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. The band gained recognition during the 1990s and received two Grammy Awards and multiple Dove Awards. Audio Adr ...
, released in 2001.
Concept and development
The concept of the album ''Lift'' came from several meanings, according to guitarist Tyler Burkum. In an interview with Jesus Freak Hideout, Burkum said:
: "It's kinda like how if you lift God up. But not only God, there are many ways you can take it. Like how God lifts us up. There are many surface-level ways to take it. The whole thing is kinda how when we lift Christ up to people, we don't have to explain what God is. If you just worship Him and just point to God, that's enough. It's weird cause through the record there's this kind of like this underlying feeling of hope on the whole record. And it wasn't even like we tried to do that. It was just kind of there – this hope and a kind of a peace the way God lifts us up. The record is kind of like what happens when you worship. It's not really worship music, but what happens when you worship."
Burkum also said that the
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
nature of most of the songs was not something they planned, but that surged eventually during the writing/recording process. This is also the first album where Burkum and lead singer
Mark Stuart share most of the lead vocals.
Recording
Unlike their previous albums, ''Lift'' was not recorded in a traditional studio. The band bought a house in a neighborhood on
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, and turned it into a studio. Guitarist Tyler Burkum said in an interview that it was "really cool, really fun. That made it for a really low key, low stress atmosphere."
Critical reception
The album was well received by the audience becoming the second album from Audio Adrenaline to be
certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. It was also received well by critics. John DiBiase, of Jesus Freak Hideout, gave the album 5 stars out of 5 calling the album "amazing", "a brilliant step for this pop/rock icon" and "the band's best record to date". Tony Cummings, of
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music.
Hi ...
, gave the album a similar excellent review (10 out of 10) also calling it "their best album ever". Steve Losey, of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, gave the album 3 stars out of 5, writing that the album "proves
he band
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
still have the chops to reign as one of the best bands Christian music has to offer" while also praising Mark Stuart vocals. Both Losey and DiBiase specifically praised the song "Ocean Floor" calling it "one of the best sonic offerings on the release" and "the song that will have the greatest impact from the album".
Commercial performance
The album peaked at No. 169 on
''Billboard'' 200.
Music videos
Music videos were released for the songs "Ocean Floor" and "Rejoice".
DVD
In November 2002, a year after the album's released, the band released a DVD to complement the album.
The DVD contains three music videos, song clips from the album, and featurettes containing interviews and other footage.
Track listing
Note
* appears on ''
Adios: The Greatest Hits''
Personnel
Audio Adrenaline
*
Mark Stuart – lead vocals
* Tyler Burkum – guitars, lead vocals
*
Will McGinniss – bass, vocals
* Ben Cissell – drums, vocals
Production
*
Audio Adrenaline
Audio Adrenaline was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1986 at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. The band gained recognition during the 1990s and received two Grammy Awards and multiple Dove Awards. Audio Adr ...
– producers
* J.R. McNeely –
mixer
* Joe Baldridge – mixer
* Aaron Swihart – mixer, engineer
* Mark Nicholas – A&R
* Marina Chavez – photography
* Kerri McKeehan-Stuart – stylist
* Scott McDaniel – art direction
* Susannah Parrish – art coordination
* Neal Ashby – design
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lift (Audio Adrenaline Album)
2001 albums
Audio Adrenaline albums
ForeFront Records albums