Welcome back to the Praisedown! This week Alex and Heath are joined by James Nghiem: the owner of Robot Saves City, and the curator of Oklahoma City’s largest DIY art show! Join us as we talk VERY well about the following topics:
- Why is Alex in Hell?
- Prayer: a popular workout everyone loves!
- Is this dating article for teens written by a bitter adult?
Hang in there because for Tune Talk, we are talking about the secular band Modern Baseball, and their secular 2016 album Holy Ghost!
Modern Baseball Only Abstractly hits on Spiritual Themes…and that’s Fine
Fronted by Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens, Modern Baseball delivers what I would call a nostalgic pop-punk/emo sound that is as clear and straightforward as you remember. Holy Ghost is a departure from the duo’s previous work play what our honored guest James described as fratty, drinky (albeit still sensitive and relatively non-problematic) pop-punk. Instead, Holy Ghost delivers lyrical introspection in two halves. The first half of the album is led by Jake Ewald, who sings about the loss of his grandfather. Then, exactly halfway through Holy Ghost, Brendan Lukens takes over, bringing with him a shift in play style and theme as his lyrics explore his own struggles with mental health.
I’m sure you can tell my feelings on the Holy Ghost are generally positive by this point, but that’s not the only question we do this show to answer. How Christian is this album? Holy Ghost examines a lot of subjects that people of faith are often called to examine, such as recovering from loss, battling depression, generally staying the course no matter how much life has beaten you up. Yes, a lot of good media does that, but the thing that makes Holy Ghost a profound piece of media is that it tackles these subjects with a maturity not often seen in this genre.
For a full review and a good time, please take a listen to the episode below!
The Praisedown with Heath and Alex – The Cajun Knight: Modern Baseball with James Ngheim
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Before you go!
Check out James’s next art show in Oklahoma City!
Check out Live from Upstairs, a comedy album from Robot Saves City that features James and your two hosts!
