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Genesis, Petra, Van Halen. They all did it. Many legendary acts have introduced a new lead singer amidst their career without missing a beat. So when newsboys announced that dc Talk vocalist Michael Tait would take over for exiting front man Peter Furler—after a natural period of surprise—the band and its fans alike began to relish the positives and possibilities of this fresh start. And all signs would point to a phrase loaded with creative and spiritual significance that has become the title of newsboys’ next album, Born Again, releasing this summer on June 8th.Â
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Of course, Tait hardly needs an introduction. While newsboys charted 25 No. 1 pop hits, sold six million records, and helped Christian music gain mainstream acceptance, dc Talk was doing the same with GRAMMY-winning sets like Free at Last and Jesus Freak. Combining the strengths of these two groups now is clearly good reason for excitement.Â
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“I can’t believe Michael was available,†says drummer Duncan Phillips of the soulful dreadlocked rocker whose artistic presence pervades new singles like “I’ll Be†and the extraordinary title track. “His vocal range and style allow newsboys to musically explore avenues we haven’t in the past.â€
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“Tait is great for us because he’s a real team player and brings a lot of enthusiasm to the mix of personalities,†explains guitarist Jody Davis, who also feels a sense of rebirth, having rejoined newsboys in 2009 following an earlier ten-year membership.
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“We’re all getting a new lease on life from this,†believes keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein. “The core of the band—myself, Jody, and Duncan—is reunited. We all first joined at the same time for the Going Public record. And now we get to work with Mike, an amazing singer. It’s providential. Looking back, I couldn’t see things happening any other way.â€
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Michael agrees. Although he was working with big names on a solo project in Los Angeles when newsboys called, after a few great concerts together, he knew the invitation to help extend their unique musical mission was just what his thirsty soul needed.
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“I’d walk off stage and just start bawling at how the Spirit was moving,†he admits. “Making music with Jody, Jeff, and Duncan fits like a glove. On so many levels, there really is a sense of being born again.â€
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As audiences embrace the rock energy Michael adds to the show—and smile at how he has memorized newsboys’ back catalog of often-quirky lyrics (“‘Breakfast’ just about killed me,†he says)—Michael knows the next big hurdle is to bring out a strong new record that bridges then and now. Remarkably, Born Again makes it all sound so easy.
The fun and fiery “Boys Light Up†is destined to be the album’s most celebrated track. A biographical anthem of reignited belief and purpose penned with longtime newsboys collaborator Steve Taylor, it puts every transitional issue anyone might raise to rest.
I was feeling all overcome / Had a faith gone dim and then some / Got a call from a band of brothers . . . / All the doubters I heard them say “now the band’s gonna fade away†/ But the ‘boys are back for a second act / No excuses. We’re lighting fuses.
“It’s a common theme running through newsboys,†Duncan says of the ultra-rhythmic cut with a chorus that declares: When the boys light up you know Who gets the praise, Who owns the show. “It’s like a new version of ‘Shine,’ another song of encouragement.â€
Stretching out from that welcome familiarity, radio-ready mid-tempo ballads “On Your Knees Again†and “I’ll Be†showcase what’s noticeably different about newsboys today: story-led tunes with melodies that soar higher and stronger than before coupled with the more distinguishable piano and guitar performances from Jeff and Jody.
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“Jeff Frankenstein is appropriately named, that’s for sure,†Michael says. “He is really in his lab working . . . one of the best players I’ve heard. You feel his notes. And Jody . . . in a band with just one guitarist, you’ve got to be on. He’s electrifying.â€
Echoing the need for a Savior expressed in the previous selections, worshipful songs like “We Remember†(written by Audio Adrenaline’s Mark Stuart) and “Running to You†emphasize the sea change that must occur in a relationship with God: More than just emotion, my broken heart has chosen / Jesus, I’m running to you.
It’s that key choice that fuels the contagious passion found on Born Again’s heaviest hits. Crowd-rallying “One Shot†is where Michael’s childhood dreams (All I wanted was to do the rock thing) meet the newfound joys of being center stage with newsboys, helping spread their kingdom cause even further (We say there’s one way / when push comes to shove we’re gonna sing of His love).
Already a live highlight, “Born Again†is the mountainous title track where newsboys become a band completely renewed: Duncan dents up his kit, Jody makes a distorted guitar sound rough and righteous at once, Jeff adds support vocals to his cinematic synthesizers, and Michael definitively emotes his testimony.
“We’ve all believed in lies at some point. I had some prodigal years in the past,†he says. “But I hope the song encourages others to make the same decision I did: I’m giving Him the best of everything that’s left of the life inside this man / I’ve been born again.â€
“Born Again†is also the album’s first video and the perfect sonic match for footage of Michael, Duncan, Jeff, and Jody building houses in Mexico’s poverty stricken Baja Peninsula. The group has served the people in this Third World setting for many years constructing hundreds of homes, and plans to invite fans there for future ministry efforts.
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In all, newsboys collectively view Born Again as representative of everything the band has gone through this past year—standing at a crossroads where human reason might suggest closing up shop, but bold faith would compel these four men to trust in God’s plan for them and their listeners through the power of music.
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“Music is such a powerful medium,†concludes Michael. “For me, the only way to someone’s heart is through the headphones. Music can change the conscience of man. It dares to ask questions like: Why am I here? Can I be greater? How do I move forward?â€
Thankfully, newsboys asked those questions of themselves, and they’ve been born again.
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www.newsboys.com
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