Vagabonds

Vagabonds

On their third album, the Classic Crime pay tribute to their home city, wrestle with carnal sin, and celebrate lasting love. Unlike many of their Christian rock brethren, the band reaches out beyond its core audience by acknowledging the snares of the world in everyday terms. Equally important, the CC fills Vagabonds with an appealing amalgam of guitar-fueled muscle and supple rhythmic drive. The album’s dominant note is positive, whether the quintet is celebrating Seattle’s downtown scene (the title tune), surrendering to God’s grace (“A Perfect Voice”) or seeking the truth amidst temptation (“My Name”). Singer Matt MacDonald offers a pair of power-pop valentines to his wife with the sparkling “Walk With Me” and the boisterous “Solar Powered Life.” Darker tracks like “The Count” and “Cheap Shots” supply some needed sting and grit, while the mostly-vocal “Walk With Me” achieves a haunting ambiance. “The Happy Nihilist” — a portrait of a self-centered intellectual on the verge of a spiritual awakening — is an especially provocative tune. With nary a weak track, Vagabonds is an album of force and substance.

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