Turn the Tides

Album Review

In July 2002, rock and hip-hop band 38th Parallel released Turn the Tides, its first album for Squint Entertainment. Striving to be a culturally relevant voice in society, the five members (Shane Moe, Nathan Rippke, Jeff Barton, Mark Jennings, and Aaron Nordyke) named the group after the parallel of latitude where the border between North and South Korea roughly falls. Barton explains as follows: "Just as those countries were at war, we're in the middle of conflicting beliefs and ideologies every day; over what's real, what's meaningful, what's true. As Christians living in the world, were literally caught in the middle. We want to demonstrate what the Truth is and how it's relevant to our lives today" (Squint Entertainment). With musical influences such as Project 86, Linkin Park, and Incubus, 38th Parallel offers listeners an edgy style, at times mixing elements of hip-hop with gentler melodies and harmonies. Songs include "Higher Ground," "Who Am I?," and "State of Mind."