Corpus Christi

Album Review

The Nails stripped down to a five piece for this release, and the loss of the sax that propelled previous songs is noticeable. As befits the title, most of the songs on Corpus Christi have overt religious imagery, even the otherwise straightforward love songs. The album opens with a pair of tracks that bode poorly for the rest of the release — both are grim, intense, and confrontational, mixing sexual imagery and jabs at Christian dogma. Just when it looks like Marc Campbell has turned into a second-rate Jim Morrison, the lilting country-gospel tune "Let's Commit a Sin" comes along. This is the novelty hit that should have been, a hilarious portrayal of lechery cloaked in spirituality, and the performance is perfect. From there the album moves forward erratically but interestingly, with tracks that are occasionally reminiscent of the Damned in their slower and more melodic moments. "Nice to Me" is a sweet and straightforward song to a departed lover, surprising for its poignancy and humor. If it had gotten more exposure, this could have been a pop hit, and it shows that the band was still as versatile as ever. The band goes back to their grim, intense mode for the last two new cuts, which are followed by both the original EP version of "88 Lines About 44 Women" and the more orchestrated RCA version. Overall, Corpus Christi is a mixed bag, with some pieces that are compelling but others that don't bear up to repeated listening.