| Length: | 56:45 |
|---|---|
| Producer: | Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann |
| Cuts: | It's Killing Me |
| Dive | |
| Consume Me | |
| My Friend (So Long) | |
| Fearless | |
| Godsend | |
| Wanna Be Loved | |
| The Truth | |
| Since I Met You | |
| Into Jesus | |
| Supernatural | |
| Red Letters | |
| There Is A Treason At Sea |
"Derivitive" is a generally negative term oft used by music critics to describe a lacking of originality. The common conception of "derivitive" is something along the lines of "trying to copy and failing." Where dc Talk is concerned, "derivitive" is an apt description, but the meaning of the word is more like "combining previously heard material in clever and appealing ways." They were derivitive in this manner on Jesus Freak, and they continue to be such with Supernatural their latest project releasing jointly on the Virgin and Forefront labels.
Lyrical content varies from blissfully ignorant ("Since I Met You") to worshipful ("Red Letters" and "Consume Me"). "My Friend (So Long)" describes a music industry stereotype of an artist who sheds his band in favor of "a quicker way to scale the wall of fame." (It also contains a brief snippet of "Jesus Freak.") Sweethearts in love provide the characters for "Godsend." "There Is A Treason At Sea" is Kevin Max' bit of poetic verse to close Supernatural with a reflection on the vastness of God's power and the need for surrender to His whims.
Supernatural is a musical hodge podge, even within songs. Each arrangement typically fluctuates between slow or simpler sections where the musical tension escalates and driving segments where pent up energy is released. "Since I Met You" begins as a slow ballad, then turns to a happy punk influenced sound with the cheesy ballad returning as a bridge to set up the conclusion. "It's Killing Me" begins with an easy going accompaniment that is soon overwhelmed by growling distortion with pulsing bass on the chorus. Again, a simple section returns before a final big push to the end of the tune. "Dive" is in the same format. The AC radio friendly "Consume Me" and "Into Jesus" maintain the most consistency in character from beginning to end.
dc Talk made quantum stylistic leaps between Nu Thang,Free At Last, and Jesus Freak. Supernatural breaks this tradition with comparable but more sophisiticated musical arrangements than Jesus Freak's. The influences are more diverse and the lyrical content refers to the "supernatural" theme on enough occassions to make the songs hang together as one cohesive conceptual unit. However, nothing on Supernatural rocks as hard as "So Help Me God," "Day by Day," "Jesus Freak," or "Like It, Live It, Need It." Beginning with a Jesus Freak template, Supernatural subtracts some drive and adds some polish.