Imposter

Personnel: Kevin Max (vocals); Andrew D. Prickett (guitar, keyboards, programming); Erick Cole (guitar); Byron Hagen (piano, keyboards, programming); Frank Lenz, Aaron Sterling (drums); Holly Nelson (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Chris Colbert; Kevin Max; Andrew D. Prickett.
Recording information: Northern Records; SonikWire.
Photographer: Melinda DiMauro.
An amalgam of the styles of Blur, David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz and Morrissey may not be what folks expected from the former dc Talk frontman, but then again Kevin Max was never known to be predictable. His third solo album put him yet further from the hip-hop-laced sounds of the group that made him a CCM superstar in the '90s. The songs reflected a change in scenery as Max uprooted from Nashville and moved to Los Angeles. His new digs helped draw out some of his most vulnerable and honest storytelling. He seemed to feel quite comfortable with the experimental sound. The album title comes from two writings of Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel and Abba's Child, both of which describe the inner struggle between the spirit and the "imposter" that opposes our spiritual nature. Many of the album's lyrics pointed toward this subject in one way or another. "Your Beautiful Mind," for instance, is addressed to a female university student who's an atheist. The student, who is a real-life friend of Max's, finally acknowledges the presence of God at the song's conclusion. The space-age crunchy guitar of "The Imposter Song," "Confessional Booth" and "Jumpstart Your Electric Heart" make each of them bouncing party anthems. His gospel-tinged cover of Bob Dylan's "When He Returns" seems a bit out of place, but in a surreal way it brings the album together. ~ Jared Johnson