Sounds like … The Kry’s signature mix of melodic and acoustic rock, a la Bob Dylan or Tom Petty, with the alternative praise motif of Telecast or Common Children.
At a glance … instead of phoning in predictable worship, The Kry serves up inventive instrumentation and creative lyrical adaptations direct from the Bible.
Even without the help of a major label and playing ping-pong with several indies, The Kry has endured for nearly 15 years. Along the way, it has amassed a dedicated underground following and made marks on the Christian music world at large with three number one singles and nearly 400,000 cumulative album sales. After a three-year hiatus, brothers Jean-Luc and Yves Lajoie return completely on their own terms with God of Infinite Worth, a worship-focused endeavor under the self-run LeKri Music.
Throughout the thirteen tracks, the French-Canadian pair have retained and even updated many of the qualities followers have come to appreciate over the years. For one, they steer away from the safe and easy contemporary Christian craze, instead blending their musical palette with a mix of rootsy and ethereal instrumentation. On the lyrical front, the duo shies away from clich豠in favor of creativity, while sticking very close to their biblical beliefs. Take, for instance, the harmonica-soaked “Be Exalted/We Exalt Thee,” inspired by the Psalms. It’s far from predictable modern worship, sounding more like Bob Dylan searching his soul than any CCM industry flavors of the week. The same can be said about “Jesus Lord of Heaven,” an organic, momentum building jam fitting for fans of The Jayhawks.
“Faithful” and “Holiness” further show The Kry’s far-reaching scope, falling within the melodic, Brit-pop influence of Coldplay or Telecast. Jean-Luc’s voice soars on the dreamy ballad “In the Image of Christ,” while the instrumental “Selah” possesses an even more delicate feel given its luminous string arrangement. Such a widely stretched scope proves that a band can experience longevity without having to fit directly into formula.
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