Staple: Of Truth and Reconciliation
Staple’s latest album, “Of Truth and Reconciliation,� bears the bold markings of a soldier at war, accompanied by an unspoken conversation with a young boy. These images are born out throughout the songs on the album, as the vocals of Darien Keim are joined by Grant Beachy’s drums and the guitars of Brian Miller and Israel. Bearing the wounds of wars fought and yet to fight, the band rocks a bold attitude that resonates throughout the album.
There is definitely a banner born by Staple, a mentality that drives them. In “Do or Die,� they reject the “elitist mob� and the fury with which they condemn others, probably even the band itself. The strong imagery of a man burned at the stake, guilty only of rejecting the crowd mentality, shows the consequences of ignoring the Eden-imaged serpent’s temptations. Staple’s attitude is do or die: they claim the truth for themselves, one they’ve felt “in His wrists.� There’s Christ imagery there—but not pressed too strongly.
The war itself is on the forefront of Staple’s collective mind. There’s a vow made to follow through, but the names have all been falsified in “Forging Generals.� They’re claiming the war—replacing generals who forge with forging generals, as in forging ahead! These new generals long to persevere but recognize their own faults, having fallen to hypocrisy and failing to be who they are meant to be in “Honor and Integrity.� “I know exactly what to do,� sings Keim, “I know exactly what to say. I believe every word—it’s just so hard to obey. Trojan horse full of big butterflies…� What an accurate criticism! Too often, we know what to do but fail to follow through, yet others honor us for the good they see.
The despair seems too much in “Gavels From Gun Barrels,� but Keim pulls it out through a “change of heart, repentant faith only count in mercy’s wake.� He admits that it’s not to his credit but for the grace of the other whom he sings too. This love, this grace, helps him hold on through the “Sound of Silence,� and pushes him to bless the little boy and girl sung to in “Black, Blue and Gold.� While we can imagine the hurts on these young people, we can recognize that the grace from before will heal the scars: “may angels guide your feet, little boy, toward the peace you truly seek.� Staple takes up the banner to carry it into battle, but the final destination is peace. Here too he admits his own responsibility in the problem—this blame cannot be completely passed onto others.
Staple gets more direct in “The Best of Times,� where these rockers acknowledge the only success they’ve found, having failed so miserably: “But this is where I find trust is for: crying tears of faith that God’s got something more.� This hope drives “The Day the Blind Revolted� and the peace desired in “Circles We Run.� Closing out the album in “Final Night,� the final challenge is not to other humans but to death: “There’s no fear in staring in death’s eyes. These are the defining lines when we prove that we’re alive.� This bravado isn’t fleeting—death’s personification makes it that much more conquerable—the war crosses the lines of time and space, life and death. Staple’s battle will last until kingdom come.
There is definitely a banner born by Staple, a mentality that drives them. In “Do or Die,� they reject the “elitist mob� and the fury with which they condemn others, probably even the band itself. The strong imagery of a man burned at the stake, guilty only of rejecting the crowd mentality, shows the consequences of ignoring the Eden-imaged serpent’s temptations. Staple’s attitude is do or die: they claim the truth for themselves, one they’ve felt “in His wrists.� There’s Christ imagery there—but not pressed too strongly.
The war itself is on the forefront of Staple’s collective mind. There’s a vow made to follow through, but the names have all been falsified in “Forging Generals.� They’re claiming the war—replacing generals who forge with forging generals, as in forging ahead! These new generals long to persevere but recognize their own faults, having fallen to hypocrisy and failing to be who they are meant to be in “Honor and Integrity.� “I know exactly what to do,� sings Keim, “I know exactly what to say. I believe every word—it’s just so hard to obey. Trojan horse full of big butterflies…� What an accurate criticism! Too often, we know what to do but fail to follow through, yet others honor us for the good they see.
The despair seems too much in “Gavels From Gun Barrels,� but Keim pulls it out through a “change of heart, repentant faith only count in mercy’s wake.� He admits that it’s not to his credit but for the grace of the other whom he sings too. This love, this grace, helps him hold on through the “Sound of Silence,� and pushes him to bless the little boy and girl sung to in “Black, Blue and Gold.� While we can imagine the hurts on these young people, we can recognize that the grace from before will heal the scars: “may angels guide your feet, little boy, toward the peace you truly seek.� Staple takes up the banner to carry it into battle, but the final destination is peace. Here too he admits his own responsibility in the problem—this blame cannot be completely passed onto others.
Staple gets more direct in “The Best of Times,� where these rockers acknowledge the only success they’ve found, having failed so miserably: “But this is where I find trust is for: crying tears of faith that God’s got something more.� This hope drives “The Day the Blind Revolted� and the peace desired in “Circles We Run.� Closing out the album in “Final Night,� the final challenge is not to other humans but to death: “There’s no fear in staring in death’s eyes. These are the defining lines when we prove that we’re alive.� This bravado isn’t fleeting—death’s personification makes it that much more conquerable—the war crosses the lines of time and space, life and death. Staple’s battle will last until kingdom come.
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