(2005) Music Review

— MUSIC REVIEWS INDEX
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This page was created on , 2005
This page was last updated on June 8, 2005

REVIEW BY
JACOB SAHMS

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Copeland’s In Motion wants to put its hands on love to hold it, define it, and put a name there for all to see. In “No One Really Wins,” love takes center stage as the singer urges his beloved not to make any changes to prove herself but to just let go. “I hope that you look back before you go ‘cause grace looks back before it starts to leave…In the endless fight of grace and pride I don’t want to win this time.” In any relationship, the fragile balance between boundaries and complete interaction includes the balance of grace and pride. Grace is the thing that brings two people closer than their humanness allows.

This understanding continues in “Choose the One Who Loves You More.” Fear of the unknown is blamed for keeping us in the dark about each other, and our ‘beautiful secret lives.’ Copeland urges the listener to “Choose the one who loves you more./And when you’ve found something to die for. They’ll be knocking on your heart’s door.” How much significance does ‘the one’ hold? Is it the one of two or THE ONE that remains forever, alpha and omega, beginning and end? Who are they who come knocking? It seems that the opportunities abound—when you choose that person/other who loves you more or most than any other, you escape the boundaries that keep your true self hidden. You becomes the core of who you are and you are willing to share that freely…when you are really loved.

“Kite” is unabashedly about a woman, from whom the singer hid out of failure and fear. Or is it fear of failure? “Oh my dear you’re a threat to the bad in us all./They tell themselves that each word from your lips or the grace in your eyes overcomes any fall.” Once again, the grace of the other rises above the situations that the singer has involved himself in out of fear. This female object of affection has the power to overcome ‘any fall’…Love rises above “The Fall,” right? Jesus Christ comes bodily to earth to shower grace over all of us and wash aside original sin as presented through the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

The expression of love that requires the action of the other rings out from “Don’t Slow Down” as well. “They say, I don’t know how to love the right way, but you make me feel…you make me feel like I do,” Copeland sings. Not only is love presented as self-sacrificing here but it shines by example and shouts to be heard above the murmuring of critics and judgmental views. Love is patient and kind…and leads by example? Copeland moves on in “Love is a Fast Song” to human-to-human love but the understanding is still that love is in motion and draws others to it.

Regardless of who Copeland is singing to and about, they love they present makes those around it better, draws them closer to truth and wellbeing, and helps them love themselves. That’s what Jesus did.

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"Strip away all the fluff. Does the song still speak the same way when performed with just a voice and a single piano or single guitar?” This is Copeland’s test of a well written song. Lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Aaron Marsh was bred in the diverse Florida music scene where he started the band with his close friend, bassist James Likeness. During their search to finish off the line-up, Aaron found a kindred spirit in Maryland native guitarist Bryan Laurenson, with a mutual appreciation of quality pop melodies to push his writing to new levels. With a concerted effort to weave memorable melodies with insightful lyrics, the band began crafting their intelligent brand of anthemic pop songs in 2000.

Atlanta producer, Matt Goldman engineered Copeland’s first release in late 2000. This split EP with glam pop band Pacifico, not only earned Copeland some music industry attention, but also their first national audience in the form of a half dozen small East Coast US tours. For that first year, the band excitedly played in any venue that would have them, for whoever wanted to listen. This deep appreciation for their supporters has stuck with them as they’ve begun to see bigger tours.

In the summer of 2002, Copeland signed a record deal with So-Cal independent label The Militia Group and started making plans to focus on the band full time. The band felt it was in need of a fresh start in a new scene. They relocated to Atlanta in the fall. This location seemed more conducive to full time touring and closer to producer Matt Goldman’s studio where they would start a 2 month recording session for their debut full length album.

The fruit of those two months was their acclaimed opus entitled “Beneath Medicine Tree.” Tragically beautiful, and emotionally charged with themes of love, loss, and hope, the album delighted Copeland’s small existing following and earned the band a quickly growing audience. Copeland hit the road with a rigorous tour schedule, hopping from one tour to another with the likes of Switchfoot, The Juliana Theory, The Early November, Hopesfall, Mae, and countless others. They stayed on tour for an exhausting 15 months, playing over 400 shows in that time, but not just playing music every night. Every different city became a chance to meet a new group of kids at the show. Whether playing 4-square in front of the venue, eating dinner after the show, or hanging out at the merchandise table talking about music, Copeland was always excited to turn their fans into their friends.

In December of 2003, during a short break from the road, Copeland took a week to record a covers EP to be released before they begin work on their follow-up to “Beneath Medicine Tree.” Aaron said about the EP, “We wanted to give our supporters something to listen to while we worked on another record. We knew it might take us a while and we didn’t want everyone to forget about us. These were all songs that we grew up listening to that we thought we could bring something new to.” The EP, entitled “Know Nothing Stays the Same,” features Copeland’s renditions of songs by Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Phil Collins, Berlin, and Billy Joel and is due out August 10, 2004.

Copeland is hard at work on a new batch of songs and will return to Matt Goldman’s studio in Atlanta to work on their anticipated sophomore full-length in September 2004. The newest addition to Copeland, drummer, and long-time friend Jon Bucklew, whose natural groove and creative sense will surely bring a new dimension to Copeland’s sound as they craft their new songs. However, the initial rule will still apply. “Strip away all the fluff. Will the song still speak the same way when performed with just a voice and guitar?"

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