The Modern Post - Grace Alone

Artist: The Modern Post
Album: Grace Alone
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Label: Mars Hill Music

Less than a year ago, one of my all time favorite bands, Thrice, announced that they would be going on a hiatus after their farewell tour this spring, shortly after the release of the fantastic Major/Minor. However, there had been rumors and a few photos from frontman Dustin Kensrue's Twitter account that stated that he had been working on a worship album slated to be released this year, after moving to Seattle to lead worship at Mars Hill Church alongside Pastor Mark Driscoll.



Now, two months after Thrice's last show, Kensrue's new band, The Modern Post, have surfaced with a five song EP, entitled Grace Alone. The EP is full of '80s'-influenced rock, loaded with heavy bass and synth grooves that accompany Dustin's voice rather well. In fact, despite a new backing band and much different instrumentation than Thrice, Dustin feels right at home with The Modern Post.

Grace Alone covers three hymns, "Just As I Am," "Before The Throne," and "Amazing Grace." The former of the three really strays from the traditional version the most, due to its thick synths and airy guitars, while "Amazing Grace (God of Grave)" implements in a new chorus, similar to what Chris Tomlin did with the song. Another cover is done as well, being the lesser known "White As Snow," originally an acoustic, stripped down piece by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, which here is translated into a slower, ambient song with a hazy chorus of "Wash me white as snow and I will be made whole." Grace Alone's only original is its title track, an indie rocker with some very well written lyrics by Kensrue that convey the hope of the Gospel.

Overall: Grace Alone is a good start for The Modern Post, with five songs of grooving synth rock that bring to mind the sounds of the '80s, something refreshing in the midst of worship bands out there that can get away with rehashing similar sounds repeatedly. If you've been a fan of anything that Dustin Kensrue has done in the past, or are looking for some new worship music that sets itself apart from what you may typically hear or think of with the genre in mind, then check out The Modern Post.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan

Tracklisting:

1. Just As I Am
2. Grace Alone
3. Before The Throne
4. Amazing Grace (God of Grace)
5. White As Snow

(Buy/Listen Here)