Substance. No matter how an album may appear, any inspection of its lyrics usually reveal stupid cliches and shallow thoughts. I listen to a thousands albums and come across one or two with a single introspective sound clip. Even if you disagree with him, Derek Webb is an exception. 1 Corinthians 13, the great Chapter of Love, is the title of this record, and its entire theme: “Without love I am but a ringing bell or a clanging cymbal.”

“The End” is a good start. Webb begins by letting the world know that he’s here (once again) to discuss what so many Christians are so hesitant to discuss. “Here’s another story about the invisible knives / The elephant in the room trumpeting these lies.” Considering Webb’s well-advertised political views, this seems like a lovely play on words: Jesus is not a Republican. Hey, it amuses me, at least.

In “A Love That’s Stronger Than Fear,” he confronts a concept largely alien to modern western Christianity: martyrdom. I’ll end up quoting this one most in this review, but it’s worth the space: “What would you do, if someone put a gun to your head / and ask you to tell them a lie? / What would you say, if you were pushed that way? / To betray yourself to keep yourself alive / Is life worth so much?” The nature of martyrdom is absolutely revolutionary. So much of politics is based on self-preservation, utilitarianism, and pragmatism that a selfless, moral, and principled approach undercuts the very nature of the society of greed. Society doesn’t know what to do with self-sacrifice and charity.

If martyrdom is so radical, what about the social system which can martyr and torture? “What would you do, if someone would tell you the truth / But only if you torture them half to death? Tell me since when do the means justify the ends? / And you build the kingdom using the devil’s tools / Can time be so short?” Here, Webb slams one of my philosophical pet peeves: utilitarianism. Yes. I have philosophical pet peeves, but however much I’d like to give him points for that, I won’t.Webb wants to offer something more: “There is a day that’s been inaugurated but has not yet come / That we can proclaim by showing that there’s a better way.”

Right now I want to call out anyone who accuses Webb of advancing a “social gospel.” He is completely orthodox and evangelical, and it is these things which drive him to change society, but not because the social change is an end itself. Just because he isn’t singing Trinitarian theology and citing the Westminster Confession of Faith does not mean that he isn’t profoundly Christian. In fact, I believe that it is because he has transcended doctrine in his music that he has come much closer to the core of Christianity, which is love.

The melody of “I Wanna Marry You All Over Again” sounds dangerously like Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved,” but gives the stolen melody some distinction. It deals with the inherent work that relationships need: “Come on baby let’s go back to the start / Take it back sugar then gimme your heart / Don’t you know baby I would do it all over again.” It’s a very playful song, but at the same time very serious. Sometimes things do just need to be, as Chris Martin suggests, taken back to the start. As C.S. Lewis noted, sometimes you have to go back in order to go forward.

“I Don’t Want To Fight” recalls the messages of Christ and St. Paul: “You know the tree by the fruit / But just between me and you / I never do what I want / I do what I’m taught / and I’ve been learning a lot / About the violence I’m capable of.” Webb does not want to fight, because he is already fighting himself. How many artists, Christian or otherwise, talk about (and regret) the violence that they’re capable of?

In “Name,” Webb confronts the limitations of labels: “Oh my darlin’, you’ve must be a moving target just like me / they’ll call you right, they’ll call you left.” Like him, I am labeled liberal and conservative… Reality is usually much more complicated than a simple name. “A Savior on Capitol Hill” is a particularly apt song, considering the school I attend and the students with political Messiah complexes. A very unusual thing here is that this song addresses the inherent weaknesses of democracy: this system will never be perfect, and isn’t even ideal: “So come to DC if it be Thy will / Because we’ve never had a savior on Capitol Hill.” We are waiting for another kingdom.

One of my favorite lines comes in “This Too Shall Be Made Right”: “I’m trading comfort for human life / And that’s not just murder it’s suicide.” As much as I’m trying to remember that I’m reviewing this album, I can’t help but admire Derek Webb and endorse what he says. His support of the International Justice Mission only adds to his credibility.

Finally, the style of the album isn’t even “my” style, but I’ve really come to love it. Stylistically, Webb’s had enough experience to write very solid music. Lyrically, he doesn’t avoid controversy and doesn’t sidestep what he’s trying to say. His songs are thoughtful and often beautiful. He comes across as godly and (thank God) musical. I want to give him a perfect rating, but there are some less strong songs. We’ll give him 9.0 and call that a compromise. Oh, and by the way? I like it.