Flyleaf, Kutless, FM Static & More
Missed flights and unplanned road trips.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to this edition of Nostalgia Booth, a newsletter where I look back on some of the music I listened to in my formative years. Being a millennial, most of these albums are from the 2000s.
Stick around for the updated playlist at the end. Also, you can check out the albums on all platforms using the embedded links on the titles.
Memento Mori — Flyleaf (2009)
Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge
I don’t want to overegg the pudding here, but it’s quite possible that Lacey Sturm — the vocalist of Flyleaf at this time — saved my life. My late teen years were a mess emotionally and I had just started to build a relationship with God at the time. Some folks in my fellowship had told me to stay off Rock Music because it was all evil and un-Christian. For a few months, I didn’t have much to connect to emotionally and lyrically from a musical perspective until I heard All Around Me by Flyleaf.
This song was from their debut album and although it remains one of my favourites, nothing comes close to my love for Memento Mori.
Kutless — Kutless (2002)
Nu-Metal, Alternative Metal
I started listening to Kutless pretty late — 2010 specifically. I remember the year because I vividly remember the moment that I first sampled this album. Prior to this, I had heard More Than It Seems, a song written for the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie. But on this faithful day in 2010, I was waiting for a flight at the airport and I decided to listen to Your Touch. The rest, as they say, is history.
Dear Diary — FM Static (2009)
Pop Punk
While Trevor McNevan’s main project, Thousand Foot Krutch, tends to get all the plaudits, his side project, FM Static is the one that I really fell in love with. Dear Diary is one of the earliest albums that taught me what a concept album is. I have memories connected to this album that I will treasure for life.
Captiva — Falling Up (2007)
Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock
Falling Up was a band of two distinct eras. What started as a good alternative rock, nu-metal and post-grunge band evolved into becoming one of the best experimental rock bands on the scene. In between these two eras lies Captiva, an album that retains a lot of the band’s original sound but clearly gives its listeners a glimpse into the future of the band.
The Struggle — Tenth Avenue North (2012)
Pop Rock, CCM
In terms of pure quality, there are other TAN albums that I could have chosen for this list. But if I am to stay true to the ‘nostalgia’ elements of this newsletter, The Struggle is the only album worth talking about today. Forgiveness, loss, weariness, pain, hope and grace are just a few of the themes that this album addresses. It came into my life at a time when I really needed it and I am always grateful for this band.
That’s it for today.
See you soon!
Social Preview Photo by Joel Filipe on Unsplash
Don’t forget to let me know what you think. What are your favourite artists/songs from the playlist so far?
I heard Kutless early on, but fell out of love after a while. Flyleaf though, it was my first experience of a female screamer and Lacey sang with such emotion that it moved me everytime.
I listened to FM Static sporadically and you're right, Thousand foot Krutch was the project I was much more familiar with. Interestingly, while I did listen to Tenth Avenue North, I can't say I know them very well. Apart from the song 'Oh my Dear,' which I loved to bits, I am painfully unfamiliar with a lot of their other work.