FM Static, featuring Thousand Foot Krutch frontman Trevor McNevan and drummer Steve Augustine, debuted in 2003 with What Are You Waiting For?. The songs "Crazy Mary" and "Definitely Maybe" got a lot of Christian radio airplay, making them a new band to watch. Three years later, Critically Ashamed came out, and although McNevan was happy with the project, it didn't make as great of an impact as the debut, and the band never toured in support of it. I thought FM Static might have faded from the scene permanently, but now Dear Diary has them returning stronger than ever on April 7.
In a clever twist, this is a concept album telling the story of a high school boy's life through a soundtrack for his diary, readable in an online blog. The first song, "A Boy Moves To A New Town With An Optimistic Outlook," sets the pop punk tone, followed quickly by tracks like "The Unavoidable Battle Of Feeling On The Outside," and the extremely catchy "Boy Meets Girl (And Vice Versa)" and "Sometimes You Can't Forget Who You Are," eventually ending with "The Shindig (Off To College)." The band even pays a tribute to dc Talk on "The Voyage Of Beliefs" with the lines, "What if I stumble / What if I fall / When I'm on my way to you / What if I need you / Who do I call? / How do I know I'll get through? / Because I don't wanna ride the fence anymore / I want to stand up and shout it / And let it be known."
"Take Me As I Am" is another song that should do well on Christian radio. McNevan has had a knack for this kind of spiritual ballad since the early days of TFK, and follows it up with the honest prayer, "Dear God."
Dear Diary is creative, catchy, and fun, with plenty of sing-along moments. Two thumbs up!
Visit FM Static.