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If Kevin Max’s “The Imposter” is any indication, he has clearly taken a musical position. Forget the sales, forget the critics; he’s charting his own musical path.
And I'm ready to follow him into this trippy, surprising world of "The Imposter," where Max reigns as part-Ziggy Stardust, part-80's popmeister. And if that intro doesn't tempt you, let me reassure you that the true strength of the album is found in its heavy doses of vulnerability and versatility. Max spent time with Brennan Manning in his dcTalk years, and learned that the imposter lives within us all. It's that fleshy part that isn't willing to step aside, the part that wants to rule over us spiritually. "The Imposter" is about that battle. True to form, it contains within it the same qualities of relentless energy, zealous intention, and whole-hearted commitment. Max does not waver from his vision, from the first guitar strains of the revealing "Confessional Booth," to the spacey sound effects of the album's last, hidden track. It's a wild ride all the way through. "Confessional Booth" and the fierce standout title track set the tone from the outset. It's all gut-ripping honesty, don't look back: "No more faking, no more of my charades." The title track plays like a rockin' declaration of happy surrender; Max rips off all facades gleefully, and these songs contain this forceful element of focused intention. "Sanctuary" percolates with trippy beats and honest yearning. The moving and stunning "Your Beautiful Mind" follows, an impassioned expression of desire for a friend's conversion. Max's signature high-range vocals shimmer with passion, complemented nicely by sweet string arrangements. The looming, industrial "Jumpstart Your Electric Heart!" is an interesting choice to follow, but Max is nothing if not eternally interesting. "Platform" is Max opening a vein for our musical benefit, bravely exposing his heart. "Why'd you choose me when you knew I wasn't tough enough/ Why'd you send me when you knew I would run/ Why'd you put me in the places that I didn't want/ Why'd you call me when you knew I'd hang up?" "The Royal Path of Life" is heavily Beatles-laden, with a classic rock feel. I enjoyed the sunny pop tune "Stay," even as it confessed that "love is a deadly potion." Well, it is! It's more Beatles in the gorgeously lyrical "I Need You, the End," through all its twists and turns, a gumbo cover of Dylan's "When He Returns," and spacey rocker "Fade to Red" closes out.... or not. Don't forget the hidden track. Kevin Max, never ever dull.
The copyright of the article Kevin Max's The Imposter" in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Kevin Max's The Imposter" in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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