This way of thinking is important in understanding why, when you comb through the Church's dense discography, there's such consistency. It was never a matter of sounding "of the times," or reacting against them. "We have never, ever, ever catered to the public taste. We just never considered it an option! I mean, we've been called 'progressive,' we've been called 'neo-psychedelic.' You could call our music psychedelic, but I think it's more . . . moody. It needs you to come to our party. It's both jagged and dreamy — but at the same time, if you see us live, you're going to see a quite powerful rock band. We have moments of atmosphere and beauty, but lots of heavy moments and wailing solos."
Perhaps this is the miracle of the Church — lasting nearly 30 years with the visage of a million moods while continually refining their sound, even when casual fans might be satisfied with the same 10 warhorses over and over. "The amazing thing about music is that it creates magic at all different levels. You can have poetry, you can have incredible technique that can stimulate you, you can have a beat that drives you crazy in the streets, or you can have a guy singing very clichéd lyrics that brings tears to your eyes. For us, our focus, our drive, is in generating art, generating innovation, eclecticism — anything that isn't gray and banal and bland and repeating itself."
THE CHURCH + ADAM FRANKLIN | Showcase Live, 23 Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA | July 2 at 8 pm | $25 | All ages | 888.354.7042 orwww.ticketmaster.com
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