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"I'm for the underdog. I like the one that don't belong," Kevin Max proclaims in the song "I Don't Belong." On a break from platinum-selling group dc talk, Max has his chance to express himself in his new album, Stereotype Be. Often misunderstood and judged by others, Max focuses his album on the misfits and the fringe.
Musically, Stereotype Be is what fans would expect from Max: it's unique. The album is a hybrid of Beatles pop, alternative rock, techno rhythms, eastern vocalizations and spoken word. The surprising result is a wonderful pop record. The hooks are incredibly catchy, but with enough depth to offer something new at each listen.
Throughout the album, Max spins third-person tales of temptresses, drug users and "Angels Without Wings." The lives described are not orderly or clean. "What is this mess of my existence?" Max asks in the song "Existence." Max is challenging the listener to question the extent of God's love and acceptance. How far will God go to reach out to people whose lives are outwardly full of chaos and darkness?
The centerpiece of Stereotype Be is the anthem "Be." The song is an admonition to live lives that do not conform to those around us, but rather to what God has created us to be.
As the last song ends, Max's album has asked more questions than it has given answers. But wait! There is a hidden pearl at the end of the album that is Max's boldest spiritual statement. In a hidden praise song (unnamed) Max ultimately presents God as the answer to all the chaos.
In the spoken-word track "I Went Over the Edge of the World," Max says, "I face the microphone and fumble in my pockets for a change." Stereotype Be is a just that, a wonderful change.
- Norm
McDonald
