Todd Agnew - Better Questions
Todd Agnew’s music has always been on the upper end of CCM’s intellectual spectrum. From the biting criticism of the postmodern Church in “My Jesus” to the Christmas story narrative of his album “Do You See What I See?”, nothing he writes can be equated to the trivial pop that pervades CCM.
The last four albums (including his first unsigned album “One Thousand Songs”, which consisted entirely of live worship) have seen Agnew transition from a youth worship leader to more and more of a singer/songwriter lambasting complacency and corruption in the Church, excepting the Christmas project which was a slight diversion from that end, and though he has never been lacking in musical talent, his real strength lies in the lyrical content. Where “Grace Like Rain” was a combination of worship and songs of personal struggle, and “Reflection Of Something” contained personal songs of a more positive nature with a few worship songs thrown in as well as the convicting “My Jesus”, “Better Questions” consists nearly entirely of songs perscriptive for the Church, with only the occasional personal and worship song.
“Prelude” begins the album’s theme of questions on an almost worrying start in saying “So I built my house on what I thought was solid ground / But I know it could be sand” - a very postmodern take on Christianity and faith in general. But fortunately, this is the last trace of doubt in the entire album: “Still Has A Hold” speaks of the inadequacy of the individual to change himself and the power of Christ necessary to that end. “Least Of These” and later “Preachers And Thieves”, though bordering on endorsement of seeker-friendly movements, still carry a valuable message that the goal of the Church is inner before outer transformation and individual conversion before self-edification.
“If You Wanted Me” is the first of the personal songs, musing in trademark somber Agnew style how he, and by implication most of his listeners, would have reacted as various Biblical characters to their situations, in each case not the desirable way, and asking God why following was made to be such a difficult road. “Our Great God” is the first worship song on the album, a classic most people would know from Mac Powell and Fernando Ortega’s rendition on the “City On A Hill” CD. Appearing with Rebecca St. James, the anthemic chorus makes this one of the musical high points of the album.
“Lovers In Our Heads” returns to the provocative string of songs and again speaks in no vague terms against the hypocritical judgments we pour on so many people while “ignoring the lovers in our beds / Our own beds in our heads”. “Peace On Earth”, though probably intentionally hyperbolic, again speaks of the hypocrisy of our racial, familial, and other divisions, and to make clear his thematic point stylistically, even brings in a rapper to complement the folksy instrumentation of the song. Though it may not sound the best to a musical ear, the point he makes is well-reinforced by the addition. “Family” later on makes the same point that since we are all family in Christ, of what importance are our differences?
Don’t Say A Word”, a warning to hold one’s tongue in light of II Corinthians 5:20 (”We are therefore ambassadors of Christ…”) is sandwiched by two personal songs exploring the Romans 7 dilemma (”The good that I wish I do not do…”): “Funny” muses how things like fish and plants can obey God around one - specifically Jonah, and then expanded to himself - who can’t, or doesn’t. On the other side is “War Inside”, Easily the strongest track musically on the album and Agnew’s heaviest to date. Driven by deep electric guitar riffs to complement Agnew’s gruff voice in a very compelling way, the song reapproaches Romans 7 from the perspective of spiritual warfare.
“Martyr’s Song” is another standout track both musically and thematically. Sung from the perspective of God welcoming to Heaven one who has died for His sake, a chorus of children makes the song irresistibly poignant in light of the theme - one markedly different from the next, “On A Corner In Memphis”. Probably one of the most difficult songs on the album, Agnew blasts the superficiality of church services in favor of a man on Beal St., who though the song doesn’t say sings for the Lord or not, is at least singing from his heart. The underlying point is one in need of making, yet it seems at points to reflect the postmodern adage that sincerity of belief matters more than content of belief, and though I’m sure this is not what Agnew intended in the song is still a dangerous philosophy to be treading around.
The album finishes off with two strong tracks, “Can I Be With You”, a poignant reflection on death and the end of things, and “Glorious Day”, the bonus track continuing that thought about what comes after death and the end of things. “Better Questions” certainly contains Agnew’s best musical tracks yet, and though as a whole it still can’t compare to “Grace Like Rain”, it certainly is deeper and more thought-provoking than anything he or arguably anyone in the CCM scene has ever released.
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