Even Heroes Need a Parachute
Encyclopedia
Even Heroes Need a Parachute is the first studio album
by American
Christian rock
band This Beautiful Republic
. It was released in the United States
on April 3, 2007 through ForeFront Records
. In mid 2007, it was also made available in Europe
an countries.
announced that they signed a record deal with This Beautiful Republic
. Even Heroes Need a Parachute was produced
by Allen Salmon, and mixed by Mark Needham.
The album was first released in the United States
on April 3, 2007, and later in Europe
during mid-2007. The band went on a three-week European tour in August 2007 to support its release.
bands Jimmy Eat World
, Foo Fighters
, and Anberlin
. The album has also been described as having power pop
influences, specifically on the track "Black Box".
"Right Now" was co-written by fellow CCM
artist Joy Williams. All other tracks were written by the band members and producer Allen Salmon.
, and to give listeners a brush with eternity
."
The song "Black Box" is an allegory
between faith
and passengers on a crashing plane
, questioning their legacy and Christian faith. The song uses the analogy of a black box
recording the events and choices in one's life; "Our black box is hearing the hope and the fearing/What will it say?"
radios by November 2006. The song "Black Box" was released as a single in mid 2007, becoming notably played on Christian rock
radios in early September 2007. "Right Now" was also released to Christian radios in 2007.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band This Beautiful Republic
This Beautiful Republic
This Beautiful Republic was an American band signed to ForeFront Records in November 2006. They are best known for their song "Right Now". The group appeared on the Christian television show The Logan Show on December 9, 2006...
. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 3, 2007 through ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
. In mid 2007, it was also made available in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries.
Background and release
In November 2006, ForeFront RecordsForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
announced that they signed a record deal with This Beautiful Republic
This Beautiful Republic
This Beautiful Republic was an American band signed to ForeFront Records in November 2006. They are best known for their song "Right Now". The group appeared on the Christian television show The Logan Show on December 9, 2006...
. Even Heroes Need a Parachute was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Allen Salmon, and mixed by Mark Needham.
The album was first released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 3, 2007, and later in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during mid-2007. The band went on a three-week European tour in August 2007 to support its release.
Style and songwriting
Allmusic labeled Even Heroes Need a Parachutes genre as "Alternative CCM", comparing its sound to rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, and Anberlin
Anberlin
Anberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
. The album has also been described as having power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
influences, specifically on the track "Black Box".
"Right Now" was co-written by fellow CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
artist Joy Williams. All other tracks were written by the band members and producer Allen Salmon.
Lyrical themes
Lead singer Ben Olin said that the album's title was chosen to "emphasize the common ground that all humans share. No matter who you are or what you do, the need for a savior is vital. So we hope, beyond anything else, to show people this savior, ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, and to give listeners a brush with eternity
Eternity
While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existence for a limitless amount of time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside time. By contrast, infinite temporal existence is then called sempiternity. Something eternal exists outside time; by contrast,...
."
The song "Black Box" is an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
between faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and passengers on a crashing plane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
, questioning their legacy and Christian faith. The song uses the analogy of a black box
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
recording the events and choices in one's life; "Our black box is hearing the hope and the fearing/What will it say?"
Singles
The first single off the album was "Jesus to the World", which was released in fall of 2006, being circulated and played across USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radios by November 2006. The song "Black Box" was released as a single in mid 2007, becoming notably played on Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
radios in early September 2007. "Right Now" was also released to Christian radios in 2007.
Track listing
- "Casting Off" – 3:11
- "Going Under" – 3:36
- "Jesus to the World" – 3:31
- "Right Now" – 3:43
- "Black Box" – 3:18
- "The Surface" – 2:49
- "Let's Be Honest" – 3:32
- "New Year" – 3:32
- "Something to Deny" – 2:58
- "Fears and Failures" – 3:36
- "Cloud Cover" – 4:47