The Shine! album is a very high-quality production, with practically all of the songs being radio-friendly (and I daresay having more meaningful content than the majority of music on today's airwaves). Most of the tracks on the album could be pinned as belonging to the dance/electronic genre, with a few others being classified as contemporary or straight rock. Dance, of course, makes perfect sense when dealing with children, as dance moves are one of the best ways to get them engaged with the music and its message (see also: North Point Kids' four points on worship music for elementary-aged kids).
As a listening / learning exercise, I have gone through each track on the album, provided a graphic of the song form, and tried to identify as many sonic elements in each as possible. Let me just say, as an overview, there is a lot going on here. Below is a rundown of each track with comments. On the whole, Shine! is a very well-made and well thought-out production, one that I'm not ashamed to admit is on my iPod that I listen to quite frequently.
1 — Your Love for Me (Db, 128bpm)
- electric guitar (0:00, Intro)
- sampled percussion (thumps, claps) (0:00, Intro) // thicker at 1:52 (Down-Chorus)
- lead vox (0:07, Verse 1)
- electric guitar 2 (harmony) (0:15)
- reverse cymbal (0:21, into Pre-chorus)
- bass guitar (0:23, Pre-Chorus)
- drum kit (0:23)
- pad (C#5, G#5) (0:23)
- percussion loop (bandpassed) (0:23) // filter sweep into chorus (0:28)
- lead synth (0:30, Chorus)
- backup male vox (0:30) // ad lib at 0:57 // new melody at 2:00 (Last chorus)
- electronic hi-hat (0:46, into Verse 2)
- gated synth (0:57)
- drum loop (slow filter sweep) (1:30, Bridge)
- piano (1:32)
- gated male vox (1:37)
Doubled, and stereo-panned electric guitars are featured a lot on the album. Observe, during the first verse, that the guitar on the left channel is joined halfway through with a guitar on the right, in harmony; a great way to create a sense of forward momentum. I always wondered how a snare drum can be made to sound so beefy and punchy: often it's doubled with something, and I think that 'something' is what's heard at 1:53, a sort of clap sound.
- electronic drum kit (0:00, Intro)
- synth (0:00) // low freq (functions as pad) (0:28, Pre-Chorus)
- synth 2 (0:07)
- lead female vox (0:14, Verse)
- gated hi-passed synth (16th notes) (0:14) // gate off, sidechained (0:28)
- bass synth (0:14)
- piano? (0:28, Pre-Chorus)
- sampled toms (0:29)
- backup female group vox (0:43, Chorus)
- electric guitar, rising filter (1:12, Verse 2) // gated 16ths (1:26, 2nd Pre-Chorus)
- TR-808-style kick (2:24, Down-Chorus)
- time-frozen, gated female vox (2:38)
In several tracks, Verse 2 is actually a direct repeat of Verse 1. Again, this can only make the message easier to understand when dealing with this age group. One thing I was a bit surprised to see on this album was the down chorus after the bridge: at first I didn't think it would fly with elementary-aged kids, but perhaps it's the best place to really get them on their feet.
- sampled kick & claps (0:00, Intro)
- electric guitar (rhythm, with reverse effect) (0:05, Verse 1)
- lead vox (0:05) // quarter-note delays (0:19) // stereo doubled (0:28, Chorus) // bandpassed at 1:49 (Down-Chorus)
- electric guitar 2 (lead, tremolo) (0:17)
- drum kit (hi-hat only) (0:17) // full kit at 0:28
- 'gooey/sticky' synth? (0:30)
- backup male vox (0:31)
- lead tremolo synth (0:32)
- square synth doubling rhythm guitar (0:40, Verse 2)
- 'music box' bells (8th notes) (1:26, Bridge)
- backup group/children vox (1:29)
- acoustic guitar (bandpassed) (1:49, Down-Chorus)
There is an awful lot of audio post-processing on this album. Reverse effects, stutters, and tape effects abound, creating an awful lot of ear candy. Here you can hear it on the guitar in the first verse. Note too, that this track is the first of several to make use of a full stop before unleashing into the chorus: an effective device.
- electric guitar 1 (rhythm) (0:00)
- sampled drums (0:03, Verse 1) // add hi-hat (0:18) // add driving 16ths (0:37, Chorus)
- lead vox (0:03) // Melodyne harmony? (0:37)
- electric guitar 2 (doubled, panned) (0:18)
- bass guitar (0:18) // slapped at (0:37)
- reverse cymbal (tape fx?) (0:51)
- backup male vox (ad lib) (0:52)
- high synth (singles) (0:52)
- lo-fi bass synth (2:14, Down-Chorus)
- low-frequency gated pad (2:14)
This is the first in the album to make us of what I suspect is some sort of Melodyne harmony on the lead vocal. It appears as three-part harmony in the first chorus, then as single accompanying line throughout the second verse.
5 — Trust in You (F, 126bpm)
- drum machine (0:00)
- synth (rising frequency) (0:00)
- sample stutters (snare and vox?) (0:11, into Verse 1) // on lead vox (0:25 and throughout)
- lead female vox (0:15)
- tape FX (vocal delay, 0:22)
- reverse FX (snare and cymbal) (0:28, into Chorus)
- TR-808-style bass drop (0:28)
- bass (heavy distortion) (0:30, Chorus)
- backup vox harmony (0:30)
- 'retrigged' gliding synth (0:45, Break)
- lead male vox (0:53, Verse 2)
- adlib backup vox (2:03, last Chorus)
The first track to feature spoken word; a must on a kid's album! See the official lyric video for a taste: https://vimeo.com/61320491
6 — My Help Comes From You (A, 124bpm)
- bandpassed drum machine (0:00)
- lead male vox, bandpassed (alternating mono / stereo doubled) (0:01)
- electric guitar, bandpassed (alternating stereo doubled / mono) (0:01)
- drum machine (main) (0:17, Pre-Chorus)
- bass (0:17)
- polysynth (0:17)
- backup female vox (and children's group?) (0:32, Chorus)
- FX: reverse cymbal (1:10, into 2nd Pre-Chorus) // reverse stutter (2:23, into last Chorus)
- lead synth (distorted) (1:11)
Note the simple thoughtfulness at the beginning: mono vocal, and stereo guitar, then in the next bar, stereo vocal, then mono guitar. Thoughtful, fresh, and adds interest.
7 — Thank You (B, 131bpm)
- drum machine (0:00)
- bass (0:00)
- electric guitar (doubling polysynth) (0:00)
- polysynth (0:00)
- lead female vox ad lib (0:00) // in at 0:14 (Verse 1) // Melodyne harmony? (0:43)
- reverse noise swells (0:12, into Verse 1)
- gated polysynth (0:14)
- piano (0:28)
- synth octave bass (0:29, halfway thru Verse 1)
- light pad (0:29)
- high resonance synth, downward sweep (0:43, Chorus)
- pad (sidechained) (1:05, Verse 2)
- detuned synth (1:49, throughout Bridge)
- backup group vox (1:55)
- warm pad(s) (2:28)
- FX: rising filter (2:37, Down-Chorus)
The first interesting spin on song form: borrowing the 'B' section of the verse (here labelled as Pre-Chorus) to build back into the final chorus.
8 — I Believe It (B, 115.5bpm)
- drum kit (sampled) (0:00) // added toms, tambourine (Chorus)
- electric guitar (0:00) // stereo doubled at 0:24 (Verse 2)
- lead male vox (0:08, Verse 1) // doubled (unpanned) (0:41, Chorus)
- bass guitar (0:24, Verse 2)
- mandolin (stereo-doubled) (0:41, 1st Chorus and following)
- piano (1:48, Bridge)
- organ (1:48)
One of the more straightforward song forms on the album, but nonetheless effective. Percussion is very well-handled, particularly in the chorus with the added toms. One curiosity on this track is the mandolin, which, although it sounded like it was played quietly, is quite hot in the mix (once you realize it's there.) Still, an effective element.
9 — Unlock the Power (B, 150bpm)
- tape sweep (0:00)
- kit (0:02)
- bass (0:02)
- lead guitar (0:02)
- rhythm guitar (0:02) // left channel phaser?
- 'bubbly' synth (0:08) // bends up W.T. (0.57)
- extra resonance on hi-hat? (0:14)
- lead vox (0:19)
- 'Penderecki' rising synth cluster into first chorus (0.36)
- backup female vox (0:41) // continues on 2nd verse (1:13)
- heavily distorted electric guitar bend up ('air raid') (1:32)
- reverse electric guitar (2:05)
- 'radio tuning' resonance artifacts (2:07)
- group vox (2:12)
- synth one-shots (2:17, 2:25)
With at least seven time signature and/or rhythm changes, and a form that is all over the place, this is undoubtedly the most complicated song on the album, but also, the one with the wildest ride. Drums, guitars, and synths are unleashed in a way only fitting of the song's title. This is the only track on the album to bookend choruses with Pre-Choruses, here used as a device to build momentum. It's also the only track to foreshadow the bridge, slipping in the "I can do all things" motive right before the second verse. How they dreamed up this one, I don't know, but it sure makes for a wild ride.
10 — Books of the Bible — C (100bpm)
- bandpassed drum machine (0:00)
- synth (0:00) // downward gliss (0:09) // add FM? (0:25)
- lead vox A (0:01)
- reversed piano (0:05)
- tape speed up (0:07)
- drum machine (0:09)
- synth bass (16ths) (0:09)
- upper synth octaves (C5, C6) (0:09)
- lead vox B (0:09)
- bass guitar (0:33)
- upright piano (C3, C4) (0:33)
- repetitive machine noise? (0:33)
- Handel Hallelujah Chorus sample (1:07), tape fx
- children's group vocals (1:11)
- choir pad (1:54)
- 8th-note buzz in left channel? (2:42)
- TR-808 bass drop (3:56)
This track is unique in that it features no pre-chorus or bridge, and also that, arguably, the entire song has only one chord. Given the monothematic nature of the song (walking through the names of the sixty-six books of the Bible) it works quite well, making it one of the standout tracks on the album to succeed at delivering its message.
