Review of Mockingbird, Derek Webb

by Chris Ramirez 

Since 2003’s She Must And Shall Go Free Derek Webb has demonstrated his creative proficiency as a solo artist, with three albums in as many years. Both his debut and sophomore release I See Things Upside Down offer up generally appetizing, if conventional, alt-country fare in the spirit of Ryan Adams and Wilco. Most interesting has been Webb’s ability to establish himself as a Christian artist without falling prey to the superficialities that seem to be the hallmark of mainstream Christian music. To talk about Webb is to talk not only about his music, but also about his vision for authentic spirituality. Whatever spirituality was heretofore implied in his first two albums becomes quite transparent in his third offering, Mockingbird. Sonically sparse, Mockingbird eschews the poetry of Webb’s previous work and gives us what can best be described as a manifesto set to music. In many ways Webb’s third album is an indictment of all that he believes is wrong with western religious ideology, and he comes out of the gate running. On “A New Law” Webb echoes the sentiments of American evangelicalism, warning us “Don’t teach me about politics and government/Just tell me who to vote for…I don’t want to know if the answers aren’t easy”, and elsewhere, “Don’t teach me about loving my enemies”. Webb continues in this vein by exposing the identification of Jesus as a “white, middle-class Republican” as a lie in “A King And A Kingdom”, and proceeds to espouse wildly unpopular ideas about war (“My Enemies Are Men Like Me), poverty (“Rich Young Ruler”), and nationalism (“In God We Trust”). Three or four songs into this album and one will begin to realize that Webb is not concerned with giving us beautiful art but to teach us, and teach us he does. If John Howard Yoder’s The Politics Of Jesus had an accompanying soundtrack this might very well be it.

 That said, Mockingbird is considerably more effective at giving us good theology than it is with giving us profound music. Admittedly, the production is stripped-down when compared to Webb’s previous work, and listeners will hear references to such notable artists like The Beatles or Elliott Smith. However, Webb’s songwriting on this album lacks both The Beatles’ energy and Smith’s angular chord progressions and haunting lyrics. If there is one thing this album is sorely missing it is intensity: Webb seems to meander through most of the album’s eleven tracks without ever mustering enough energy to match the themes that he is dealing with. That is not to say there are no special moments to be found here. “I Hate Everything (But You)” is a beautiful song in which Webb returns to his typical poetic form and manages to cull ardent intensity, both musically and lyrically. Likewise, “A King And A Kingdom” maintains an exertive pulse that ultimately amplifies into a sonic harshness that Webb must practically scream over in order to make his point heard.

 Exceptions aside, the overall experience that Mockingbird offers its listener is a bit lacking, but one cannot help wondering if Webb is already aware of this. It is quite clear that he has intentionally turned a very important corner in his career that will inevitably separate his former fans from anyone who is still willing to listen to him, and for that reason alone he is to be applauded. Derek Webb’s third album seems to be a caveat to any listeners as to what he is actually about, an interruption in the casual relationship he may have had with fans before this project. However, one hopes that he will continue to navigate through these new themes with a bit more artistry, as he has already proven his ability to craft beautiful and spiritually deep material.