Album Review :
Sower - THE SOIL EP

RIYL: Attalus, Valleyheart, sosaveme, My Epic, Manchester Orchestra, Copeland

There are artists you run into tangentially – someone you know shares might follow them or you hear a clip of a track, but things get buried. I’m ashamed to say that Sower is one such project. From the very first notes of the project’s first EP, I couldn’t help but hear elements of many of my favorite bands. There’s a varied indie-rock sound which ranges from the fringes of post-hardcore to the glowy emo of bands like Mae and Copeland.

But even more deeply, the four tracks on this EP follow the concept of a single parable: The Four Soils. Each track takes the perspective of a person in each category, and the music is fleshed out accordingly to the themes. The result is immediately impressive on all fronts and easily one of the most compelling releases I’ve heard in a while.

“the path (unbelief)” takes the position of someone who has never professed any kind of faith. Project mastermind Eric Tuffendsam’s voice is spot on, jumping between registers with ease. There appear to be some female guest vocals mixed in, and there are some other ornamental things going on with backing vocals. Production is definitely top notch and it’s clear Tuffendsam is seasoned at songwriting. This track in particular has an Anberlin (BEFORE Mattie – sorry, had to) flavor, and the lyrics are great to. If you’re not sold after this first track, I don’t really know what to say.

“rocky ground (false conversion)” is from the perspective of someone who “prayed the prayer,” something that’s fairly common in our day and age. “It started out fine, on fire, but was I thinking clear?” There’s been a huge focus on the emotional experience of the Christian life which has undersold the difficulties of picking up our crosses. The narrator in this song, like Thomas, exclaims, “I’ll believe when I can see.” There’s a sad departure at the end where the narrator returns where he came from. I can’t help but think of the contrast from the disciples when they said, “Where else could we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life.” It’d also be really easy to miss how sad some of the sentiments are with how stupidly catchy the vocal parts are. But when everything sinks in, it’s a sobering reflection of something we’ve seen time and time again.

“thorns (false profession)” takes the point of view of someone who is faithful when things are going well from a material perspective but whose faith is shaken when these things are challenged. Tuffendsam effortlessly weaves in Scripture references to help convey the tension of the disbelieving mind and the conflict with the words of Christ. Musically, I’m reminded by old Jimmy Eat World quite a bit.

The EP closes with “the good soil (true conversion)”. I’m honestly surprised how hard this track hits – maybe I expected the “right” option to be the cleanest and most beautiful, but it’s actually a high-energy punk number. There’s even a bit of screaming at play. There are references to the prodigal son and beggar at the altar, all mixed alongside some of most frenetic moments on the release. The combination of vocals styles and returning female vocals, alongside dynamic instrumental passages, makes this easily the most stunning track on the album. The song is over seven minutes long, so expect a lot of movement. The end is a triumphant prayer and it’s just *chef’s kiss*.

Sower brands itself as a Gospel-centered indie project, but I don’t feel this is really accurate in encapsulating just how layered and intricate everything is. This is a rare breed of conceptual breed of songwriting that manages to bridges the likes of emo, alt-rock, post-hardcore, and more, all with biblical lens typically reserved by church-type bands. From start to finish, this debut EP is a polished and refreshing effort that captures everything about the music I loved most, all while maintaining precise clarity through a lyrical lens. I’m excited to see a project like this taking root (no pun intended) and can’t wait to see what God does through it.