New Colton Dixon album is bold, brash, and a little shallow

Sporting a mohawk the height of a medium-sized shrub, Christian rocker Colton Dixon never had any difficulty capturing attention. He quickly caught voters’ fancy during season 11 of American Idol and finished seventh overall. Like other Christian contestants who did well on Idol, Dixon launched a successful music career soon thereafter. His 2013 album A Messenger debuted at 15 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Christian chart.

Now Dixon is back with his sophomore effort Anchor. Christian superstar Toby Mac lends a hand on the new album—co-writing two of the songs and again sharing his producer, David Garcia. The result is something bolder and brasher than Dixon’s first album, which was already pretty bold and brash. Upping the electronica and overall sound and fury, Dixon throws in everything but the kitchen sink. (Scratch that—I’m pretty sure I heard a kitchen sink.) The result is a prog-pop-rock cornucopia with flavorings of Skillet, Bastille, and—no surprise here—Toby Mac.

After an ambient introductory track, the album kicks off with an explosive drum roll to launch the frenzied “Our Time Is Now,” where Dixon probes the inevitable clash of desire and disappointment in this world. Pulsing percussion and dissonant guitars complement Dixon’s half-wild inquiry, “Are you tired of a life that leaves us beggin’ for more / We got our heads in the cloud but our feet on the floor / We tend to chase everything that ends up leavin’ us dry / We need a voice (one voice) that is amplified.” Dixon holds up new spiritual birth—albeit in veiled language—as the answer to existential malaise. Power chords and a thundering bass make for an arena-ready chorus: “So raise a fist high / This is the first night / The beginning of forever / Now let the old die, cause there is new life / Forever starts tonight.”

Those feeling lashed and shipwrecked by some particular trial will be encouraged by the chorus of “Walk On The Waves.” While a storm howls around, Dixon pleads with the listener to step out in faith like Peter and “Walk on the waves … / You’ve gotta fight the tide, it’s do or die today. / Open your eyes / Lift up your face / He’s got your hands, your heart, your life, so don’t be afraid.”

“More Of You” looks at the temptation to make much of oneself instead of the One who made us. The song quickly caught fire with listeners, who relate to Dixon’s realization that “I made my castle tall / I built up every wall / This is my kingdom and it needs to fall.” In addition to some fine piano strokes, Dixon strikes the right balance of wistful frustration and determination to “refuse to gain the whole world and lose my soul.”

Anchor proves that Dixon is still something of a Christian hit-maker, able to write songs that combine solid, singable melodies with a driving rhythm section. Unfortunately, Dixon himself is sometimes eclipsed by the overall noise. Also, his lyrics—while faith-friendly—could use more real-life details to deepen their impact.

The album ends on the right note, however. “This Isn’t The End” features odd tonal spacing and unexpected chord changes to show that unexpected and difficult circumstances are not the end of the believer’s story. The song pleasantly surprises when it cuts off in mid-musical thought to demonstrate the point made by the title—this isn’t the end. Not of the believer’s story, nor of Dixon’s musical story. Christian music fans are likely to make sure of that.