Album Review :
Sower - Contrast

From the album’s abstract and colorful cover to its simple-yet-meaningful title, Contrast is decidedly an album of complexities. Therein lies a bit of danger; creative reward necessitates creative risk, after all. This is Sower’s second LP and fifth major release since taking root (pun intended) in 2024, though it sees some pretty substantial changeups which might make it the most musically-controversial release from Sower thus far. The core principals of biblically-literate lyrics juxtaposed again 00s-era indie and post-hardcore are in no short supply. But this time around, project lead Eric Tuffendsam has pulled from his synthpop side project to add in bubbly, Bleachers-esque pop anthems. The result is an album of, well, contrasts. But does this dual identity pan out?

The record’s concept and consequent track listing centers around a grief paired with a grace; these include sorrow and joy, fear and courage, and apathy and zeal. The grief tracks feature the core Sower sound. They’re darker, heavy, more demanding of raucous guitars and pounding drums. But the grace tracks are decidedly lighter, often times feeling like an entirely different project. The discerning will notice that BRAINWAVS is credited on one song (a Sower side project). But it’s worth asking: Would all of these lighter tracks have been better served as a BRAINWAVS release?

Sower’s sound has always been dynamic and varied, but much of it has existed within the confines of a rock core. And while the track titles and lyrics work to highlight extremes of powerful spiritual realities, the back-and-forth does have a sense of whiplash. Now, I understand that’s often how these themes play out in life, but I’m not sure there’s enough cohesion within each pair. Sure, fear and courage are two extremes. But what does movement from fear to courage look like? Or, in the case of sorrow and joy, what does it look like to be “sorrowful yet always rejoicing”? Sower’s work tends to oscillate from deeply-personal to highly-theological, and these subjects feel they demand some concrete references to life. “Apathy” is probably an example of this done well, painting a pictured of a wearied and broken believer. “Zeal” does add in some personal references, like Tuffendsam visiting his mother and God breaking through. But then we found ourselves at “Sorrow” where the picture is simply a cloudy room of sadness; the “Joy” which follows is partially a recitation of Psalm 103.

Tuffendsam manages to execute of both sides of his sonic extreme on this release. But how do you make something centered on opposites feel cohesive? How do you take micro-stories and turn them into one larger tale? This was the struggle of Zane Vickery’s Interloper, an album broken into several groups of tracks which walk through Vickery’s life. The moment one story includes, often with what I’d describe as a mid-album closing track, a new story starts. The momentum is staggered. Tuffendsam takes this same risk, not only subdividing the album but making each individual pair its own abrupt transition. If the front half of the album was sin and lament and the back half consisted of joy and peace, perhaps it might sit better. If it was two EPs, there would be no structural issues at all. If the pairs were more musically linked, like reprises of each other, there’d be a clearer connection. But instead, we’ve got two intermixed EPs in a way sharing the same disc. I can only think about other ways the concept might have been executed more fully. Even smooth transitions between tracks for a seamless experience would have done wonders.

Contrast feels less of a singular Sower release and more of a Sower + side project collaboration at times. Don’t misread me; the critique is not that the poppier tracks are bad by any measure. They’re produced well, they highlight powerful biblical truths, and they show us a more upbeat side of Tuffendsam’s songwriting chops. And “Reward” and “Faith” both feels more characteristic of the typical sound. Lyrically, there are plenty of highlights and truths to digest. The operatic pop chorus of “Courage” is a hit, even if it does not feel like classic Sower. “Apathy” ruminates about trying to find the strength to care in a season of being overwhelmed by the world, and it’s something I feel deeply. “Cost” is oddly on the poppier end despite being one of the “dark side” tracks, and it ruminates on the very real challenges assumed when following Jesus (a message that has certainly been cheapened on all sides). “Faith” ends the record and reprises a section from “Joy.” There’s a lot of thought here, so it ultimately becomes a question of if you think this structure and format works. I think of works like Pilgrim’s Progress which walk through some of these themes in a way which arguably might have more natural movement, but Sower has tended toward the more standard side or indie rock without delving into pseudo-pretentious art albums. It’s this mix of raw energy paired with strong production and sing-along moments which has become the Sower staple. Even as my church enters a series on James, I call to mind lines from “Help My Unbelief.” Contrast has the heavy task of trying to balance a good number off opposite ideas, and I’m not sure it always accomplishes this as a whole body. But flip through the singles and album highlights and you’ll find songs with plenty of lyrical richness and a greater sense of Tuffendsam’s capabilities as a songwriter.