Chris Church’s third solo album Backwards Compatible was initially released in the spring of 2020 by Big Stir Records. Although the album gathered glowing press, the timing of its arrival was poor with pandemic panic taking hold and sending the world to an abrupt halt.
Needless to say, promotion was stalled and the album failed to receive the wider visibility it so obviously deserved. However, in early 2021, Big Stir and the SpyderPop label birthed a partnership with the sole purpose of reviving certain albums, and Backwards Compatible was wisely tagged as one of their projects.
Based in Lenoir, North Carolina, Chris is a man of mercurial musical abilities. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has played nearly every style conceivable, ranging from pop to progressive rock to heavy metal to performance art pieces.
As for Backwards Compatible, hard-rocking pop is the order of the day. Not only are the results indeed compatible, but backwards as well, with influences stemming from the rearview mirror of the ’70s and ’80s in the mold of bands such as Starz, Judas Priest, Cheap Trick, Enuff Z Nuff and even a bit of Bon Jovi here and there.
Balancing weighty riffs and driving rhythms with punctual hooks and flighty choruses, Backwards Compatible presents a high-octane repertoire of songs so good that you don’t want them to end. Chris Church really knows his way up and down a fretboard, while his cool vocals possess an earthy melodicism.
Chugging power chords, extended by a voluminous tone and unstoppable energy embodies the metallic-tinged “You are the Thunder” and “Someday’s Coming Fast” nails harmonious radio-friendly pop values to a sturdy rock foundation.
Additional pick hits include “No Letting Go,” “What R U?” “Left in the Summer,” “These Daze” and “Pop Dreams,” which concludes the album on a brisk and joyous note.
We may live in an age where a variety of music is produced and is instantly accessible, yet it is still refreshing to hear an album like Backwards Compatible. Hooray for Chris Church for following his muse and creating something of an alternative to the alternative. And hats off to the folks at SpyderPop and Big Stir for making this album available again.
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