John Wells - The Dash

Written by Antoine RJ Wright
Monday, March 23, 2009

John Wells - The Dash

Introduction

For some people, the realization that life will have an ending is a cause to stop, pause, and reflect. For others, the sudden realization that the end of the dash is closer than the beginning causes greater movement towards actions and feelings which can seem like living for the moment, but really amounts to fear of what you've left behind. To the Christian that has matured past the point of music just being an interlude from one event to another, an album like The Dash is a cause to stop and consider the whole story, not just the moment.

John Wells - aka The Tonic of The Cross Movement - presents in The Dash some of these literal moments that we had, have to, and will consider as we live our lives with the effect of our dash being the fingerprint of God that we leave with others.

Now nearing the point of global availability, The Dash represents a call to reflection, as well as the call to move forward maturing. And as the artist has matured along with the project, one can look at it as a snapshot of The Tonic's life - even as his dash was interrupted by a personal matter - a story to be written, then punctuated with the session with our Father at the end.

Album Overview

The Dash is a montage of fast, rhythmic, and reflective tracks which may remind some of early '90s hip-hop in some respects, and something altogether more classic and nouveau at the same time.
Starting with an abrupt interruption of The Tonic praying (Dash In), the musical subjects of tracks 2-5 (The Signature, Can't Count Me Out, Sin Universal, and Really Know Me) speak towards a person ready for the action of teaching and discipling right after leaving that time of finding one's identity with the Father.

The next break in the action (Interlude: Dot-Dot-Dash) is yet another call to realize the time and present while in the mist of the daily grind. No Time and Da Body (Tracks 7 and 8) answer this present time in God-view. The flow continuing through The Greatest to yet another interlude.

The Dr. Visit Interlude answers questions. I'll leave it there.

The flow after the interlude changes. It's one part slower, more layered, and deserve careful listening. On the surface tracks 11 through 15 flow into a call to the Body being mindful to following holiness over carnality. The flow of all of these tracks will probably appeal to the over-30 crowd more than others. There's a detail to the musical accompaniment that's not in the rest of the album.

Track 16 - The Dash - is weird in its placement. You get really hype on Track 15, but then get brought down physically, while you are encouraged to mentally keep it on task to the King. If you will, its a lot like that mid-life crisis of wondering what's next. An outro and prayer ends things on a somber note, brining perspective to the dash of our own lives.

There one hidden track, I AM... Still! Its not what many fans of the original I AM (Cross Movement, House of Representatives) will expect, but its that anthem track still.

Spiritual Significance

"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little.You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes."Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. (Hosea 1:4-7)

The entire album is about being careful towards not being so content with the now that you don't realize the temporary nature of these times. And at the same time, its a call to not be so caught up with the life to come that you neglect the issues of right now.
We are encouraged to not dismiss the present nature of our current issues, but to mature in our viewpoint to them. Whether that is getting out of our perceptions that sin is a local issue or a universal one (Track 4), or just an understanding that there's a veil that the world needs to be delivered from (Track 15), the call is to maturity in heart, mind and action. To those who have lived through sound discipleship, this will simply sound like the ways of executing Matthew 28:19-20.

Topics Covered

  • Holiness
  • Honesty
  • Persistence
  • Prayer
  • Depravity
  • Discipleship
  • Living/Speaking Jesus-Centered
  • Awareness of this Temporary State

Key Tracks

I'd be lying if I said that one track was above another. Each one stands on its own, yet the mosaic has some notables:

  • Sin Universal (Track 4): lyrics, collaboration
  • No Time (Track 7): creativity, wordplay
  • Prayer's Ball (Track 13): creativity, lyrics, 70s feel
  • The Dash (Track 16): instruments, background vocals, lyrics