Bringing Down the Giant

Saving Abel took its name from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, while the title of its third studio album, Bringing Down the Giant, references the David and Goliath story. Yet the Corinth, Miss., quintet doesn't classify itself as a Christian band. Of course this might be obvious after listening to the humorous post-grunge pop tune “Michael Jackson’s Jacket.” The opening title track snarls with a grungy attack that rocks as if the band members grew up layering flannels over thermals in the early '90s while identifying with the music coming out of the Pacific Northwest. “Amazing” displays sharper pop-based hooks, particularly in the chorus, where Jared Weeks’ slightly raspy voice sings contagiously catchy melodies. The band flirts with rustic Americana tones in the short instrumental “Pine Mountain (The Dance of the Poor Proud Man),” where banjo, mandolin, and jaw-harp provide a swampy feel. That sets the stage for “You Make Me Sick,” a muscled Southern rock standout that champions the heartland sound while offering lyrics that rail against the stereotypical redneck.