Returning to helm the project is producer Ian Eskelin (All Star United), who also shepherded Stellar Kart’s breakthrough sophomore album, We Can’t Stand Sitting Down. That CD yielded the No. 1 hit, “Me And Jesus,” which also earned the band its first Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. “Content, content, content,” Eskelin declares. “The music is awesome, the energy is off the charts, but what sets Stellar Kart head and shoulders above the vast majority of its contemporaries is content. These guys are not afraid to say what they believe, straight up, without trying to couch it in some namby-pamby metaphor.”
“We are all fans of different kinds of music, and a lot of times we find ourselves listening to songs that we love, but the message is just terrible,” frontman Agee explains. “We talk with kids after concerts and are always hearing from youth leaders about the issues facing teens today. We wanted to write songs that would address such topics and encourage kids to expect God to work in their daily lives. That is what we have been about from day one. That is what we are still about.”
When Adam, along with bandmates Cody Pellerin (guitar), Jordan Messer (drums), and Brian Calcara (bass) hit the studio, Eskelin’s frenetic energy ignited Stellar Kart’s powder keg of creativity. The result is an explosion of new music chock full of pop melodies, catchy choruses, and singable lyrics.
If it is true that first impressions are the most important, Stellar Kart goes for broke on its first radio single: the blazing, no-holds-barred confessional, “Jesus Loves You.” An impassioned song about conviction and redemption, it cuts through the comfortable shades of gray with an unabashed declaration that “Jesus Loves You,” whether you believe it or not.
“The reason I do what I do now is because of what I didn’t do when I was younger,” Adam explains of the song’s bold lyrics. “I grew up in church; my dad was a pastor. I accepted the Truth at an early age, but I was a kid just trying to get by. I didn’t really do anything with my faith until I got to college. That was when I started to realize there was more to life than just getting by.”
“The bottom line is, we are not doing this just to make music. We want people’s lives to be changed,” Brian interjects.
Stellar Kart proves it can thrive in a broad range of musical realms as Expect the Impossible sustains its momentum with tracks like the classic rock anthem, “Shine Like The Stars” and genre-defying, fist-pumping, “Eyes,” with its synth-laden 80’s groove and Beach Boys-esque, feel-good, summertime melody.
“‘I Give Up’ is hands down my favorite song on the album,” the band’s classically trained guitarist, Cody Pellerin adds. “It’s the kind of song that got me into playing music in the first place. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s Judas Priest meets Van Halen meets Motley Crew. I got to just rip it up on the guitar, which is what I really love to do. I know some people may listen to it and think, ‘Wow, that doesn’t sound like Stellar Kart,’ But this is where we are musically. And I think it is a good progression for us and our fans.”
“Sonically, we wanted to shoot for a broader sound,” Eskelin says. “Stellar Kart has never been afraid to challenge the current trend, so we decided to incorporate some new elements. This album will please the band’s die-hard punk fans while offering something to straight-up pop and rock lovers as well. The goal is to meet listeners where they are, driving an emotional connection to the music.”
Stellar Kart puts an exclamation point on Eskelin’s statement with such diverse tunes as the tender-and-tough pop ballad, “Pray,” in which Adam encourages listeners to ‘Pray...Even if you think you are not good enough.’ The bouncy, infectious, “The Right One,” evokes strains of such pop/rock legends as The Beach Boys, The Cyrkle, and their more contemporary offspring like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. The happy-go-lucky anthem “Sunshine” boldly asserts that Stellar Kart is as much a bona fide pop band and serious chart contender as it is a punk quartet.
Which is not to say the band has abandoned its punk roots. “Automatic” has enough head-nodding hooks and frantic drum kicks to satisfy punk purists. And frontman Adam Agee even manages a couple of authentic rawk screams on “Eyes” and “Innocent.”
But as satisfying as Stellar Kart’s expanding musical repertoire is, it’s the lyrical honesty coupled with the band’s personal growth that most radically informs Expect the Impossible. “We are a pop band,” Adam explains. “When we made our first record we were young, and it reflected who we were at the time. The next record reflected a natural progression. Expect the Impossible is the next step. It is casting a wider net. It gets more people involved.”
“I love seeing kids attach themselves to something bigger than just school or work or friends or the latest fad,” Brian adds.
Lose Control
Stellar Kart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fast the light is red
Looks like I'm gonna crash
I've lost all direction
Right is left and up is down
So here's my soul confession
Right now check it out
I wanna lose control
I'm ready to let go
Call me crazy
I've made up my mind
To kiss the past goodbye
Come and change me
What took so long for me
To let you in
Was I too cool
To let you be my friend
I've given up completely
Everything is upside down
I need your love to lead me
Right now check it out
I've finally figured it out
What this life's all about
Know what I've gotta do
It's time to lose control to you
I wanna lose control
I'm ready to let go
Come change me
In Stellar Kart's song "Lose Control," the singer is experiencing confusion, uncertainty, and lack of purpose. The road he is traveling on is leading him nowhere, and he has lost track of the directions. The traffic signal is red, suggesting that he should stop and wait, but he wants to crash instead. He confesses that he has lost his way, and he doesn't know the difference between right and left, up and down. He is at a crossroads and he has to make a choice. He decides to let go of his past, his fears, and his doubts, and surrender control to a higher power that he believes can guide him towards happiness and fulfillment. He declares that he is ready for a change, and he welcomes a transformative experience that will help him find his purpose in life.
The chorus of the song encapsulates the main theme of the track. The singer wants to lose control, not in a reckless or destructive way, but as a means of surrendering his will and embracing a new path. He acknowledges that he might be considered crazy by some, but he doesn't care. He has made up his mind to move forward and leave his old habits and attitudes behind. He asks for help from a divine entity that he trusts can guide him towards a better future. The song's message is one of empowerment, hope, and faith. It encourages the listener to take risks, to let go of their fears, and to seek guidance from a higher power when they feel lost or confused.
Line by Line Meaning
The road ahead is going nowhere
The path he's following is leading to a dead-end with no progress in sight.
Fast the light is red
The situation is risky and it seems like he will fail soon, just like running a red light.
Looks like I'm gonna crash
It seems inevitable that he will soon have a personal disaster, just like crashing a car.
I've lost all direction
He doesn't have a clear sense of where to head in life anymore.
Right is left and up is down
Things are so confusing that the opposite is true - this line metaphorically depicts how unsure he's become.
So here's my soul confession
He's making a heartfelt admission of his vulnerability.
Right now check it out
He's advocating for his audience to understand what he's feeling by having them observe in the moment.
I wanna lose control
He's ready to relinquish his grasp on his life and give up control.
I'm ready to let go
He's eager to let go of the reins and surrender to a higher power.
Call me crazy
He recognizes that his actions could be perceived as irrational or crazy by others.
I've made up my mind
He's resolved his indecision and landed on a decision.
To kiss the past goodbye
He's prepared to put his past behind him and move on.
Come and change me
He's pleading for help to change his life.
What took so long for me
He's wondering why it has taken him so long to come to this realization.
To let you in
He's referring to allowing love into his life.
Was I too cool
He's questioning whether he was too apathetic or unapproachable in the past, and if it prevented him from finding happiness or love.
To let you be my friend
He's afraid that his own ego or pride stopped him from being genuine friends with someone previously.
I've given up completely
He's lost all hope about his life, as he's giving himself up completely.
Everything is upside down
Many things have turned negative or are not producing favorable outcomes for him and his life.
I need your love to lead me
He's asking for love to guide him.
I've finally figured it out
He's come to understand what life is all about and what motivates him.
It's time to lose control to you
He's ready to give up control of his life to a higher power.
Come change me
He's once again asking for help to change his life.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: IAN ASHLEY ESKELIN, ADAM BENJAMIN AGEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind