Toledo-based This Beautiful Republic are bassist Brandon Paxton, lead singer Ben Olin, guitarist Jeremy Kunkle, drummer Andy Smith, and guitarist Adam Smith. Photo by Caleb Kuhl.

This Beautiful Republic | Perceptions

What’s in a name? Often, not much, if you’re a band. Skillet’s John Cooper even disses his band’s name from the stage.

But This Beautiful Republic’s name has meaning to the group: The promise of Heaven. The Toldeo band’s second release, Perceptions, focuses on an eternity with God and maybe even creating a little heaven on earth.

In the process, TBR creates a broad album with seamless journeys from anthemic rock to power pop to post-punk distortion and even a little worship. Singer Ben Olin and guitarists Jeremy Kunkle and Adam Smith deserve a lot of shouts for the satisfying diversity of Perceptions, not just for having a diverse repertoire, but also for being able to blend them together so that you don’t feel like you’re listening to three different groups on one CD — often a pitfall of young artists anxious to show their diversity.

Last Second Chance and Surrender Saved My Life are two prime examples. The latter tune, following the lead of disc opener Pain, is three-quarters arena fist pumper, but resolves in a melodic bridge that sets the stage for later tunes on the album such as For the Life of Me, a nice ballad and clever lyrical turn in which the singer asks and subconsciously answers questions:

For the life of me, why’d you bear my chains

For the life of me, why’d you walk to calvary

Last Second Chance heads in a different direction, dirtying up a crunchy rocker with a full-throated howl. Same thing happens in the spirited No Turning Back. In the process of creating an intelligent album with Perceptions, TBR also delivers a few handfuls of memorable tunes such as Beautifully Broken, Pain and A Point Between Extremes. This is a great album to build a career on.

Jon Micah Sumrall sings at Questapalooza, Aug. 31, 2008. Photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.

Live in the Bluegrass: Kutless takes the stage at the Eagle Lake Convention and Expo Center in Lawrenceburg at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (10/29). The last time we saw the Oregon band in the Bluegrass was August, when they played Quest Community Church’s Questapalooza. Opening the show will be another Pac-NW act, Boise, Idaho’s Esterlyn.

The nominees are: The American Music Awards announced nominees for the Nov. 23 honors earlier this month, including three acts in the Contemporary Inspirational category: Third Day, Casting Crowns and MercyMe.

New today: Michael W. Smith has another worship effort with A New Hallelujah and always interesting Starflyer 59 drops Dial M.

Decyfer Down’s new voice: Fans of Decyfer Down will hear a new voice on the band’s sophmore release in the spring. TJ Harris of Fighting Insinct has taken over the mike for Caleb Oliver, who has departed the band for personal reasons.