The project’s first single, “Rest in the Hope” was written in tribute to her father, Orlando Magic founder and executive Pat Williams, as he faced a battle with cancer that is now in remission. The additional songs on Only You are a vibrant and hopeful collection that include; “Every Good Thing” that is an infectious celebration of God’s faithfulness, “Enough For Me” a gentle reminder that if we have Jesus we have all we need, along with “Just May Be” that chronicles Williams’ own personal experience with adoption, “You just may be the answer to a prayer/You just may be the only heaven someone will ever see.”

There are several great themes that are faced by women specifically that the album addresses in a mature and faith-based way. Probably the most memorable moments on the album for me are the songs about being made in God's image and not seeking society's approval but knowing that God created and loves us all as we are. That critical message comes through in "Banner," “Waiting in the Rain,” “Hey There,” and the piano-laced ballads “This Is Freedom” and “Only You,” which are all among the most personal songs on the album. It's a life-lesson Karyn hopes will resonate with women in similar situations. That message is so important and I'm so glad she addresses it with her songs. It's also very relatable to listeners, especially for those who struggle with control issues and perfectionism. We are called as Christians to believe in the freedom that we have in the Cross of Jesus. We are free from our fears, addictions, insecurities and perfectionism. Jesus came to die for us so that we can all truly live in Him. The lyrics of “This Is Freedom” wreck me as Karyn passionately sings “this is freedom nailed to a tree.” Amen.

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Karyn Williams has a pure and strong voice that immediately reminded me of Amy Grant and Bethany Dillon. She clearly loves our Lord and Savior Jesus with all of her heart and wants to celebrate that fact with every song. I have three young daughters and this is a nice upbeat pop album with positive biblical messages which is a great alternative to mainstream pop artists. Karyn brings her walk with Jesus into her songwriting and this is the best album in the piano-based singer-songwriter genre I've heard since the latest by Sara Groves, Laura Story and Amy Grant which puts her in great company. She co-wrote the standout closing songs“This Is Freedom” and “Only You” with “Better than a Hallelujah” GRAMMY award nominated songwriter Sarah Hart. If you like that song, don’t hesitate to pick up Karyn Williams’ stirring album, Only You.

One of my favorite new worship artists is All Sons & Daughters. The story of All Sons & Daughters began with artist David Leonard wanting to spend less time traveling and more of it in real relationship with his local church. After experiencing the music business rush as front man in the acclaimed band Jackson Waters and then as touring keyboard player with NEEDTOBREATHE, David felt called to write songs for the spiritual community he and his wife belonged to in Franklin, Tennessee. At the same time, Leslie Jordan was part of the creative staff at Journey Church where they worshipped. Her passion for singing and writing was likewise rooted in being there to live out the story of faith with her husband and a close group of believers. Neither was expecting to find a path that would spread these efforts both near and far. But God is so good at making things beautiful.

Opening tracks “Alive” and “Let It Shine” were born out of reflections about this broken world and are great songs to remind us that we are never really whole until Heaven. Leslie found inspiration for “All the Poor and Powerless”—a simple yet epic composition whose delicate individual parts later become a magnificent whole—in a series their church did on the Psalms that helped provide an especially clear image of Heaven. “Brokenness Aside” is a sweeping selection that begins as a whisper, transitions into an anthem, and includes a beautiful classical coda, it captures every unique charm All Sons & Daughters has to offer.

Ethereal new song “Reason To Sing” was inspired by studying Psalm 13:5: “But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” Another ethereal tune, the meditative “Your Glory,” also came out of the Psalms study. “Oh Our Lord” is a celebration of the God of Creation penned with Dove Award-winning writer Paul Baloche. By sharing the song through social media websites, other churches are already singing this stirring piece around the country. A song I can't stop playing is "Spirit Speaks." The song is a declaration directly to God, "Your Spirit speaks, it moves in me, and I'm awakened to Your love, You're drawing me onto my knees, and I'm astounded by Your love, You spoke life into my lungs, and You are the air I breathe, and still You move inside of me, and You are the song I sing." It is my favorite song on this amazing album. If you are looking for a fresh new worship song to sing at your church, I highly recommend “Wake Up.” The message is contemplative and worshipful and includes Jesus’ instructions to us in Mark 10:21: “take up the cross, and follow Me.”  As we look at the fallen world around us, we all need to lift our eyes up to God and put all of our faith and hope in Him. The powerful chorus is the cry of my heart: “Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up all you sleepers, Stand up, stand up, Stand up all you dreamers, Hands up, hands up, Hands up all believers, Take up your cross, carry it on, not our will but Yours be done, Lord.” Amen!”

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These incredibly anointed songs cause me to worship along loudly with these talented worship leaders at the feet of Jesus and offer Him all of my praise and surrender to His majesty. Don’t miss out on All Sons & Daughters. This Season One combination of their Brokenness Aside and Reason To Sing EP’s is compelling and ranks amongst my top worship albums this year. These prayerful sentiments are consistently filled with their personal adoration of God. Several of these songs should be added to your Sunday morning worship set, especially “Alive,” “All the Poor and Powerless,” “Oh Our Lord” and “Wake Up.”

“There is something so pure about her writing,” Williams says, “it really affected me. I mean, I have been in church my whole life, but I found that it made me want to be a better pastor and worship leader, a better husband, a better father—to inspire others like she inspired me.” Written by Williams and Berlin, the song takes us on a journey of confessing who we truly belong to, discovering that our purpose is meant to be shared with the world: ‘I belong to You, I belong to You. All I have, everything I am. All for You.’ “I remember someone telling us that McKenzie asked everyone attending her birthday party to bring money instead of gifts—then she turned around and donated all of the money to an orphanage,” Williams adds. “Her reason for being here was to be a voice for those who have no voice, and that’s our reason too.” Eleven22 will be donating the proceeds from its new album to The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation, established by McKenzie’s parents to honor her dream of building orphanages around the world. The first orphanage, “Amaka ga McKenzie” in Uganda, Africa, was built in 2011 thanks to the fundraising efforts of local teens inspired by McKenzie’s passion to “think globally” and includes a girls home, a boys home, and a home for abandoned babies. For more information about the McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation, please visit: www.caregivegrow.org. For more information on Eleven22, visit www.eleven22worship.com.

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The Reason is one of my top inspirational worship albums of this past year. This is also one of the most moving albums I've heard this year, and I can't get enough of the standout worshipful songs "I Found A Love", "My Heart Is Yours", "Burning Hearts", "Love Like Fire", "The Reason", and the powerful song "I Belong To You." After listening to this album, you'll be refreshed, nourished, encouraged, and turn to God for your strength.

It leads off with the infectious lead single, "Center Of It,” which picks up right where he left off and takes it up a notch musically as this album is loaded with musical hooks and what stands out the most to me are the messages of these ultra-catchy songs such as the vertical and prayerful lyrics from the opener:  “when I rise, when I fall, You’ll be there through it all” right from Psalm 139. Amen!  Rather than describe every song, let me just say this is one of the most captivating albums I’ve ever heard. Chris has a vocal sincerity and creativity that rivals Bebo Norman, Brandon Heath and Jason Gray, who are my top male singer-songwriters of all-time.  Some of the stand-out moments of the album include “The Upside Of Down” where Chris brilliantly sings the biblical truth, “You are strength in my weakness,” and in the chorus “In the midst of the sadness, I’m closer to You now, that’s the upside of down.” The Kingdom of God confounds worldly expectations and is counter-cultural. As the opening tracks establish, it is in our weakness that we are closest to God.

I am a believer and my testimony is that my love for music led me to Jesus Christ due to the Gospel messages of Christian music. This is a great album for your unsaved family and friends. Another highlight is the poignant second verse of the worship anthem “Amen” where Chris confesses, “His Name is Jesus and His love redeems.” For me, the standout experience of this stellar album is hanging on every note of the gorgeous and moving “relationship” song, “Restore.” I’ve been married for eighteen years, and Chris beautifully phrases how to heal and restore marriages as followers of Jesus, “I propose to you the truth is, marriage does not have to die.” “God is a God Who knows how to heal, so just give it up to the Lord and He will restore.” Amen. August rounds out the album by sharing his observations about the need for reliance on Jesus both personally and in the Church with the other poignant songs “This Side Of Heaven,” “Let There Be Light,” “I Believe,” “1989,” “Unashamed of You” and “A Little More Jesus.” I am so captivated by this album and the bold messages. This is exactly the type of catchy, relevant and challenging contemporary music album for the Church that I have been praying for. I have to give it five stars and every song is incredible. Do yourself a favor and buy this entire album immediately. 

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The Upside Of Down by Chris August is one of the most compelling and lyrically transparent albums of the year. Chris has vaulted himself amongst the industry’s top singer-songwriters with an album that rivals the latest by Bebo Norman, Brandon Heath and Jason Gray. As it turns out, we only scratched the surface of August’s soulful, inspiring and meaningful storytelling with his GMA Dove Award winning debut album. If you want to be challenged, moved, and get deeper with Chris August, don’t miss out on this practically perfect album. Several of these songs are instant classics and for sure, August is the frontrunner for Pop/Contemporary Album, Artist, and Male Vocalist of the Year. As one of the tracks proclaims, “Amen, Amen, and the people said, Amen.”

Starting with “Miracle,” I knew I was in for a treat with this delectable album. The mix of tempos is pure perfection and the drum, guitar and bass syncopation is a thing of beauty. The best aspect of this album is the blend of Mike’s, Shannon’s and occasional gang vocals layered over one catchy song after another. There are several songs that I can’t stop playing or get out of my head from this album. After absorbing the incredible melodies, repeated listens have brought some of the lyrical brilliance to the surface, such as in the opening song’s chorus: “It's at the end of myself that I'm made new again” and later in the bridge, “Father of mine, I know I'm not really making You proud, We've all been lonely fruit with filthy branches, Looking down at the ground…Don't you know that your body is a temple?” There is nothing cliché at all about this album and it is loaded with Truth in every song.

“Stereo” has some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard: “I’ve got a crucifix above my bed. So I forget not to pray when I go to bed, but that can’t save me. No it can’t save me. It’s not the wood that saves.  It’s the Man who came and wore it. It’s not the Cross that saves. It’s the Man who came and wore it, and he wore it well. He wore it well.” “Beneath Water” has Mike crying out, “Hold me underneath the water, until the old me dies and slips out of this body and make me new again.” “Emma Ruth” begins with these lyrics: “Dear Emma in heaven, God shines his light on you. And now you sleep with the angels and the saints around the throne. And I can't bring you back, but I will live to go to you.” Another highlight is the closing track “Matches,” where Mike passionately belts out the compelling lyrics: “It’s only when you die to yourself that you’re made new.” Amen to that!

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I’ve very quickly added this incredible, practically perfect and completely infectious release to my most played and admired albums of the year. From the opening hooky notes and punk rock tempo of the first songs “Miracle” and “Stereo” to the end of last track “Matches,” this album brings an engaging emotional intensity and is filled with catchy songs. This album is great for fans of emotionally charged alternative rock bands like The Killers, Mae, Deas Vail and Anberlin.

The opening moments of the first track “A Man Who’s Not Afraid” will appeal to any fan of acapella vocals as the band beautifully harmonizes “in my dreams I see a man who’s not afraid of life and death.”  The mix of diverse musical styles with Tim Skipper’s amazing vocals are an incredible combination that gets better and better with each album.  Some standout songs on Cold Hard Want include the next four tracks, “Out My Way,” “Dance (Blow It Away),” “Remember The Empire” and “We Were Giants.” The title of the album is found in the profound lyrics of “Out My Way,” where Tim brilliantly croons “If you’ve got shots you wanna take, better hope it buries me. If I’m going out then so it be, you know I’m going out my way.” The song touches on the dismal state of rock music, hoping to incite insurrection with the lyrics: “Because you’ll never find out ‘till your body’s been broken on the canvas…If you belong with the ghosts and the has-beens or if you live on like a little piece of greatness.” Chief lyricist AJ Babcock has always had a great blend of wit and strong statements and all the while, the band’s Christianity shines through their lyrical worldview. “Remember The Empire” calls anyone listening to resist the personal forces of darkness as Skipper belts out “Here they threaten with murder and bribe us with peace, here they treat us like slaves and convince us we’re free. There’s no turning back once enough is enough, We can’t but we must, so stand, stand up!”

There’s an interesting middle section of songs which took me a while to get used to, with “The Cop” and “Comfort Trap” both speaking to the decision of getting married, settling down, and addresses issues all listeners can relate to: “Have my cake and eat it too..a house and a wife and two and a half, I lost my dream in the comfort trap.” The album ends as strong as it starts with the standout songs “Touch This Light,” “Angels Of Night,” “Stay,” “Suspect” and closing track “I Am A Symbol.” Lead single “Touch This Light” includes everything I’ve loved about this band since they hooked me with “The Invisible Hook.” That song from their 2006 album Say No More includes the lyrics “I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles, Give us a guiding light, Give us a guiding light, Give us a hope in the night.” The newest single "Touch This Light" keeps that theme going with the great lyrics: “Make a run, make a run. Touch this light. If I could see what you see in me, If I just pushed through the crippling fear, Then I would run with the raging wind, Then I would live again.” Amen! As the Bible says in 1 John 1:5-6: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” In the profound closing track, the song proclaims “The first one through is an easy kill, but no one’s safe if we all stand still” which is a great challenge for all believers to not be stagnant in their faith.

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Since The End Is Not The End, I’ve been convinced that House of Heroes is the top punk band in all of Christian music.  With this album, they are now my favorite punk band in all of rock music.  I am a long-time fan of Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T’s, Death Cab for Cutie and Relient K.  If you like those bands, get this album immediately. I have had the privilege to see the band in concert twice and heard them perform their standout songs “In The Valley Of The Dying Sun,” “Lose Control,” “Burn Me Down” and “God Save The Foolish Kings.” If you like what you’ve heard on their incredible albums, don’t miss out on seeing them perform live. I haven’t seen many bands who are even better in concert at performing incredibly tight guitar riffs and singing amazing harmonies than on the studio recording. House of Heroes are the real deal. Cold Hard Want is without a doubt the top punk rock album of 2012. It’s time to recognize this band with a GMA Dove Award nomination. This is by far the top alternative rock album of the year. I can’t get enough of this album. If you haven’t jumped on the House of Heroes bandwagon, don’t wait any longer. This album will stay in heavy rotation for me and although I didn’t think it was remotely possible to match the intensity and brilliance of The End Is Not The End, or the follow up Suburba, but after many listens, I’m now convinced that this is their best overall album and one of my top albums of the year.

Cornerstone opens with “Endless Light.” Right from the opening drum beat and Coldplay-style guitar riffs, I was hooked immediately. If you are looking for new worship songs to sing with fellow believers, this album is chock-full of congregational songs, especially the female led worship songs, “Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)” and “All My Hope”  which features gorgeous female vocals that remind me of UNITED’s “Like An Avalanche.” “All My Hope” has an instantly sing-able chorus,  “All my Hope is in You, All my strength is in You, with every breath, my soul will rest in You.” Amen to that! The lyrics are excellent and worshipful and for me, this track order is the best of all of the Hillsong LIVE collections and sounds the most like a Hillsong UNITED collection. The musical styles blend perfectly.

Nashville-based artists have been covering Hillsong to much acclaim and radio success, most recently Laura Story's recording of "Mighty To Save," Chris And Conrad’s recording of “Lead Me To The Cross,” Kari Jobe’s recording of “Healer,” Natalie Grant’s recording of "Greatness Of Our God" and One Sonic Society’s recording of “Forever Reign.” For me, the stand-out song on this collection is the title track “Cornerstone.” I can't get enough of this song and the extremely catchy and worshipful lyrics, “Christ alone, Cornerstone Weak made strong, in the Savior's love, Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of All.” You'll be singing along at the top of your lungs with the crowd and then at some point hopefully with your church congregation. It is an amazing song and this album’s “Stronger” and “Forever Reign” in my opinion. The gorgeous and confessional song “I Surrender” captivates me and mixes in the signature Brit-Rock guitar riffs.

A live version and studio version of “Hope Of The World” is also on the album and is the first radio single from Cornerstone. It opens with “For the love poured out, For the price of freedom, Let the whole earth sing, The praises rising, We stand in awe of what You've done, For us, at the Cross” which really captures the thesis statements of this great album that we “stand in awe” at the Cross. Amen. Back to the Coldplay musical style is a new song called "Running."  It will have you clapping and singing along with this worship anthem which includes a “Paradise” style keyboard/string part. “Children Of The Light” features UNITED’s Joel Houston and keeps the upbeat musical tempo going with a solid drum beat. The great song keeps the electronic beat going, this time mixing in the signature Hillsong Brit-Rock type guitar riffs. It has a UNITED rock style, like “Break Free.” Another highlight is “Stand In Awe” which perfectly connects to the prayerful sentiment declared in “Hope Of The World.”

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I'm impressed by the consistent quality and fresh worshipful songs from Hillsong LIVE. I've been singing "The Stand," "From The Inside Out," "Mighty To Save," "Stronger" and many other Hillsong classics at my church for many years and I expect there will be several more worship classics from this album. If you are looking for new worship songs to sing with fellow believers, this album is chock-full of congregational songs, especially "Endless Light," "Cornerstone," "Hope of the World," "Running" and "Stand In Awe." I eagerly await each new Hillsong release and Cornerstone is truly stellar and is the top overall album by Hillsong LIVE. Every single song could be added to your Sunday morning worship set.

I’m very impressed by her powerful vocals which remind me of the other passionate female Jesus Culture singers, Kim Walker-Smith, Kristene DiMarco and Steffany Frizzell, as well as mainstream singer Sarah McLachlan. Overcome opens with a great upbeat invitational song, “Come In,” which has piercing and sincere vertical lyrics perfectly setting the tone for this great album: “I have come to greet the King, I have come to give myself in total abandonment, I’ve come to lay down all that holds me back from You, I’ve come to lay down all that holds You back from me.” Amen to that! The album has a mesmerizing, contemplative vibe and every song invites the listener to join in with Heather as she praises our Savior and Lord Jesus with all of her heart and soul. “Overcome” captivates me with the completely biblical and confessional lyrics:  “I’m coming to be touched by the coal, I’m coming that You’d reach out Your hand and make me whole, I walked by this Fire so many times, but now I’m coming in...Purify me Lord, Burn away the things that don’t please You, create in me a light that shines.” My life verse is Isaiah 6:8, and the title track’s sentiment ties in with Isaiah’s meeting God and saying, “woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips.” I find myself meeting God in every song on this album which is an incredible blessing. I find myself singing along loudly with Heather with all of my heart, “Let the fire burn in me for the pure in heart will see You Lord, baptize us in the Holy Spirit, baptize us in Fire!” Heather invites listeners to worship along with her and you can’t help but get swept up in the emotion of the song. These opening songs set the tone for a special worship experience. No matter what you are going through in life, God’s promise to His children is that one day we will overcome.

The next songs blow me away with how vulnerable and personal they get. “Undivided Focus” has become my personal worship anthem and keeps the cohesive theme going with the gorgeous and prayerful offering reflecting the yearnings of my heart: “Holy Spirit, I surrender to You, take my life I lay it down, all my gifts, all my crowns, take my life and lay it down, I am Yours, I am in love with undivided focus, I am in love with You.”  There is incredible comfort and biblical Truth in this song and Heather’s passionate vocals will have you hanging on every word, especially during the bridge which wrecks me—“I wanna be a lay down lover, filled with You, I wanna be a fearless lover, filled with You.” What an incredible prayer to our King and Savior. There is great comfort in knowing Jesus and being known by Him in every detail of our lives. “Kisses Of His Mouth” stops me in my tracks as Clark slays me with her confessional and prayerful vocal style, opening with the imploring and intimate lyrics, “Kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth, Your love is better than wine.” It is one of the most compelling songs I’ve ever heard and perfectly captures the intimacy of our relationship with Jesus and He is our Bridegroom and we are all His bride. “Lamb of God” has another confessional lyric that also really grabs me: “Stuck in the entanglement of sin, The shame of past that haunts us deep within...Where’s the power to leave it all behind?...the Lamb of God makes me clean.” Heather lives in British Columbia with her four children and travels internationally singing, leading worship and speaking, calling people into a greater place of wholeness, healing and freedom in their lives and in their relationship with God.

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Heather is clearly in love with Jesus and how these songs convey her relationship with our Lord and Savior in these songs is truly inspiring and convicting. If you like albums with God-focused worshipful lyrics, musical diversity and engaging female vocals with a lot of range then you’ll want to check out Overcome by Heather Clark. Every song on this album has quickly become a staple in my playlist of my favorite worship anthems. The songs are all worshipful and catchy. The vertical worship and number of songs I could imagine singing in union with fellow believers in a corporate worship setting is another highlight of this very solid album. Some of the songs that would be great additions to church services are “Come In,” “Overcome,” “Undivided Focus,” “Shadow Of Your Wings” and “Lamb of God.” This is one of the most emotionally moving albums I’ve ever heard. Heather’s remarkable singing voice and her interesting music and lyrics are truly captivating. For sure, this will be among my top worship albums of the year.

Children 18:3 is a Christian punk band from Morris, Minnesota. The band is composed of home-schooled siblings David, Lee Marie and Seth. The lead vocals are shared by David and Lee Marie with their brother Seth on the drums. Their band's name refers to the Bible verse Matthew 18:3, "and He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Aptly named, On The Run is the perfect display of Children's determination and joy that they show in their career. The two brothers and sister have managed to create a fresh sound with this record, complete with punk hooks and soaring melodies.

I have four main types of albums that really grab me and become the mainstays of my most played albums and songs each year: singer-songwriters like Audrey Assad, worship artists like Starfield, rock/pop bands like Sidewalk Prophets and punk rock bands like House of Heroes. I’ve very quickly added this incredible, practically perfect and completely infectious release by Children 18:3 to my most played and admired albums of the year. From the opening hooky notes and punk rock tempo of first track and lead single “Moment to Moment,” I knew I was in for a treat with this delectable album. The mix of tempos is pure perfection and the drum, guitar and bass syncopation is a thing of beauty. The best aspect of this album is the blend of David’s and Lee Marie’s harmonies layered over one catchy song after another. There are several songs that I can’t stop playing or get out of my head from this album. I love the pre-chorus: “every choice before you was a challenge to succeed” from “Moment to Moment” which challenges me to think about the daily choices I make, such as in Proverbs 12:9: “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Many people rationalize sinful behavior by thinking little white lies don’t matter, but biblically and in the song I think about how God is with His children all the time.

“Jenny” has another infectious melody and lyrics that sticks with me: “Jenny don’t wait, the Light won’t last, and there’s only one way to reach tomorrow, time follows us, and any moment now you just don’t know, He’s after us, everywhere we go, you never, you never, you never know.”  “Jenny” reminds me of the Truth from Psalm 9:10: “Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” Title track “Always On The Run” keeps that theme going, and is a ballad gorgeously sung together by Lee Marie and David where she implores “I’m done running, I promise You,” and he replies, “until you arrive somewhere you’ll be running, you’ll always be running, so stay-away from me, you can’t make a home like this, so runaway from me.” It is my favorite song on the album and is a sobering reminder to keep my “eyes on the prize” that for me connects with Galatians 5:7: “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” The other songs I can’t stop playing are the super-hooky rock songs “We’ll Never Say Goodbye,” “What About Justice?” and “Why Are You Afraid Of The Dark?,” which features a guest vocal from Blindside’s lead singer and has a great comforting chorus, “Why are you afraid the dark tonight, little one, I’m right beside you, sleep…” My middle daughter Cassandra has struggled with nightmares. To bring her comfort, we’ve studied Proverbs 3:24: “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Amen to that!

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On The Run by Children 18:3 is without a doubt the top punk rock album of the year. I can't get enough of this album, which is one of the catchiest and most hope-filled emotional rock albums I've ever heard.  If you haven't jumped on Children’s bandwagon, don't wait any longer. This album will stay in heavy rotation for me all year. Similar to House of Heroes, this album is loaded with incredibly tight guitar riffs and amazing harmonies. This album is by far the catchiest, most energetic and emotionally engaging alternative rock album I've heard this year.

With that context and having been captivated by the video of Latifah singing “Joy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z7Mjc78LdU, I’ve been savoring the original four hymns albums, each featuring the biblically complete number of seven creative, worshipful and engaging hymns to fully savor the new expressions found on re:hymns. I grew up with eighties electronic music, and the opener “Doxology” has a wonderful drum track layered over the piano based melody for the Church as Tifah’s compelling vocals and Derek’s musical arrangement completely mesmerize me and I love belting out the prayerful lyrics: “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow, Praise Him you creatures here below…Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen!!” “Be Still My Soul” seems like it was made for a remix album and I’ve also been enjoying Leigh Nash’s recent recording of the song. This is my favorite remix on the album as the musical intro and comforting message of the song are married into an artful expression of the prayerful yearnings of my heart, especially as Tifah’s “be still my soul” chorus is repeated into the last line, “and Praise Him.”  “Joy” is a gorgeous and complex truth originally expressed in 2009, as Latifah sat down at her piano and tried to cope with her father’s passing from cancer, and she sorrowfully sang the children’s chorus, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart,” which perplexes listeners who only know it as a happy refrain. She then added the original lyrics “And I can’t understand, And I can’t pretend, that this will be alright in the end, so I’ll try my best, and lift up my chest, to sing about this…joy, joy, joy.”  Finally she added the familiar refrain to “It Is Well” which was also written by Horatio Spafford out of the trial of losing his daughters to drowning. God uses trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him, and every version of “Joy” including this new remix causes me to praise the Lord.

“In The Sweet By and By” and “Holy Holy Holy” are refreshing upbeat musical arrangements and “Rock of Ages” slows the tempo back down. Every song perfectly highlights Latifah’s amazing vocals especially at the end of “Rock of Ages” where her vocals rise up a level as she gorgeously sings “wash me, wash me, Savior, or I die,” leading into last reflective chorus, “…let me hide myself in Thee, wash me Savior, or I die.” That profound Truth leads perfectly into my other favorite track, “Wash Me Clean” which opens with “Wash me clean in the warm sun dry me, cleanse my heart from all iniquity, baptize me in the Holy Spirit sea, renew my mind, That wickedness may flee.” The song is a brand new modern hymn written in 2010 by David Wilton and the sentiment and musical arrangement of the song has captured me and leads me to pray and sing these profound words along with Tifah at the top of my lungs.

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Let me just say that I’ve been blessed beyond what I could imagine and not only do I highly recommend this great new remix collection, but I also can’t get enough of all twenty-eight original hymns from Hymns I-IV along with re:hymns by Page CXVI. Where the original hymns albums have a more organic, raw and certainly indie sound, this remix collection has provided yet another entirely new, sometimes electronic and exciting way to dig into the biblical truths of these timeless songs. Listening, singing and praying along with all seven tracks in order is for me a profound and unique worship experience that lead me into unashamed worship of my King and Savior, Jesus. This is an anointed album for the church.