Rend Collective Experiment is a group of friends collectively wondering how to make sense of the conundrum of life, God and community. What Rend Collective Experiment's 15-plus members add to the conversation are melodies, harmonic progression and lyrics that are Scriptural and contemporary, fresh and ancient. Several standout songs reflect the brilliance of this incredible album, my favorite worship album since Church Music by David Crowder*Band. First single “Second Chance” is one of the best worship songs I've ever heard. I'm completely convicted by the strong lyrics and find immense comfort in this song filled with biblical truth. I am especially comforted by the truth of the lyrics of the song—“Oh Your Cross it changes everything, there my world begins again with You, Oh Your Cross it’s where my hope re-starts, A second chance is Heaven’s Heart.” Amen! “You Are My Vision” is a gorgeous re-write of the classic hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” and will have you singing at the top of your lungs. “True Intimacy” reminds me of hit song “This Is Not The End” by Gungor, including a gorgeous female vocal and xylophone. “Build Your Kingdom Here” and “Desert Soul” remind me of the hit GRAMMY nominated worship song “Beautiful Things” by Gungor, including harmonious male and female vocals and incredible musicianship including horns. This album displays plenty of Brit-Rock style rockers similar to Delirious?, Hillsong UNITED and The City Harmonic, before it closes with several reflective worshipful songs leading to the anthemic closer “Shining Star.”

"Everything we do is growing in a natural, non-manufactured environment," band leader Gareth Gilkeson shares. "Rend was a student movement representing numerous churches, and the ‘collective' grew out of that. The songs came from an organic environment, searching after the heart of God. We wanted to reflect what God was doing and teaching us, and offer that up for the rest of the world to hear." As for the group's unusual moniker, Rend Collective Experiment is a nod to the places in Scripture where it says to "rend your hearts" and not your garments," a bold call to be genuine."

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Homemade Worship By Handmade People is the kind of unique worship album I've only dreamed was possible and is an incredible follow-up to Organic Family Hymnal. If you like “gourmet” worship songs like "God Of This City" by Bluetree and “Beautiful Things” by Gungor, this album is for you. There are several standout songs, “Praise Like Fireworks,” “You Are My Vision,” “True Intimacy,” “Build Your Kingdom Here,” “Desert Soul,” “Shining Star” and “Second Chance,” which is one of my all time favorite worship songs. This album builds on the momentum of Rend Collective Experiment’s stand-out tracks “Movements” and “Come On My Soul,” and takes it up a notch musically. This is surely one of the top worship albums ever made. Appropriately the album is releasing on the same day as new projects by David Crowder*Band and Snow Patrol. If you like those legendary bands, don’t miss out on Rend Collective Experiment’s new album, a stellar five star worship album. This album is truly a memorable worship experience.

“You Never Change” is an upbeat song and declares the Truth that “You’re still the same, Yesterday, Today and Forever.” “Speak” is another prayer song that proclaims “Your Love is better than life.” The gorgeous and moving song “Let Go” is about dealing with an eating disorder, and seeing a friend in college wrestling with the same issue. “I really feel like Satan was trying to get a hold of me, keep me from fully giving my life to the Lord,” she says. “It’s a control thing. You want to control an area in your life. The Lord had to really break me of that and show me that He’s in control of my life.”  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. McCaul co-wrote the title track, “If It Leads Me Back,” with one of her songwriting heroes, Cindy Morgan. Lindsay says, “I was in a season of learning to let go of some things that the Lord was removing from my life, and having Job as an example of trusting God with what He takes us through was exactly what I needed. Whatever it is that God brings us to, He can take us through, and He allows it all in our lives so that He can bring us closer to Him and make us more like Jesus. I felt like that thought really summed up the whole album…” Amen.

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Lindsay McCaul has pure and strong vocals that remind me of Brooke Fraser and Audrey Assad who are my favorite female vocalists of all time. I consider Lindsay someone to watch out for in 2012 and based on this album, she gets my nomination as the best new artist and female vocalist I've heard in the past year. I haven’t heard an album that has struck me like this album since Albertine by Brooke Fraser and The House You’re Building by Audrey Assad.  “Say My Name,” “Ready,” “Come Rest,” “Take My Hand,” “You Never Change,” “Speak” and “Let Go” are all stand-out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth. Lindsay has captivating and catchy songs filled with inspirational lyrics. For me, Lindsay brings sincerity and relatable themes that get deeper with each listen. My favorite albums are the ones that continue to provide new revelations over time by savoring them this album has already done that for me. If you are looking for one of the top female solo albums of the year, then look no further than If It Leads Me Back. I’m sure it will continue to challenge, inspire and move me. This is truly a great album and an uplifting worship experience.

I find myself raising my hands in worship after those opening tracks, and then I’m compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus. “Dawn of Grace,” “Lay Us Low”  and “Pray” are also incredible worship songs. “Dawn of Grace” features Christa’s piano-based prayerful confession where she proclaims “and once I looked on Jesus’ face, it was the dawn of grace.” Nicole weighs in with the second verse and it is a truly moving song that ends with Nicole’s beautiful violin playing. “Father we confess, oh we confess, we have loved You less than ourselves” is the opening line of “Lay Us Low” which is the type of “gourmet” humble offering of praise I’ve longed to sing to God. Settle in and really allow yourself to experience these songs. I get completely overwhelmed in the emotion of this song. When Nicole and Christa together profoundly proclaim “So take us down and lay us low, leave ashes in place of gold, Life Giver, Sustainer, let nothing remain of our pride, from Your mountain on high, lay us low” I well up and the tears start streaming down my face. This song has become my personal anthem as I consistently pray for God to remove all trace of pride before Him. As if those 4 songs weren’t incredible enough, Christa stops me in my tracks with the compelling closing song “Pray” which is an amazing re-write of The Lord’s Prayer. All believers looking for the words to pray to their Heavenly Father can tenderly and sincerely sing along with Christa and Nicole, “teach us to pray.” Amen.

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Singer/Songwriter Christa Wells is best known for writing Natalie Grant's hit single "Held," but her albums will leave you breathless. How Emptiness Sings is one of my top 5 albums of 2011. Christa and Nicole, thanks for extremely blessing me with your incredible music and voices. Nicole’s violin and voice blend seamlessly with Christa’s piano and voice, which is soothing like Sarah McLachlan, Brooke Fraser and Sara Groves. “Image of God” is my new favorite worship song. You can’t help but want to reach out and be the Kingdom of God on earth as beautifully expressed in the song. This album grabs me with every song. Truly, every song is amazing. Christa has always had a knack for hitting me where I am spiritually and expressing the prayerful yearnings of my heart. This album is no exception as I get welled up praying along with several of the songs and most of all, I am stirred with compassion to love people as Jesus loves us. That’s the heart behind this album, and thank you Christa and Nicole for blessing us with your music and for singing the Truth of the Gospel for the Kingdom of God. This album soothes, moves and challenges listeners. Image of God by Christa Wells & Nicole Witt is a profound listening experience.

No worship band in recent history has created the kind of reaction The City Harmonic has with their EP, Introducing The City Harmonic. The band, consisting of frontman Elias Dummer, bassist Eric Fusilier, guitarist Aaron Powell and drummer Josh Vanderlaan, isn’t as interested in finding fans as they are looking for participants in the journey. Their single "Manifesto" has climbed both the Christian CHR and AC charts and their album has remained in the top 15 of all of Christian music. “Manifesto” is the type of song I wish I was singing at my church right now. The song boldly declares a statement of faith: “We believe in the one true God, We believe in Father Spirit Son, We believe that good has won, And all of the people of God sing along, Amen.” This worship anthem is just the type of infusion that the church needs with its honesty and bold lyrics. The song ends with “The Lord’s Prayer.”  The single edit version of the hit song is included as the last track of this very solid album.

I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home), their new full length album contains 11 brand new songs that continue the musical journey, with lyrics that point to the wonders of our God combined with sweeping melodies and infectious choruses that will be replayed in your mind over and over again. Experience the majestic nature of God in the music of The City Harmonic.  The opening four tracks set the tone brilliantly for this exceptional alternative rock worship album, one of the best of the year. “Yours” is an unashamed declaration of faith to God in the same rock style as “Manifesto.” Elias Dummer belts out the sincere chorus, “You can have it all, It’s Yours, all of it, Yours…” What a great reminder that everything we have is a gift from God. That Truth is manifested in the “I’m Yours” bridge to close out the song. I love the next song, “Spark,” which reminds me of “My God” from the EP. The Brit-Rock guitar riff and Coldplay-esque harmonies make this a signature tune by this incredibly talented band. “Just a spark can change my heart, just a spark is just a start, light a fire in my heart!” is the bold testimonial of this song which is a great anthem for Christians everywhere praying to be filled with The Holy Spirit.

In a poignant moment, there’s an excerpt of Martin Luther King’s “Mountaintop” speech where he prays “I just want to do God’s will, I may not get there with you, but we as a people will get to the promised land…” which leads into the drumbeat intro of “Mountaintop.” The song is filled with challenging lyrics, “We’ll be the glory of our King, in His Kingdom come…We’ve been to the mountaintop, we’ve seen the glory of our God, He’s here in the valley low, I feel it in my bones…We are the body of our God!” I am very moved by these opening songs. I find myself raising my hands in worship after those opening tracks, and then I'm compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus. The title track and first single, which was written even before the songs on the EP,  “I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)” is a soaring, melodic anthem that sings the hope of heaven imprinted on our hearts before the foundation of the world. According to the band, the song has always been the lynchpin on which the full-length record would hinge. “The dream, like Martin Luther King’s, is that there is another way,” Elias explains, “that it can be what we say it is, the eventual truth that we will awaken, just as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz awakened from her dream, to find ourselves home at last.” 

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What’s most impressive is how these catchy songs will have you singing along at the top of your lungs after just a couple of listens. This is the best new worship band I’ve heard since Delirious, which is absolutely incredible. Just like Delirious, I think The City Harmonic has a great opportunity to reach the lost for the Kingdom of God with their transparent lyrics and incredible musical talent. This album I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home), completely rocks and is loaded with songs you can proudly share with your friends and family. The themes of this album are Trusting God, loving Him and loving others as He loved us. All of the songs are catchy, exciting and worshipful. After listening to the album, I am stirred with compassion to love people as Jesus loves us. That's the heart behind this album, and thank you The City Harmonic for blessing us with your music and for singing the Truth of the Gospel for the Kingdom of God.

“Oh Heart Bereaved And Lonely” really displays Leigh’s emotional vocal style as she passionately sings her heart out with a somewhat melancholy yet sweet arrangement of the classic hymn. She clearly identified personally with the lyrics as you can hear breaks in her vocals as she proclaims these truths of the faith. No song better displays Leigh’s emotional connection to these songs than the incredible modern hymn “Power of the Cross,” written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. Stuart and Keith have collaborated to write some of the most beloved songs for the church of the past decade, having also written “In Christ Alone” and “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us.” If you like those songs, then you absolutely can’t miss Leigh’s deeply moving recording of “Power of the Cross,” my favorite song on this solid album. When she tenderly sings the last verse, “Oh to see my name, written in the wounds, for through Your suffering, I am free, death is crushed to death, life is mine to live, won through Your selfless love,” I can’t hold it together any longer and the tears stream down my face. “Give Myself To You” would fit on any of Leigh’s solo or Sixpence albums and features her signature pop music sound. I could totally imagine the song getting radio airplay and I love the vertical confession to God, “You are everything to me.” Amen.



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In the early 2000’s, Leigh recorded several worship songs for the City On A Hill collections, including “Precious Jesus,” “Beautiful Scandalous Night” and “With Every Breath,” which I’m still savoring many years later. If you have always enjoyed her vocals, then pick up this collection of worshipful songs immediately. I especially enjoy “Savior Like A Shepherd (Blessed Jesus),” “Isaiah 55,” “Give Myself To You”  and her beautiful and passionate recordings of “Oh Heart Bereaved And Lonely” and "Power of The Cross" bring me to tears as I pray along with the compelling and moving lyrics. Thank you Leigh for this offering of praise to our Savior and for blessing us with your voice.

Opening song “Prayer For This House” is a contemplative piano based offering to our Creator, with Sarah’s sweet and soothing vocals crying out in the chorus, “Peace shall softly walk these rooms, and though the walls are thin, they are strong enough to keep hatred out and hold sweet love, hold sweet love within.”  The song opens and ends with the prayerful and poetic lyrics “May nothing evil cross this door, and may ill fortune never pry, about these windows may the roar and rains go by.” Sarah’s singing voice reminds me of Leigh Nash and I hang on every word of these catchy and original Christmas songs. “On A Night Like This” is my favorite song on the album. It has a banjo intro and super-hooky melody and I love the prayerful tone of the song. The chorus comes right from Luke’s Gospel account of the skies opening and the angels singing “Gloria.”  Throughout the song Sarah acknowledges the true wonder of Christ’s incarnation as she reflects “Jesus, come and be born in the heart of me, and let me be your manger, let us be your manger.” Amen to that!  The album is loaded with that type of profound response to this most blessed season. “This Winter’s Eve” has another lyrical phrase that stops me in my tracks, “Heaven above to this earth below, fall on me, be still my heart, and listen on this winter’s eve, hear the song, the silence sings, oh listen on this winter’s eve.” What a wonderful reminder during the hustle and bustle of Christmas to take time and be still and reflect on the miracle of Christ’s condescension.

Even the two traditional songs include some incredible original adaptations, as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “What Love Has Done (Joy To The World)” each have new lyrics seamlessly infused with the original and profound words and Amy Grant’s signature background vocals can be heard during the “Joy to the world” chorus. I truly enjoy the ballads “Let It Be So” and “All Is Well.”  Each song includes humble and obedient reflections of God’s majesty. As Mary responded to God’s plan for her life, these songs compel me to also reflect on how I’m answering God’s call and proclaiming to Him, “let it be so.” “Peace Be” and “Snow Angels” are wonderful songs about seizing those precious moments that God gives us to feel His presence and appreciate His gift of peace and the beauty of His Creation. “Bethlehem” is a tribute to Sarah’s husband as she prays over her family “follow the Light that leads us to love, in the dark light we remember where Love comes from.” Closing song “Epiphany (I Will Not Forget)” book-ends this flawless five star album with another personal prayer with closing lyrics that sum up the entire offering, “I will not forget You love, and how You saved us all one night.” Amen.

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For sure, this is a Christmas album that you don’t want to miss, especially if you like Amy Grant’s best-selling series of Christmas albums. Everything that works about Amy’s Home For Christmas is in full effect on Sarah Hart’s This Winter’s Eve, including a guest background vocal by Amy Grant. This is my top Christmas album of the year. This album blesses and soothes my soul and is a beautiful offering of praise to our King.

The album takes a cool artistic turn with “Spirit  Wind,” which is one of the first songs Hall ever wrote. It also has strong lyrics calling out “believers leading carnal lives.”  The song has a bluegrass  flavor unlike any thing Casting Crowns has ever done and it’s another catchy and memorable song. Hall, who has won two “Songwriter of the Year” GMA Dove Awards, collaborated  with Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and others. Hall wrote “Just Another Birthday” with Tom Douglas, an award-winning country songwriter who has penned numerous country hit songs including “I Run To You” by Lady Antebellum. Band members Megan Garrett and Melodee DeVevo have beautifully expressive voices and Megan takes the lead on the poignant “Just Another Birthday.” The song reminds me of “Does Anybody Hear Her” from a first person girl’s perspective as she cries out to see her father again. It’s a reminder for fathers to remember their true priorities and be the spiritual leaders of their homes. I have three young daughters and this is the most moving song on the album as I know that so many young girls lack a father figure. The message of the song is to cry out to God, who is the “Father to the fatherless.” Melodee sings “Face Down,” a worship song penned by Hector Cervantes. “Wedding Day” is about the Second Coming and anticipates the thrill of reveling in the presence of God as the Bride of Christ.

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Come to the Well is the best album by Casting Crowns since Lifesong. Opening tracks “Courageous,” “City On The Hill” and “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” are catchy songs with pointed messages for the church. “Spirit  Wind,” “Just Another Birthday,” “Wedding Day” and “Face Down” are all poignant and moving songs. “The Well” is my favorite song by this band since “Who Am I” and sums up our walks as Christians, “the world will try, but it can never fill, so leave it all behind and come to the well.” 

Each of her albums has always had at least one song that pulls my heart strings and brings out an emotional response. From “Maybe There’s A Loving God” to “I Saw What I Saw” and “It’s Me,” I always expect at least one of Sara’s songs to make me cry.  On Invisible Empires there are several personal  songs that melt my heart including “Obsolete,” “I’ll Wait,” “Precious Again”  and “Finite.” There is nobody else in any genre of music including acclaimed GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriters Adele and Sara Bareilles writing such piercing, relevant and moving songs. If you are looking for an entire album of songs like “Blessings” by Laura Story, look no further than Sara Groves. What’s especially cool about this album is how Sara invites listeners into her life by sharing what’s on her heart. She dwells on social issues, lays out spiritual truths and worships God all at the same time. “Miracle” beautifully sets the tone for this 5 star masterpiece with her signature piano-based introspective style. This can be gorgeous background music, but don’t miss out on what Sara has to say in each song. “Lay down your arms, give up the fight, quiet your hearts for a little while, things have been spoken, shouldn’t be said, rattles around in our hearts and our heads” are the opening lyrics to “Miracle.” Settle in and really allow yourself to experience these songs, especially the next song “Obsolete,” my new all-time favorite song by Sara Groves. It is the source of the album title as Sara proclaims about our technology-driven society: “And I don’t know where we are, are we passing through these wires, are we walking through the streets of invisible empires?” The song is based on Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Sara recently read: “The Internet makes everything not enough.” When she tenderly sings “are you and I an apparition flickering on the screen…tell me can you really see me?” I well up and the tears start streaming down my face, for the first of many times during this incredible album.

“I’ll Wait” is a Brit-rock tinged worship song, which Sara wrote as a reflection of the victory she has felt over a period of intense anxiety that has plagued her. She reads Eugene Peterson’s Psalms of Ascent and this song has that psalmist style declaring to God: “I’ll wait for You, now more than ever, I see it’s true now more than ever, I don’t want to do this by myself, I know I need Your help, so I’m waiting for You.” The song is such a vulnerable and sincere prayer. You can’t help but pray and sing along with Sara. “Open My Hands,” “Precious Again” and “Without Love” are all in that same style declaring personal responses to biblical truths in each song. Lead single “Eyes On The Prize” musically is more like “When The Saints” and is Sara’s tribute to the work of International Justice Mission with her adaptation of the hymn “The Gospel Plow” singing about Paul and Silas and asking listeners to “keep their eyes on the prize, hold on.” Closing track “Finite” was co-written with Jill Phillips and is Sara’s response to Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” As a mother of three young children, Sara sings “I’m not every woman, it’s not all in me, I’m proud and guarded, when it comes to my needs…this frenetic obsession’s driving me insane, anybody feel that?” She profoundly concludes, “I’m finite, I come to an end, I’m finite, I cannot pretend.” Thank you Sara for writing and singing such incredible songs that seep into our hearts, souls and minds. This album soothes, moves and challenges listeners. Invisible Empires is a profound listening experience.

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Sara’s excellent songwriting and captivating piano-based singer-songwriter style have made her my favorite female artist in any genre of music.  If you like JJ Heller, Brooke Fraser, Laura Story and Audrey Assad, you must get Invisible Empires by Sara Groves.  For me, the standout songs are “Miracle,” “I’ll Wait, “Open My Hands,” “Precious Again,” “Eyes On The Prize,” “Without Love” and the gut-wrenching personal songs “Obsolete” and  “Finite.”  Truly, every song is amazing. It’s hard to imagine, but Sara has now once again released her “best” album topping all of her previous excellent work.  Invisible Empires by Sara Groves is the top album of 2011. 

Satellites & Sirens are one of the most promising new bands that emerged last year and they were nominated for Rock Recorded Song of the Year for their song “Anchor” and Rock Album of the Year. Opening track “Run Away” sets the tone perfectly for the musical and lyrical hook of the album, which is about finding our true identity. Rock fans will want to jump right to the incredible title track, “Frequency.” The driving synth-rock beat is perfectly married to the profound lyrics, “let’s not forget that this night is for living, and just like a drum, this heart won’t stop beating, for all of the radio listeners looking to feel…music and lyrics combining to heal your wounds. This frequency it comes and goes, let’s live and love in stereo, this frequency it comes and goes.” It is an incredible song and rocks my world like “Lose Control” by House of Heroes and “Pain” by Jimmy Eat World. “Let It Go” is a great song about releasing the burdens of guilt and shame that we carry. Many of these songs express my ‘emo’ feelings, and yet remind me that I wasn’t made for this world. This album has quickly become the soundtrack of my life especially in this song where I personally connect to the lyrics: “You gotta hurt sometimes but you didn't, You gotta lose sometimes but you wouldn't, You gotta give and take instead of running away.”

Lead single “Ready To Save” has permeated my soul and I find myself regularly singing the hope-filled chorus: “There is a Love that you’ve been waiting for, there is an answer, there is a cure, There’s a Healer, He’s ready to save you, He’s ready to save you, He’s ready to save.” “Take My Hand” addresses how our failures are redeemed by knowing our Savior and praying along with these lyrics, “Maybe we'll never know, but I pray we will finally see, That on our failing road in the dark we are not alone, It’s been so long I've spent my life content with giving in, To a life defined by the places that I have been, Take my hand Don't let go.” Amen. “Make A Mess” is an upbeat, hooky rock song that represents the theme of this incredible record, “We make a mess with the words that we're saying, We lose the best with the time that we're taking   We give love but we can't seem to take it, We get love and we turn around and fake it.” These are some of the deepest lyrics I’ve ever heard, all in extremely catchy rock songs. In “Run To You,” I pray along with Geoff and he passionately sings “Your mercies are never-ending, and You are Always…I Run To You, when hope begins to fall, I Run to You, You hear me when I call, I Run to You, Jesus. I Run to You.” The bridge makes me an emotional wreck, “You share in all my pain, You wipe away my shame, You heal me, You restore me, You make all things new.” This album is all about finding our true identity in Christ. He is the answer.

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Satellites & Sirens are back with Frequency, my top alternative rock album of the year from both the Christian and mainstream music markets. They list as their

influences: Jimmy Eat World, The Killers, and 80's Music. They are a fantastic blend of those awesome musical styles, and with this album they have become my favorite Christian alternative rock band. I truly enjoyed their debut album and the stand-out hit songs “Breaking The Noise,” “Anchor” and “Take Me Back.” If you liked those songs, you’ll love this new album which is one of the catchiest and most hope-filled emotional rock albums I’ve ever heard. This is a five star album and is great for fans of alternative rock bands Abandon, Between The Trees, Deas Vail, House of Heroes, Mae, Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers and Jimmy Eat World, which are all my favorites. Frequency is by far the catchiest, most energetic and emotionally engaging alternative rock album I’ve heard this year.