My Top Album of 2008! | Posted October-13-2008
This has been an AMAZING year for new Christian music. My most anticipated album all-year has been this gem by my favorite band Downhere. Sometimes an album doesn't live up to the hype after an excellent album like Wide-Eyed And Mystified, but this album is amazing, every song. As a major fan of the Canadian band Downhere since their Dove Award winning debut in 2001 and Best New Artist 2001, this band has only managed to get better this decade putting them in the ranks of my other favorite bands Jars of Clay, MercyMe and Sanctus Real, with their Brit-Rock sound being a blend of all of those great CCM artists and also the driving alternative rock that has made Coldplay an international sensation.
Ending Is Beginning immediately grabs you with the opening track Bleed For This Love, written in the person of Jesus and is a moving portrayal of His sacrifice and Love. Next, the first single Here I Am, based on my favorite passage of the Bible, Isaiah 6:8 stirs me to answer my calling as a Christian to do God's will. The next 4 tracks Cathedral Made Of People, My Last Amen, Hope Is Rising, and Something Heavenly are among the best songs ever by this great band, both musically and lyrically and the harmonizing of Marc Martel and Jason Germain has never been better. The album doesn't have any filler songs and actually closes as strong as it starts with Live For You, The Beggar Who Gives Alms and the anthemic and moving How Many Kings as a bonus track, originally on last year's Christmas album "Bethlehem Skyline".
For me, this album is truly 5 stars (98% perfect) and is my top album of 2008!
Solid Vertical Worship Album | Posted October-06-2008
I've enjoyed Lincoln Brewster for many years and have been led by him in worship at Creation East twice and found his passion and musicianship very engaging, particularly on some of his biggest hit songs The Power Of Your Love, Let The Praises Ring, Everlasting God and Love The Lord, all of which have been staples in corporate worship at my church for many years. His songs tend to be vertical worship with biblical lyrics and with nice melodic hooks similar to Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and Tim Hughes.
Today Is The Day is no exception to past quality work by Lincoln Brewster and will certainly add a couple more songs to corporate worship, in particular the hook-filled and biblical title song and the great cover of the Hillsong classic Salvation Is Here. As others have said, the musicianship and guitar playing really stands out on this album most of all. Everywhere I Go and Give Him Praise are prime examples where you can get lost in the nice melodies and guitar playing. For me, the stand-out songs which keep me coming back are the excellent God You Reign, which I can best describe as Hillsong meets Jeff Healey Band along with my favorite song The Power Of Your Name, sung with Darlene Zschech of Hillsong. I had to immediately replay the latter song as it is a must-have track on this solid vertical worship album by Lincoln Brewster. For me, this album is 4 out of 5 stars.
Nice Reflective Debut Album | Posted October-02-2008 Kelly Mack, the newest artist with VSR Music Group, joins a nice lineup of up and coming names in Christian music including two new artists I've already been enjoying this year RE:Zound and Ever Stays Red. When I read that Kelly's voice resembled Dido, Enya and Leigh Nash, I had to hear her debut album Take Me With You, and I was pleased to learn that those are fair vocalist comparisons.
I am a big fan of singer-songwriters who use Biblical inspiration in their songwriting. Kelly Mack credits the Book of Psalms: “My songs generally originate from the Psalms, which contain such amazing poetry,” she explains. The opening track Sing Unto Thee is a nice song of praise and adoration similar to the Waterdeep classic You Are So Good To Me. The stand-out track to me is the first radio single The Only One, a song that conveys God’s passionate love for His children, and stirs your heart in a manner like Leigh Nash singing her Sixpence None The Richer hit song Breathe Your Name. The best way to describe this album after a few listens is a nice reflective album. The other songs I most enjoy are All You Need, Call My Name, Take Me With You and Complete.
If you enjoy CCM artists Michelle Tumes, Nichole Nordeman, Ginny Owens, Brooke Fraser and Adie or even mainstream artists Dido, Liz Phair, A Fine Frenzy, Sarah McLachlan and Feist, you should really enjoy this nice reflective debut album by Kelly Mack.
Solid debut alternative rock album | Posted September-29-2008 Remedy Drive, the new alternative rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska caught my ear right away with the Brit-Rock hook of the debut single Daylight. The 4 Zach brothers have a sound that reminds me of Blue October, Jackson Waters, Grey Holiday and NEEDTOBREATHE (all favorites of mine). Dove Award winning producer Ian Eskelin of the band All Star United has produced a very accessible new alternative rock album similar to his own band's excellent debut from 1997 .
Daylight Is Coming kicks off with the solid anthem Stand Up, with the piano-driven rock-style that Coldplay has made famous. All Along is another standout track along with Hope and the excellent closing song Valuable. This is an album that you can enjoy over and over again. If you enjoy good rock hooks and solid lyrics, then you'll enjoy Remedy Drive.
Amazing (last?) Album, Top 10 of 2008! | Posted September-23-2008
I was sad to learn that one of my favorite alternative rock worship bands Delirious? announced shortly after releasing the amazing Kingdom of Comfort, that they were taking a break from music to spend more time with family and work on other projects. From 1997's debut Cutting Edge until now, Delirious? has consistently delivered that genuine Brit-Rock sound blended with unashamed preaching of the Gospel and is truly the original Christian version of U2, Radiohead and Coldplay and you can hear all 3 British influences on this amazing (last?) album, which is top 10 of 2008 in my opinion.
From the opening notes of the title track Kingdom of Comfort, I knew I was in for a musical journey with challenging lyrics. This album listens like 2 mini-albums in my opinion. The first five songs including the excellent single Love Will Find A Way and ending with Eagle Rider all have that alt. rock style and then the album becomes more of a praise and worship album starting with my favorite song We Give You Praise paired with the amazing worship song How Sweet The Name which I can imagine singing in church soon like former classics Majesty (Here I Am), My Glorious and I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever. The album builds from there to the powerful closing song My Soul Sings and the excellent radio mix of We Give You Praise.
This well may be the landmark album of the legendary career of one of the most influential bands in Christian music!
Honest and Moving Album | Posted September-17-2008
Danny Oertli's story has become a big part of his ministry. I had the great privilege to meet Danny in person and hear his story and read his book Mommy Paints the Sky, about Danny losing his wife Cyndi to an unexpected heart attack after several bouts with cancer. Like Jeremy Camp, he has survived tremendous loss and solidified a deep connection with God in the process of recovering.
His songs reflect his lessons and Danny's spiritual gains from the experience. The music is as good as the message. Everything in Between reflects Danny's trust in God, no matter what, for He is faithful. I enjoy every song especially the rocker You Are Glory which reflects on God's great beauty and power, and standout track Worship You With Tears, written right from Danny's direct experience of losing his wife. The centerpiece is tearjerker Mommy Paints the Sky, Danny's answer to the questions of his kids about Mommy's death. I love the honesty of this song of faith. Danny rounds out the album with the excellent Fight For Me, Give Me Jesus, which Danny's friend Fernando Ortega also sang at Cyndi's funeral, and the instrumental Joy.
Amazing Album of Worship! | Posted August-29-2008
Vicky Beeching caught my ear a few years ago when I heard her distinct vocals & vertical worship lyrics on Above All Else and Yesterday, Today & Forever from The Journey EP and Worship Together collections. I loved her first major label release, especially Captivated but she really blew me away with Painting The Invisible.
The opening single Join The Song is a joyful, modern version of the ancient liturgy known as "The Doxology." Every song is catchy and biblical including Hallelujah What A Savior, Everlasting Arms and the autobiographical Twenty-Six Summers. Two amazing worship songs really stand out to me especially, Great Is Your Glory based on John 1:14 and The Wonder Of The Cross based on Hebrews 9:28. In both songs, Vicky brings you right there with her in worship of our Savior as she reflects on the sacrifice, grace, wonder and glory of the cross.
Great new songs & all-time favorites | Posted August-29-2008
I can't get enough of "Closer" and I love the sound and vibe of the song. The direction somewhat reminds me of the electronic style Jars used on "Much Afraid" with the songs "Fade To Grey" and "Truce". "Safe To Land" has been speaking to me (like most Jars songs do), and since "Love Song for a Savior" is one of my all-time favorites, both the original and acoustic mix from "Furthermore" are already great and the new version ranks 3rd but is still good. "Flood" didn't need a new mix and it misses the energy and intensity of the original. "Prisoner of Hope" is also good and reminds me of "Light Gives Heat", which I really like. 4 out of 5 stars.
All-time great Christian Album! | Posted August-19-2008 Jars of Clay hit the music scene at a time in my life when I had graduated from college and I loved the alternative rock bands Collective Soul, Toad The Wet Sprocket and Weezer (I still do) but I didn't know Jesus. I grew up thinking being faithful was Jesus+church, works, etc. The song Flood came out on the radio and MTV and I needed to hear more by this new band, similar to how I felt about The Fray's debut album in 2005.
The first few seconds of Liquid had me hooked on Jars of Clay (and ultimately Jesus) forever. The Gregorian Chant, the driving beat and then the completely spiritual lyrics floored me and made me want to know Jesus as did my other favorite songs Love Song For A Savior, which really is my story as I longed to fall in love with Jesus, and Worlds Apart, an all-time classic which just wrecks you if you really pray along with the song.
Ultimately this is one of the all-time best albums in the history of Christian music and it led me to seek Christ for which I'm eternally grateful.
Solid Vertical Worship Album | Posted August-14-2008 Telecast really hooked me with their debut album and title song The Beauty of Simplicity as the Brit-pop sound blended perfectly with frontman Josh White's biblical vertical worship with other standout songs The Way and Release The Deep from the 2nd album Eternity Is Now. Fans of Coldplay, Leeland, Starfield and Phil Wickham should enjoy Telecast.
Quiet Revolution is the 3rd and most complete album by Telecast in my opinion. I was hooked right away by All Around Me and Come Down, the two most upbeat songs on this solid vertical worship album. The album then takes on a mellow feel as the title song indicates. For meditation on God's Word with biblical truth and catchy melodies I was not disappointed as nice soft songs can set a worshipful mood. The remaining standout songs for me are Beautiful Mystery regarding God's beauty in the unseen, Anchor of My Soul and The Message which is a great example of biblical truth based on 1 John 1:6-9.
KevinDavis_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
