Issue 293

charlie hall

the bright sadness

emi

www.charliehall.com

Two years after releasing FLYING INTO DARKNESS, worship leader Charlie Hall returns with another project featuring his ultra-passionate vocals and lyrics focused on worship of the Lord. It's obvious these tunes are heartfelt, in part because of the way this artist pronounces each lyric with precision. "Thrill" is a wonderful adaptation of the old hymn "All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus," with a lively musical twist but a preservation of the original song's thoughts. According to Hall, THE BRIGHT SADNESS "comes from understanding my ordinary human condition and my deep love for Jesus and the life He brings. It is the accepting of my brokenness and that of the world around me while never losing sight of Christ's closeness, His free fellowship, His redemption and compassion, His Brightness."

worth dying for

worth dying for

integrity

www.worthdyingfor.com

Guitar-fronted music reigns on this self-titled CD, with rock worship featuring both male but mostly female vocals. This California-based five-piece offers musical energy that is both original and God-focused. Christy Johnson, wife of the youth pastor at Calvary Temple in Southern California, proves on "Let It Out" that she has the power and punch to run with the boys. The guitars really rock on "Crazy," with Johnson sounding similar to Hoi Polloi's Jenny Gullen - with a passion that is unfortunately rare for female CCM artists. The band goes totally worshipful with "Holy," which is catchy but overly repetitive, but later redeems itself with vocal and lyrical passion on "At Your Cross."

david crowder band

live remedy club cd/dvd

sixsteps

www.davidcrowderband.com

David Crowder Band's first-ever full-length DVD features a whopping 5½ hours of content, including 16 songs recorded live on the band's 2007 tour - plus a behind-the-scenes documentary and even song demos from band members. Shot with nine cameras in two cities, the DVD features 5.1 surround sound. For those unable to catch the band live during their REMEDY tour, this DVD/CD is probably the next best thing.

vota

vota

ino

www.votaband.com

Finally, a mainstream-sounding Christian pop group with a genuine love ballad ("Be Mine") that can't be pigeonholed simply as a "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend/girlfriend" tune. Formerly known as Casting Pearls (but changing their name to avoid confusion with Casting Crowns), the band returns with a self-titled CD with catchy dance elements unheard of on earlier efforts. While the aforementioned tune features a refrain with cool Mississippi Delta blues guitars, most of the songs are comprised of melodic pop-oriented, keyboard-driven music that is led by frontman Bryan Oleson's powerful vocals. Musical influences range from dance poppers Maroon 5 to ethereal rockers Augustana to the eclectic sounds of MuteMath, while their song "I'll Go" almost has a Southern rock anthem feel.

michael w. smith

a new hallelujah

sony/bmg

www.michaelwsmith.com

When I first saw Michael W. Smith, it was 1982 and he was playing keyboards for Amy Grant at Virginia's Roanoke-Salem Civic Center. Nearly three decades later, with 33 number-one songs and career album sales of more than 13 million, Michael W. Smith has become the world's premiere worship leader-with his exemplary songwriting ability and his ability to rouse a crowd with his unmistakable vocal prowess. On A NEW HALLELUJAH, Smith again presents us with a majestic collection of live praise songs that inspire an audience with a sing-along worship experience unlike any other. The title track to this live CD is totally incredible, with energy building (thanks in large part to the chorus) and a driving tempo. The African Children's Choir joins Smith on "When I Think of You," reminding me of conversations on the recent Hugh Jackman film, AUSTRALIA. The sing-a-longs on this project are immediate and endearing, from the popular "Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone" remake to Smith's own "Healing Rain/Let It Rain." It probably won't get much better than this, folks, until we're singing with the angelic choirs in the next life.

stephen hinkle

stephen hinkle

blue myrtle/infinity

www.stephenhinkiemusic.com

It's not often that we hear a downright funky sound in contemporary Christian music-Whatever happened to Jon Gibson, anyway?-and it's almost unimaginable that we'd hear such get-down sounds on an album of worship music, but that's what listeners will discover on this debut from Chicago-based worship leader Stephen Hinkle (check out "Be With You" and the swanky "Magnify" for examples). This musician, who apprenticed with the writer of the worship anthem "You Are My All in All," is today the fulltime worship at Lakeland Church in suburban Chicago. Of course, not every song on this 12-tune collection is funky, such as the worshipful "Because of Who You Are" or the soulful balled "Grateful." Between the energetic rhythms, Christ-centered lyrics or smooth vocals, however, you can't help but have a total worship experience while listening to this recording.

above the golden state

above the golden state

sparrow/emi

www.youtube.com/abovethegoldenstate

College radio fans are used to eclectic mixes of sounds such as those offered on this debut from Portland, Oregon-based ABOVE THE GOLDEN STATE. The rest of us can only listen, enjoy and wish for more. This self-titled project starts out with the acoustic pop tune "Loud and Clear," featuring lead singer Michael Watson and his band's pure pop vocals, and although that vocal quality and an acoustic component are consistent throughout the rest of the CD the tempos vary and make for an intriguing listen. "I'll Love You So," for example, is guaranteed to make listeners want to dance and clap along to, especially in concert settings while singing the "Whoah-oh-oh's" along with the band. "Chapter 13" is a wonderful combination of instrumentation and sermon clips from I Corinthians celebrating the most wonderful of human emotions.

nevertheless

in the making

flicker

www.neverthelessmusic.com

A piano hook fronts the initial song on Nevertheless' IN THE MAKING, but drums soon kick in and guitars and harmonic vocals then join the sweeping chorus of "Sleeping In." The band sings of being "tired of sleeping in" during the tune, while the rest of the songs on the five-piece's project likewise hammer home that theme of untiring devotion to their Creator. (By the way, "Cross My Heart" is nothing like the George Strait hit of the same title, though it does speak of remaining faithful.)

bart millard

hymned again

ino/columbia

www.bartmillard.org

Mercy Me lead vocalist Bart Millard returns with another collection of church standards revived into a playful blend of 1920s honky-tonk and New Orleans jazzy sax/harmonica/musical saw on HYMNED AGAIN, which features old-time gems such as "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus," "Victory in Jesus" and "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." A first-class production from a first-class musician that showcases first-class hymns that have truly proven the test of time.

disciple

southern hospitality

ino

www.disciplerocks.com

Wow! Tennessee-based Disciple shoots from the hip on their latest project, SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY, which true to its title makes the most of the best Southern rock. The vocals are front-and-center, the music is grinding and crunchy, and the screams are tempered to accentuate the lyrics. If you like your hard rock a little raucous, don't mind regular guitar solos and enjoy lyrics that are God-focused, this is a must-have for your music collection.

this beautiful republic

forefront/emi

www.thisbeautifulrepublic.com

The Beautiful Republic successfully marries together modern rock and modern worship with their sophomore CD, titled PERCEPTIONS. With a mix of in-your-face rock ‘n' roll and melodic ballads, the Ohio-based band utilizes big choruses to send a message of living redeemed lives in a fallen culture. Take the song "For the Life of Me," for example: "It talks about how God's perception of us is utterly opposite of what ours should be," explains frontman Ben Olin. "We are filthy and sinful, and we simply cannot grasp why a perfect God would send a perfect Son to take our place in the line of death. Why would a man suffer a greater torture than any man in history just to save us? It's incomprehensible and proves that His love for us Is greater than we could ever imagine." With songwriting motives expressed that way, we should all be encouraged about the theological focus of least this CCM modern rock band.