The Top 5 Christian Albums of 2014 + extras

About the judge

I'm into biblical indie rock. To me, that's the sweetest of sweet spots. It provides for so much instrumental originality, while also providing a serious platform to communicate deep truths. There are so many good Christian indie bands right now and I've had fun finding the ones I've found. Besides that, I'm also into rock, rap, and whatever genre you'd like to attribute to Josh Garrels.  

I'm well aware that this post is not comprehensive. There are so many Christian bands out there today and many of the better ones require some digging to find. I'm also well aware that I'm no expert or insider in this realm -- these are just the opinions of one man. But I think they're pretty good opinions. :) 

Finally, if you don't have Rdio, you should get it. It's like a much more polished Spotify. All of my links go to Rdio, taking you directly to the album page so you can listen to the music (cue The Doobie Brothers).  
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Introduction


2014 was a good year for Christian music. It hasn't been as good as 2013 was, though, with the release of The Water & The Blood by Dustin Kensrue, Citizens' self-titled album (before they became Citizens & Saints earlier this year), and Ghost Ship's The Good King. All of these albums were put out by Mars Hill Church's music label, which ceased to exist (along with the rest of the church) as of the latter part of this year.

Every year there seems to be steps made in the right direction both stylistically and lyrically in the realm of Christian music. Although most of what gets heard on the radio is just a palatable version of the good stuff that's out there, many less-known (or unknown) bands are doing great things. I hope that you find this post useful in helping you sort out good Christian music from that which lacks depth. And perhaps this post will connect you with artists you've never heard of before. 

Here's my incredibly complex judging system:

Albums are ranked based on two criteria; 1) Saturation of orthodox, biblical content and 2) Quality and originality of music.

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Honorable Mentions & Disappointments



Chris Tomlin, "Love Ran Red"

October 27
3.5/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: Chris Tomlin has been a solid Christian songwriter and an album-making machine since 2001. His first big record, "Arriving," debuted over a decade ago. That's the one with "Holy is the Lord" and "How Great is Our God." Feel old?

His latest album is quite good. I'm not a fan of the song "Waterfall," which seems to be the biggest release off of the record, though I'm not as annoyed by it as I am by "God's Great Dance Floor," from the Burning Lights album.

The title track, "At the Cross (Love Ran Red)" is fantastic. "Almighty" and "Psalm 100" are great songs as well. Overall, however, I feel like Tomlin is getting a little watered down, and his songs always sound the same. I appreciate this album though, and he has proven that he still has the knack to have you singing along with his songs after the first time you hear them. I expect Chris Tomlin to continue his nearly one-album-a-year pace as he continues to tour and take his talents and gifts seriously.

Lecrae, "Anomaly"

September 9
2.0/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: Most of what I have to say about this album was written in the first part of another blog post about race in America. To sum it up, Lecrae has been the pioneer in the Christian Hip-Hop genre. His older albums were specifically great, as they oozed orthodox, biblical truths and were seemingly effective in moving people closer to God. 

Lately, his stuff has been pretty disappointing, as his aim has been altered to comment on cultural issues instead of of heart-of-man issues. Despite it reaching #1 on the Billboard Top 100, I was incredibly disappointed in this album, and I hope he goes back to his roots in the next one.

For King & Country, "RUN WILD. LIVE FREE. LOVE STRONG."

September 16
3.0/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: The up-and-comers from Down Under have arrived. Musically-speaking, these guys (the two front men are the brothers of Rebecca St. James) are very talented. I was blessed to see them live last year, and they put on a really good show. They are definitely performers, and they have the talent to back it up.

This is a fairly typical mainstream Christian album, though the music is much better than the majority of the rest. The theme of the record is essentially the same "You can do it" message that K-Love plays all day long. Don't get me wrong -- that's a fine message. But there are certainly more themes than that in Scripture. A lot more. 

The messages of "Without You" and "Long Live" are pretty confusing to me, and they don't really get me excited. The hit on the album, "Fix My Eyes," is good, but none of the other songs really do anything for me. Honestly, if it weren't for their musical talent, I probably wouldn't have put them on the list -- but their sound makes them a band you should be aware of.




Casting Crowns, "Thrive"

January 28
2.5/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: Casting Crowns was my first favorite Christian band. When I heard their song "Praise You in This Storm" off of their second album, Lifesong, I was hooked. That album, along with their self-titled debut album were excellent, though they did have a bit of hokey-ness to them.  As a new Christian I just assumed that was as good as was availble, so I didn't sweat it.

It seems to me that Casting Crowns' hokey-ness has increased more in recent albums, though, and none as obvious as this one. Jesusfreakhideout.com provides a fair review of this album on their website.

Overall, no Christian can really be disappointed by the lyrics because, as always, they're fairly solid and biblical. Part of the band's consistency surely has to do with them continuing to be active in ministry at their church in Georgia. I'm not sure if they still do this, but they at least used to not tour on Friday-Sunday so they could be at their home church leading the youth.

As I finished listening to this record, I have to agree with the aforementioned review:
"Casting Crowns remains in the mystery realm between lyrically compelling ('Broken Together,' 'Waiting On The Night To Fall') and mediocre to a fault ('Dream For You'), and I can't quite figure out which end they lean towards more."




All Sons & Daughters, "All Sons & Daughters"

August 25
3.5/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: All Sons & Daughters' self-titled album sounds really good. They're smooth, acoustic, and harmonized. Interestingly, the band is composed of a man and a woman who are not married, but help with worship at the same church. The church seems to be pretty seeker-sensitive, as I had hard time discovering how they interpret some core doctrines from Scripture on their website. 

All of that aside, this is their second full album, being released after three EPs and a live record. The songs are really good overall and are very easy to listen to. 

David Leonard is a strong male lead for the duo. He formerly played piano for the band Needtobreathe before starting this adventure in 2009. Apparently he writes songs for The Journey Church where he serves in Franklin, Tennessee. It can be assumed that the songs on the album are, at least in part, sung in that church.

I only have two "cons" for this album. One, though the songs are good and seemingly orthodox, the words of Scripture don't really surface clearly (much like how the church philosophy statement found on their website comes across). The other thing I have against the album is that the music is not really anything special and kind of stereotypical of the "Coffee House Christian" genre. It's good and smooth, just not anything you'd write home about. The album is totally worth listening to, though.




John Mark McMillan, "Borderland"

March 4
3.0/5

Listen: YouTube Playlist

Review: If you've never heard of John Mark McMillan, you have been missing out (a little bit). He has such a unique sound and his songs always have a very solid arrangement. His lyrics have never really been deep enough for me, though, and that's what caused this particular album to be a disappointment. 

Borderland is a musical showcase. He and his band have never sounded sharper than they do on this album. However, the words on the record just didn't pack enough of a punch for me to get excited about it.

"Future/Past" is a great song that embodies McMillan's style. It speaks to the absoluteness of God and His sovereignty in creation. If every song on this album reflected the qualities of this song, I would have given it a higher rating. I know that music is art and that art can come in many forms and interpretations, but I like my Christian music/art to be straight-forward. Songs like the title track, "Borderland," (lyrics), and "Tongues of Fire" make me ask the question, "What is he saying?" When that happens, I typically move on.




Newsboys, "Hallelujah for the Cross"

November 4
3.0/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: This was a pretty brave album by a group that's not really known for digging into the hymn books. I'll explain what I mean in a moment. I enjoyed (most of) the songs on this record more than the vast majority of their other stuff because it was so different. That's not to say their older music is bad -- it's just definitely not my style. To me, it's a little corny and predictable. This album was much different though.

Hallelujah for the Cross is composed of ten hymn covers. Many of the "classics" are covered, like "All Creatures of Our God and King," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and an awesome a capella version of "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" that highlights the group's vocal talent.

My big disappointments came from "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (one of my favorite hymns) and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" where they made some interesting arrangement decisions. Also, their version of "It is Well" is probably the most upbeat version I've ever heard -- and it's not supposed to sound that way. My favorite rendition of theirs was "Jesus Paid it All," which was wonderfully done.





Preson Phillips, "In Our Winters"

June 3
3.99/5

Listen: Rdio // Bandcamp

Review: I really wanted to put this album into my top five. Like, really badly. But I couldn't. He has a unique voice and great musical talent. There were just a couple of shortfalls.

Tommy "Preson" Phillips is the pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Tampa, Florida. The history (far back and recent) of this denomination is not super hot. Contemplative prayer, faith healing, and other charismatic doctrines have seemingly poisoned this sect. 

Now denominations, secondary doctrine, and/or non-damnable heresies don't, or at least shouldn't, poison a Christian album (see: Phillips, Craig, and Dean's former ties to Modalism). But it's certainly worth taking those things into consideration. 

For example, the song "Father Come Down" from this album seems to imply Modalism (you can get that from the title). From what I've seen, the Christian and Missionary Alliance teaches sound Trinitarian theology but the song is kind of strange. So that was a pretty sizable hit to the overall rating. Also, I am hesitant to fully promote some guy with sideways theology because I have no idea what direction he'll take in the future.

Two songs, "Lift Up the Gates (Psalm 24)"and "Deuteronomy Six" are based directly off of Bible passages, and they are very, very good. "Deuteronomy Six" is my favorite, as Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Old Testament. 

Although it's not top-5, this album is still a must-listen.

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Singles worth checking out


The City Harmonic, "Praise the Lord"

June 10

Listen: Rdio

Review: The City Harmonic's first full album was very, very good. It was released the day before the 2011 World Series, which was won by the Cardinals in 7 games. Coincidence? Yeah, it probably was actually. 

They're Canadian so they probably don't even care about baseball.

Their second album, released in 2013, had a different sound to it. It fit much better into the pop genre than the alternative rock genre. The songs were still very rich; it just fell short in the music department in my opinion.

This single was on that second album, but was re-released with some slight changes to the arrangement. My assumption is that they did so because the song caught traction on some radio stations. It's a good song, and I look forward to what they'll release in the future. 




Brandon Gillam, "I Am Yours"

March 18

Listen: Rdio

Review: Brandon Gillam is widely unknown. He's a worship pastor at Rivers Crossing Community Church in Cincinnati. He's only released one real album (five songs) to date, but this single might be a sign of more to come. Bongo Tree Sessions, his first record, featured the song "All Praises Rise" which I enjoy very much.

For whatever it's worth, the church where he leads worship is a Foursquare church. That theology might show up a little bit in future work. Either way, it would be neat to see him get a little more recognition.




Jeremy Camp, "He Knows"

September 30

Listen: Rdio

Review: Jeremy Camp has been around for awhile now and has kind of earned a name for himself in Christian music. Though he's no Tomlin or Paul Baloche, he's still well-known for his ability to write solid music. He's also with BEC Recordings, which has become a very reputable record label.

This song is all about (you guessed it) God's knowing of all things. He focuses on this great promise amidst personal trials, saying, "We may faint and we may sink // Feel the pain and near the brink // But the dark begins to shrink // When you find the one who knows."

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The Top 5


 
6. Sovereign Grace Music, "30: Three Decades of Songs for the Church"

April 8

1. Let Your Kingdom Come (feat. Chris Jackson) 4:27
2. All I Have is Christ (feat. Paul Baloche) 5:23
3. Jesus, Thank You (feat. Brook Hills Music) 4:52  
4. Behold Our God (feat. The Village Church) 5:32
5. O Great God (feat. Matt Boswell) 2:50
6. The Glories of Calvary (feat. Norton Hall) 4:03
7. Oh the Deep, Deep Love (feat. Aaron Keys) 3:57
8. Now Why This Fear (feat. Sojourn Music) 5:56
9. The Glory of the Cross (feat. Matt Papa) 4:31
10. I Will Glory in My Redeemer (feat. Austin Stone Worship) 4:04
11. Greater Than We Can Imagine (feat. Nathan and Lou Fellingham) 4:20
12. I Have a Shelter (feat. Enfield) 3:49
13. I Stand in Awe (feat. Glenn Packiam) 4:35
14. Before the Throne of God Above (feat. Kristyn Getty) 3:42

Listen: Rdio

My favorite: "Jesus, Thank You" (feat. Brook Hills Music)

Review: So the title of this post says "Top 5," but I had to get this album on here. The only reason it's not "officially" in the top five is because this is a "greatest hits" of sorts, and that has made the quality of music in this album is so awesome that it would just be unfair to really consider it. 

Lyrically, Sovereign Grace Music (SGM) has become the standard in conservative Christian circles for worship music. The Reformed foundation of SGM has kept each one of their songs chiefly biblical and saturated with sound theology. Their songs are what every expository preacher appreciates when they get sung in church -- scriptural, well-composed songs that prepare the hearts of the congregants in the best way possible. 

The downfall of SGM has traditionally been that their albums were not the easiest to listen to on their own. Because the songs were made for church praise bands, it's my assumption that there was not a lot of emphasis placed on the SGM band. What's so awesome (and obvious if you look at the song listing) about this album is that SGM teamed up with several other Christian bands and artists to bring a new sound to some of the classics. It's also neat to see which songs SGM consider their most valuable. 

My favorite song was an easy pick, since "Jesus, Thank You" is one of my personal SGM faves. Also, The Church at Brook Hills (David Platt's church) has an awesome sound. If you haven't heard their album Emmanuel's Land, you should listen to it here. SGM also joined with Matt Chandler's church (The Village Church) and Christian music standouts Paul Baloche, Matt Papa, and, of course, Kristyn Getty. 

This album gets 4.5/5 stars for reasons that are obvious when you give it a listen. 




5. Citizens & Saints, "Join the Triumph"

November 10

1. The Strife is Over 3:24
2. There is a Fountain 3:50
3. You Brought Me Back to Life 3:46 
4. The Mighty Hand of God 3:30
5. You Have Searched Me 3:57
6. Be Thou My Vision 3:24
7. Oh Great is Our God 3:10
8. The Gospel 2:56
9. Greatly to be Praised 3:24
10. The Lord's Prayer 5:50
11. Before the Throne 3:48

Listen: Relevant Magazine

My favorite: "You Have Searched Me"

Review: It was a big year for Citizens & Saints. They changed their name, broke away from Mars Hill Church, and released a new album.

Last year, when Citizens released their self-titled album, it quickly became my 2013 favorite. Kensrue's The Water and the Blood certainly challenged that later on, but man it was good. "In Tenderness," "Made Alive," and "Hail the King" were songs I immediately embraced and listen to over and over. "Made Alive," a song that packs a punch, actually got played on K-Love's Air1 -- and that's saying something about how good it was instrumentally that Air1 couldn't pass it up.

So in the middle of all of the new fame and the nasty divisions at Mars Hill Church, Join the Triumph emerged. I must say that I was disappointed by the record when I first listened to it a few short weeks ago. But I had to remind myself that I was only disappointed because they set the bar so high the first time around.

Unlike Citizens, Join the Triumph features a lot more 1980s-style synthesizers, of which I'm not a particular fan. If this were my first time ever hearing them though, I would probably be much more into the record. As I listened through a second and third time, I started to get used to the sound and could really begin to appreciate the lyrics. 

"Brought Me Back to Life," "You Have Searched Me," and "The Lord's Prayer" are awesome originals, and their rendition of "Oh Great is Our God" is fun to listen to. I'm not really excited about how they dressed up "There is a Fountain" and "Before the Throne," but they're legitimate tracks nonetheless.

At the end of the day, I find myself fully agreeing with this Jesusfreakhideout.com sentiment: "Though the music of Citizens & Saints doesn't have quite the same charm as the music of Citizens, Join the Triumph is still a rather decent album; it's just not the one fans may be anticipating."

4.0/5 stars




4. Zimmerman, "Hopefully Broken"

October 14

1. He Saves 4:21
2. I Need You 4:51
3. My Soul Knows 3:35 
4. Sunken Pages 4:10
5. Grace Greater 3:14
6. Stricken Smitten 4:27
7. Strong to Keep 4:34
8. I Am Broken (Psalm 102) 3:56

Listen: Rdio // Bandcamp

My favorite: "Stricken Smitten," "My Soul Knows"

Review: Zimmerman is a band I didn't hear of until just a couple of months ago. They are the praise band at one of the Living Stones Churches, an Acts 29 church plant in Nevada.

They're a pretty straight-forward rock band that does a great job writing songs. Tracks 3-6 are worth the price of the 8-track album (not this kind of 8-track). Front man Donald Zimmerman has a great voice, and he is well-supported instrumentally by Mike and Liz Mumford. The album was produced by Austin Stone, who also chipped in on the Sovereign Grace record listed above.

The band's heart is for the local church, and that's neat to see. Their website provides a lot of help to worship leaders, including chords to their songs and set lists.

Hopefully Broken is an encouraging album with catchy, high-quality songs. There's really nothing negative to say about this CD, save that it's only eight songs long. Overall, it just doesn't match up to the out-of-this-world albums that make up the top three.

4.0/5 stars





3. Kings Kaleidescope, "Becoming Who We Are"

October 14

1. Glorious 3:47
2. Seek Your Kingdom 4:24
3. I Know 3:46 
4. Bloom 1:00
5. Felix Culpa 4:47
6. Ache 2:07
7. All Creatures 4:32
8. Grace Alone 3:39
9. Dreams 3:13
10. 139 4:06
11. Redemption in Motion 1:54
12. Zion 4:14
13. Sift 0:52
14. Light After Darkness 3:06
15. Fix My Eyes 4:55
16. How Deep 5:03
17. Defender 4:35

Listen: Rdio

My favorite: "139"


Review: Kings Kaleidoscope's first real, full album is monstrous. Four songs are taken from their last album, Live in Color, which was only five songs in total. Mars Hill Church produced the album before that, Joy Has Dawned, which released in November 2012. That album only had five songs as well, and the two records they made before that only had eleven songs in total. Each one of those albums was labeled as an EP.

So, this 17-track flagship album made waves when it dropped in October. There's a really good blend of original songs and covers, as well as some short instrumentals. The ten-member band of diverse instruments produces an awesome sound. Perhaps the most surprising composition was the "Grace Alone" remake, based on Kensrue's song, first released by his band, The Modern Post. The original is always the best...

A couple of Kings Kaleidoscope's originals, "139" and "Defender" are both very theologically rich and incredibly well-composed. My favorite, "139," is based on Psalm 139, which is all about God's knowing those He made in His image. "Defender" is all about not living in fear, but living in confidence in God. "I advance with confidence in Christ, His precious truth delivers me," the song says.

Now with Tooth and Nail Records, the band is on tour and will likely be putting out another album within the next 12-18 months.  

4.5/5 stars




2. Loud Harp, "Asaph"

April 8

1. Take Heart 5:20
2. I'm Yours 5:22
3. The Nearness of You 5:22 
4. You Heard Me 5:40
5. Ascent 3:29
6. I Lift My Eyes 3:47
7. My Portion Forever 2:06
8. Out of Zion 5:20
9. The Fire and the Flood 5:22
10. Beautiful Son 4:15
11. Steadfast Love 6:35

Listen: Rdio

My favorite: "The Nearness of You"

Review: Well, this was a little unprecedented. Loud Harp's first album (self-titled) was released in June 2012 and it was great. Though I liked it a lot, it probably would not have landed in my top five if I would have done this that year. Their song "Hold Me Together" off that album is what first introduced me to them when I heard it on the radio.

But when I heard this record, I instantly knew that they were something more than just another good Christian band. Asaph absolutely nails it. 

As stated in this interview, the album focuses on the Psalms, especially those of Asaph. Psalms 5, 8, 27, 50, 73, 77, 121, and 144 are covered, with 50 and 121 taking multiple tracks to unpack. The songs aren't just summaries or reiterations of the Psalms, but they are essentially devotionals centered around the content of those psalms. 

For example, "I'm Yours" is based on Psalm 8 which states, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (v. 4, ESV). The chorus of the song states, "I'm Yours, I'm Yours, You called me Your son / I'm Yours, I'm Yours, You bought me with blood." This is an obvious jump to Christ's salvific work found in the New Testament, but I appreciate the Christocentric connection they made instead of just staying within the boundaries of the psalm itself. 

Their sound is so, so smooth and easy to listen to. They're so talented that "Ascent," an acoustic track, doesn't even feel like a waste or useless addition -- it just fits. Each of their tracks is moving, and like I stated above, "The Nearness of You" is especially good.

Also, one of the two guys that make up the band lives in Utah. So...nailed it. Please, please listen to the album and enjoy.  

4.5/5 stars




1. Rivers & Robots, "All Things New"

July 8

1. We Have Overcome 4:24
2. Perfect Love 4:38
3. White as Snow 3:17 
4. Fall Down 4:32
5. Arise 4:30
6. You Hear Me 4:59
7. In the Family 4:39
8. Keep My Fire Burning 3:47
9. Shepherd of My Soul 5:46
10. Light Will Dawn 3:31
11. Voice That Stills the Raging Sea 6:22 

Listen: Rdio

My favorite: "In the Family," "White as Snow"

Review: I had never heard of Rivers & Robots before. I could not have predicted that this would be my favorite album of the year just a few months ago, but it is so clear now that it is. 

Only one response can express the awesomeness of this album -- "Wow!" It is at once the perfect embodiment of indie sounds and solidly scriptural lyrics. And what's more, they have made this record available for free. Yes, free. "Wow!"

Their label, Come&Live! Records, carries other great, new-ish bands also, like Ascend the Hill, Loud Harp (see #2 above), and Lovelite. Some of them offer their albums free-to-download also.

Every song on this record is fantastic. I don't feel compelled to skip any track and that's an accomplishment in my book. The album starts off with "We Have Overcome," which lead singer Jonathan Ogden wrote while reading Revelation 12:11 in his personal devotions. That song sets the pace for the rest of the CD, both musically and lyrically. 

It's obvious when listening to each song that the band just loves the Lord. They're excited about Him and about the gospel. And they do a great job telling the story. "White as Snow" is all about Christ's cleansing power through His redemptive work on the cross. "In the Family" is a really groovy jam that conveys the idea of John 1:12 -- believers are adopted sons and daughters of the Most High. It's such a good song.

"Shepherd of My Soul" is another stand-out in this album full of stand-outs. Not only are the words full of encouragement, but the nearly-6 minute long masterpiece is full of amazing music as well. 

This group from Manchester, UK is currently touring the Czech Republic and I'm sure they'll make it to the US eventually. Until then, download the album and soak up what is, in my opinion, the very best Christian album of the year.

5.0/5 stars

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Christmas Jams



The Modern Post, "Lowborn King"

4.5/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: This is the best Christmas album this year, hands down. It's only five tracks -- but they are the best five tracks of all the 2014 Christmas album releases. The only thing left to say is that you need to listen to it.








Various Artists, "This is Christmas"

4.0/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: BEC Recordings (home of Jeremy Camp, Citizens & Saints, The Museum, and Dustin Kensrue) released this Various Artists album that's all about the Christmas holiday (The Museum is the only band listed above on the CD). 

There are seven solid songs on the record, two of them bearing the same title as the album, "This is Christmas," though the lyrics are different in each song.





Johnnyswim, "A Johnnyswim Christmas"

4.0/5

Listen: Rdio

Review: Like Lecrae, Johnnyswim is a band made of Christians, but Christian is their faith, not their genre. As awkward as that is to say and think through, they are great musicians and their Christmas album is good. 

The married couple that makes up the band met at church and that's basically all I know about them. Enjoy a different take on Christmas.




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What to look for in 2015


I'm certainly no music insider, but I have a few things I'm looking forward to in 2015. Here they are.

Garrels: Need. More. Garrels. Like how Michael Scott needs more Mullins. His last genuine, original album was Love & War and the Sea Between and it earned Christianity Today's Top Album of the Year honor. It was fully fan-funded and incredibly composed. Since then, all he's released is a remix version to that incredible album, not offering fans anything lyrically new for what can be classified now as "years." He's on tour and looks like he's staying busy. I hope he puts out something new in 2015. We all need it. 

Kensrue: The best album of 2013 belonged to Dustin Kensrue with his release of The Water and The Blood. That set of songs completely rocks and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. He obviously got busy on a Christmas album with his band The Modern Post, but 2015 would be a great time for him to drop another full record under his name -- and it sounds like that will happen. He also has another band, Thrice. As a point of clarity, Kensrue states on his website:

"When I put out The Water and The Blood, I made the decision to release it under my name. I think there were good reasons for this, but in hindsight I think it has been confusing to fans of Thrice and my solo work...moving forward, all projects that are purposed towards writing music for the church to use in worship will be released under the name 'The Modern Post,' which originally used a few years ago as the band name for a worship EP I recorded. My hope is that moving forward this division of brands will help to make things less confusing as I hope to continue writing and releasing music under my name (and am currently recording a record in that sense) and also to writing and release more records that are followups to TW&TB."

Ghost Ship: The Good King shook the earth. "Mediator" blew many of us away. I'm ready for more. They are now with BEC Recordings and no longer associated with Mars Hill Church (just like everyone/everything else, now that the church ceases to exist). It's my hope that we'll see something from them in early 2015.

The Sing Team: Continuing the former Mars Hill Church music group trend, this has to be one of the saddest pages on the church website (its days have to be numbered, by the way). The Sing Team's little five track Oh! Great is Our God EP was so awesome, but in April 2015 it will be three years since it came out. I have no idea if it's even in the realm of possibility, but a new record from them would be awesomesauce.

The City Harmonic: As I mentioned above in the "Singles" section, I enjoyed The City Harmonic's first album much more than the second. But it's time for a new album from them and I'm excited for it. Their lyrics have been good across the board, so a new set of songs from them should be much anticipated.  


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One more thing

 
I stumbled across this website earlier this week and I was totally pumped up:


http://theversesproject.com/


Loud Harp, Rivers and Robots, and Zimmerman have all contributed to this effort. Essentially, they take passages from the ESV and put them to original music word-for-word. Incredibly, every song is free to download.

You have to listen to it to really appreciate it.

Listen, download, and donate. It's a great cause.