| Written by David Wang, The Catholic Register,
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 I just got a new smartphone and the first thing I did was load some of my favourite music on the phone. It is amazing how much more I listen to music now. In particular, I’ve been listening to classic Christian albums that I haven’t heard in years.
This has caused me to reflect back on the fact that, recently, there have been no real blockbuster songs that define the genre as there had been in the past. “No Jesus Freak” (dc Talk), “Big House” (Audio Adrenaline), “Flood” (Jars of Clay), “Butterfly Kisses” (Bob Carlysle), “I Can Only Imagine” (Mercy Me) or “Stomp” (Kirk Franklin). There seems to be a malaise in the Christian music industry right now. Although the CDs I am reviewing are solid recordings worthy of purchase, there is no sense of a timeless classic here. We are long overdue.
David Crowder — Remedy
Crowder is known as a praise and worship artist, but his music rises above the generic in that style of music. This is a very enjoyable album with quite inventive melodies. The production is modern with creative samples and loops sprinkled throughout. Because these are worship songs, I found a few songs repeating phrases a bit too often for my liking but this is a minor quibble. Crowder is fast becoming my favourite worship artist, because unlike many such recordings, his CDs can bear repeated listening. For me, the standout cuts are “Everything Glorious” and “Rain down.” This is the best of the new year so far.
Amanda Falk — Beautiful
This Canadian songstress won a Juno for her debut album. This is her sophomore album and there is no jinx here. This is a very good collection of catchy contemporary pop and sweet piano driven ballads. The title cut has radio single written all over it but has an important message for young girls about what true beauty is all about. This message permeates the entire album. One cannot listen to the song “Touching” or “We All Cry” without coming to the realization that this is a great CD from a very promising Canadian artist.
Kirk Franklin — The Fight of My Life
Franklin is the most successful gospel artist in terms of sales. He combines gospel with hip hop, rap, preaching and a strong message. This formula has worked over his numerous albums and is continued on this album. I am happy to see that there is still growth happening as is evidenced by the song “I Am God,” featuring Toby Mac in a bit of a rock-rap venture. However, Franklin’s bread and butter is songs like “Declaration,” which just make you want to get out of your chair and raise your arms. Another consistently good release from this artist.
Mercy Me — All That is Within Me
Over the past few albums, one gets the sense that Mercy Me was trying too hard to duplicate the success of the megahit, “I Can Only Imagine.” On this release, however, the band seems to have hit a comfortable groove. No big single stands out here but the album sounds like an integrated whole. Out of all the albums, I suspect this is the one that I would come back to most often. Featuring sweet harmonies and an accessible pop sound that the Beatles would be proud of on the lead cut, “Goodbye Ordinary,” to the U2-ish “Time Has Come” to the tender “Finally Home” to close the album, there are no weak tracks
Hillsong — Live (Saviour King)
Hillsong is associated with a group of Pentecostal churches in Australia. These praise and worship CDs have been enormously popular and influential. This collection should continue that tradition of concert-like praise settings in arenas with thousands of attendees singing along. The sense of this recording is as much rock concert as it is adoration of our Lord. Incredibly well-polished and professionally played and sung, this album is hard to criticize at that level. However, unlike Crowder, there is a sense of “been there, done that” on this album. Although this is destined to be one of the biggest albums of the year, I can’t help wishing for more depth and growth.
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