While most of what finds its way into my mailbox is books, I also receive a surprising amount of music. This works out well since I happen to love listening to music while going about my daily work. Here are a few new and noteworthy albums you may want to take a look at.

Hymns for the Christian Life - It’s always noteworthy when Keith and Kristyn Getty release a new album. Keith Getty is one of today’s foremost Christian hymnwriters who, along with Stuart Townend, has sparked a resurgence in hymnody with such songs as “In Christ Alone” and “How Deep the Father’s Love.” This new album “comes from the challenge to consider not just what we sing on those occasions when we're all together but how the shared lyrics of our faith speak into all the moments in between. Musically, Hymns for the Christian Life reflects both the Celtic and American folk traditions, old and new world brought together, just as we lean on the rich legacy of Church music we already have with songs written for the life of the Church today.” It is available at Amazon or iTunes.

Hymns - Hymns is a new album from Stephen Miller who leads worship at the Journey Church in St. Louis (where he ministers with Darrin Patrick). The album consists of eleven traditional and contemporary hymns set to new arrangements of the traditional melodies. In other words, it’s quite a straightforward album that revisits a collection of everyone’s favorite hymns. The album is available at Amazon or iTunes.

Under the New Sun - Smalltown Poets were one of my favorite bands back in the day (by which I mean the 90’s). Their first two albums would still rank on my list of all-time favorites. Now, all these years later, they’ve released a new EP titled Under the New Sun. They say they’ve “gotten back to our beginnings by crafting lyric-intensive songs from the ground up, doing our best to turn a few phrases, sneak in a few puns, and challenge our listeners to dive in and bring their own imaginations.” It’s a fun album that is very consistent with the good old days of Smalltown Poets and Listen Closely. You can check it out at smalltownpoets.tv.

While most of what finds its way into my mailbox is books, I also receive a surprising amount of music. This works out well since I happen to love listening to music while going about my daily work. Here are four recent releases I’ve been enjoying—two albums of acoustic traditional and modern hymns and two albums of Christian rap music.

A Thousand Amens - This may well be the only Anglican modern worship album on the market. It’s a good one. The Falls Church Anglican is one of those faithful congregations that refused to compromise the gospel and was forced out of its building. This album was recorded before they had to vacate their property. They sing a variety of songs, including several Sovereign Grace tunes, some hymns, and a few originals. I have especially enjoyed their cover of “Behold Our God” along with “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven” (and the amazing transition between the two).

Weight & Glory - Weight & Glory is the debut album from Reach Records’ Kevin Burgess who goes by KB. “We have developed a pattern, a lifestyle that begins with a beautiful conversion and snowballs into a cyclical and sickening pattern. A complacent, idolatrous, lukewarm faith is more common than a radical, love-drunk soldier that has been set on fire. We fear the judgment of men. We lack the boldness to expose heresy. We are quick to lose hope. We are easily distracted.” The album is a call to be fixed on the weight of God’s glory and, with that in our minds and hearts, to battle hard for holiness. It is about as strong a debut album as you could hope for and it’s quickly become one of my favorite Christian hip hop albums. You can buy it at Amazon.

Safely Home - Safely Home is a creation of a band called St. Andrews Hymns. The album has twelve tracks and all but a couple of them are hymns, some set to traditional melodies and some with original melodies. About half of the hymns are well-known with the rest coming from a little bit off the beaten path—a good thing! My favorites are “Down at the Cross” and “O Father You Are Sovereign.” It is available at Amazon.

The Restoration - Whether or not you enjoy rap music, you’ve got to appreciate an album with a title like this: The Restoration: The All-Sufficiency of Christ in the Gospel of Grace to Restore Ruined Sinners to Himself for their Joy and His Glory. I can’t sum it up any better than the official description: “With a title like that and Brindle's history of being thorough on albums, one should expect a lengthy album on how God used the Gospel to restore Timothy in all areas of life. Moving from that, Timothy explains how the Gospel is the means that God uses to restore all of His people back to Himself, as well as all of creation. It is safe to assume that while this album is personal to Timothy, it is universal enough for all to enjoy.” Find it at Amazon.

While most of what finds its way into my mailbox is books, I also receive a surprising amount of music. This works out well since I happen to love listening to music while going about my daily work. Here are a few of my favorite recent albums.

Jesus in My Place by The Summit Church. This is an album of modern worship that focuses on the good news of the gospel. The artists say, “Our prayer is that these songs deepen your personal worship of Jesus. The Christian life is ultimately a life of worship, and nothing fuels worship like dwelling on the glorious gospel of Christ. Wherever you are and wherever you go, these songs will help you rehearse the truths of the gospel, allowing the Holy Spirit to stir your affections for Jesus.” You can find lyrics and chords at the church’s web site. Musically, you will find that it is similar to Sovereign Grace Music, Chris Tomlin, and the like.

The Grand Narrative by Heath Hollensbe - Heath is a Christian musician who has worked and traveled with some of the biggest acts in Christian music. The Grand Narrative is a “6 song concept record that encompasses the history of the universe through the future that is in store for Christians. Each song is titled by a word that describes the steps in the movement (Hovering, Creation, Failure, Atonement, Covenant, Re-Creation).” If you are into music that is experimental in the vein of Keane or Sufjan Stevens, you may want to give this one a try. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.

Big Stories for Little Ones by Rain for Roots - Here’s one for the kids. “Rain For Roots is a collective of songwriters, young mothers and friends who came together around a single vision to make new scripture songs for children. Inspired by traditional folk melodies, this band of four set out to make new, timeless songs about the old gospel Story.” These songs are based on the poems of children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones and appear to be targeted primarily at young children.

Church Clothes by Lecrae - Lecrae is the most popular of all the Christian hip-hop artists and Church Clothes is a new mixtape (which means that it is free). The album has 18 songs that feature Lecrae with other popular Christian rappers. You can read a lengthy and interesting article he wrote in response to the album’s unexpected popularity right here.

I don’t just read, you know. I also listen to music and always love it when a new CD shows up in my post office box or, more commonly, when a new set of MP3s arrives in my inbox. Here are just a few of the albums I have been enjoying in recent days.

Open Your Doors by Jenny & Tyler - I had several people email me to say that I needed to give this one a listen. I’m glad I did and, in fact, I’ve been listening to it a lot. It is very stripped-down, melodic music that focuses on praise. I only wish I had the lyrics somewhere so I could follow along. Favorite tracks include “Little Balloon” and “See the Conquerer.”

The Good Life by Trip Lee - I recently interviewed Trip Lee about this album but thought I’d mention it again. The Good Life is an album I’ve listened to again and again in the weeks I’ve owned it and I don’t think I’m done with it yet. Trip focuses on lies about what the good life is and celebrates a life of humble obedience. My favorite tracks include “Robot” and “War.” My kids love “One Sixteen.”

From Age to Age by Sovereign Grace Music - “Inspired and influenced by hymn writers of the past like Martin Luther, Augustus Toplady, and Charles Wesley, From Age to Age contains 14 new hymns that combine rich, theologically driven lyrics with singable melodies for the glory of the Savior whose praises know no end.” The songs are uniform in their sound theology and vary a little bit in their suitability for congregational worship.

The Last Missionary by Stephen the Levite - For those not familiar with the artist, Stephen the Levite is a rapper who, like many others in Christian rap, infuses the genre with sound theology. Here’s a description of the album: “God is quite clear on how His mission is to be carried out. Burdened by this, and with great affection for Christ’s glory, Stephen the Levite, has drafted up and presented his latest musical offering featuring: Timothy Brindle, Hazakim, Leah Smith, muzeONE, and more! Join us on the journey to explore and answer the question at hand, ‘Who is the Last Missionary?’”

I was at a wedding recently and was introduced to this hymn (which also works well as a poem) written by John Berridge. Berridge was a preacher, a revivalist and a hymnwriter who wrote several hundred songs. Indelible Grace has a helpful biography of the man. I quite enjoyed his hymn “Since Jesus Freely Did Appear” and thought I’d share it with you.

Since Jesus freely did appear
To grace a marriage feast,
O Lord, we ask thy presence here
To make a wedding guest.

Upon the bridal pair look down,
Who now have plighted hands,
Their union with thy favor crown,
And bless the nuptial bands.

With gifts of grace their hearts endow,
Of all rich dowries best!
Their substance bless, and peace bestow,
To sweeten all the rest.

In purest love their souls unite,
That they with christian care,
May make domestic burdens light,
But taking each their share.

True helpers may they prove indeed,
In pray’r, and faith, and hope;
And see with joy a Godly seed
To build their household up.

An Isaac and Rebecca, give
A pattern chaste and kind;
So may this married couple live
And die in friendship joined.

On every soul assembled here,
O make thy face to shine,
Thy goodness more our hearts can cheer,
Than richest food or wine.

There are two albums that have been receiving a lot of my attention lately, both of which were released on August 2: Matt Papa’s This Changes Everything and Mat Kearney’s Young Love. Let me give you a brief overview of each of them.

This Changes Everything

This Changes Everything is a full-on worship album and one that focuses on big themes of sin and sovereignty and salvation. It has as much theological depth as any album I’ve heard recently and combines this depth with calls to action and Christian living. Musically it ranges from rock to ballads with even a little bit of rap and a little bit of Piper added for good measure. Here are some sample lyrics:

From “Our Sovereign God:”

Our Sovereign God
The King of all
Clothed in Power
And crowned forevermore

Idols will fall
He stands alone
Reigning ever on His throne
Dwelling in Glory and Awe
Our Sovereign God

Every now and again I like to mention some of the albums I’ve been listening to lately—largely because many of these albums are sent to me by people who read this site. This time around I’ve got 4 great albums to recommend to you.

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time is a band that (largely) sets old hymns to new music. And they do it well through acoustic folk music featuring guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo, dobro and violin. Their most recent album is At the Table and it contains a mix of original songs with older hymns. My favorites are “How Firm a Foundation” (I love their rendition) and “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners.” Whenever I mention my favorite tracks someone says, “You always choose the worst tracks.” So be it. Those are the ones I find myself listening to again and again. Deal with it!

You can listen to the complete album at their web site.

Jamie Barnes / Brooks Ritter

James Barnes and Brooks Ritter may be familiar to you through their work with Sojourn. They have collaborated on a new split EP—each contributes 5 tracks. Barnes’ half is The Mercy Seat while Ritter’s part is The War. Each of the two halves is very different and yet somehow they work well together. The split is obvious, and yet it works. My favorite tracks are “A City No Longer Forsaken” and “Whom Have I In Heaven.”

Once again, you can listen to the whole thing at Bandcamp.

Christa Wells

Christa Wells has a new EP set to release in a week or two. I managed to get an early copy of How Emptiness Sings and have enjoyed it a lot. Check out “Panning for Gold” and “Everything Moves But You” for great lyrics set to great music. Christa will be updating her site soon with more information about the album. It should be on sale by mid-March. You’ll just need to be patient.

Jaron & Katherine Kamin

Jaron & Katherine Kamin have a new album of old hymns titled Here Among Us. They record classics such as “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven,” “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” and “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Some are set to traditional melodies while others have new melodies. “Give Praise to the Lord” and “Nothing But the Blood” may be the strongest tracks.

You can listen to the complete album at Bandcamp.

There’s a strange phenomenon in the Christian world right now: middle-aged white pastors are talking about rap music and, even more strangely, actually listening to it and recommending it. Suddenly 65-year-old pastors who wear plaid jackets are interviewing dudes who wear their hats all funny and say things in their songs like, “They got ya head bobbin’ til ya lose ya necklace.” This may not be a long-lived phenomenon, but while it lasts, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on what exactly is going on here. (Update: You may also be interested in The Middle-Aged White Guy’s Guide to Christian Rap.)

Why are all these middle-aged white guys suddenly all excited about Christian rap music? Why is it that I am going to pastor’s conferences and hearing these guys talk about Flame and Trip Lee and Lecrae and Shai Linne?

Here are five factors I came up with.

The Copycat Factor

Not too many white middle-aged pastors were listening to any of this rap music before some of the prominent Reformed personalities began to endorse it. Then these rappers began to perform during worship services at big churches, they began to appear at the Reformed conferences, they were invited to sell their wares at the major events. There is definitely a bit of a copycat factor at play in which people are responding to a guy like John Piper and thinking, “If Piper likes him, he must be good.” Not that this copycat factor is in any way unusual when we observe a new phenomenon. When the leaders begin to endorse it, the rest of us tend to follow.

The Novelty Factor

For a lot of people there is a level of surprise and delight in discovering that there is such a thing as good Christian rap music. We’ve come a long way from D.C. Talk and “I love rap music / I always have and I always will / There ain’t no other kinda music in the world / That makes me feel quite as chill.” Today we are seeing a lot of artists who are releasing rap music that is theologically-rich, easily as much so as any other form of music, and that is also enjoyable to listen to. And so a lot of these white middle-aged guys are enjoying the surprise and the fun of exploring rap music, of listening to different kinds, of trying to figure out what it’s all about. For most of them, this is an entirely new genre—a whole new world ready to be explored.

The Cool Factor

Let’s face it—middle-aged white guys don’t know a whole lot about being cool. White middle-aged culture is not very hip (or hip-hop, for that). But rap music and the people who make that music, well, they are definitely cool. That’s the gimmick at the heart of this way-popular commerical from Toyota:

So I think some of these guys are enjoying something that they consider cool, something that is hip and fun and otherwise validating. I’m not cool at all; Lecrae is ridiculously cool; listening to his music allows some of that coolness to transfer to me.

I always close a year with two lists—a list of my favorite books and list of my favorite albums from the year that was. I recently posted my list of books and today want to offer you my list of music. As always, allow me to give a couple of caveats: these are my favorite albums of the year, which is very different from saying that these are the best albums of the year in any objective sense. Also, these are not all “Christian” albums (a difficult label to apply at the best of times). With those caveats aside, here, in no formal order, are my favorite albums from 2010.

Pieces of a Real Heart by Sanctus Real - I’m of the opinion that this is Sanctus Real’s best album. There’s a gut-honestly and spiritual depth about it that takes it to the next level. If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out my interview with lead vocalist Matt Hammit.

Suburba by House of Heroes. This album was good, but still a wee bit disappointing. I had really enjoyed their previous album and felt that this new one was just a little bit of a letdown after The End Is Not the End. I’d tend to label this one as “fun” more than “serious.”

Light the Horizon by Bedouin Soundclash - I had never listened to Bedouin Soundclash before I found this album, but was immediately drawn in by “Mountain Top.” Beyond that excellent song there are plenty of others that are good and feature a really original and compelling sound. I like these guys. And not just because they’re from Canada.

The Rock and the Tide by Joshua Radin - I feel like a girl saying this, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft-spot for Joshua Radin. I just love his music. “Streetlight” is the best track from this album, I think. I’ve been known to just put this one on repeat.

Flags by Brooke Fraser - She writes music for Hillsong, but also records solo albums. And Flags is a good one. “Something in the Water” just draws you in and the rest of the songs hold you. My kids love listening to this one just as much as I do.

Gravity & Gladness by Matt Boswell - Our Glorious God is probably my favorite worship song from 2010. “Christ is Risen Indeed” is another great one. There’s really no reason not to get a copy of this album right away. Note that you can download (for free) one of Matt’s previous albums if you’re a Friend of the Blog.

All by Myself by Brian Regan - This may be cheating a little bit since this is a comedy album. But it’s downright hilarious. There are a few that fall a little bit flat without being able to see Regan’s facial expressions and body language, but it’s funny nonetheless.

Yellow Tag Mondays by The Farewell Drifters - A bluegrass album? I know, I know. But this one is exceptionally good. And i’m ready to call it my favorite album of 2010. I’ve listened to this one way more times than can possibly be healthy (as my kids will no-doubt attest). These guys make music that is just plain fun. Be sure to check it out.

Other albums I enjoyed:

• Me in Motion by Me in Motion
• Vagabonds by The Classic Crime
• Horseshoes & Hand Grenades by Disciple
• Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You… by Wakey Wakey (try getting “The Oh Song” out of your head)
• Live Horses by Needtobreathe (if only they had reduced the spoken bits a little)

Here is a song we’ll be introducing at church just a little bit later today. Written by James Montgomery, it is titled “Go to Dark Gethsemane.”

What I love about this hymn is the progression from Gethsemane all the way to the resurrection, from watching Christ be tempted in the Garden all the way to watching him rise. In just four short verses, the hymnwriter has managed to capture the gospel. With Good Friday and Easter fast approaching, the words especially relevant.

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see, watch with Him one bitter hour,
Turn not from His griefs away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall! O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.

Calvary’s mournful mountain climb; there, adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time, God’s own sacrifice complete.
“It is finished!” hear Him cry; learn of Jesus Christ to die.

Early hasten to the tomb where they laid His breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom. Who has taken Him away?
Christ is risen! He meets our eyes; Savior, teach us so to rise.

We’ll be singing it to the tune written by Indelible Grace’s Kevin Twit.

If you’re interested in giving it a listen, take a look at Wake Thy Slumbering Children:Indelible Grace V.