2015 may not have been the most exciting year for Christian music, but there are plenty of albums released that are worth celebrating! These 10 albums have impacted me in some way, whether they have challenged me to draw closer to Christ, made me think from a different perspective, encouraged me in my faith, or even just entertained me. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on these albums! Have any of them made your personal list? Are there any you haven’t had a chance to listen to yet? Let me know in the comments at the end of this post 🙂
- Fire & Stone,The Gray Havens– The Gray Havens, a new indie band made up of husband and wife David and Licia Radford, have crafted a masterpiece with their debut LP Fire & Stone. Most bands need time to grow and mature before they put out something they are truly capable of–just look at the DC Talk, or even more recently Lecrae. The idea that Fire & Stone is the beginning of The Gray Haven’s journey is extremely exciting to me. With lyrics that are thought-provoking, beautiful, moving, clever, and lighthearted, they present the Gospel in a poetic and artistic fashion. This is matched perfectly with their self-defined “narrative folk-pop” sound which contains so many musical intricacies that only dozens of listens could possibly uncover. This has been the go-to album for car rides with my wife, serving as pleasant background music or as a catalyst deep conversation. I’ve recommended it to just about every person who has asked me about new music this year–it is really an amazing piece of art. If you don’t believe me go check out their Soundcloud or Bandcamp page where you can listen to the songs for yourself.
- Mansion,NF– This young rap artist completely blew me away with his raw emotion and hard hitting beats. Mansion the only rap album to make my list this year (I haven’t taken the chance to listen to Derek Minor’s Empires all the way through and Andy Mineo made my honorable mentions), but man is it a good one. Of the 70+ reviews I’ve written so far for this site, this is the only one I’ve given a full five star rating. This album gets me excited every time I put it on, but it is also hard to put it on repeat because it so ridiculously weighty. The whole album is rock solid, but I especially love the songs “Paralyzed,” “Face It,” and “I’ll Keep On.” Side note: I found it quite funny how “I’ll Keep On” was such a success on Christian radio. I was definitely happy to hear that people were hearing this amazing song, but it is by far the only “radio-friendly” song on the album. I can’t imagine how many people bought the album for that song and startled themselves with the intense drop on “Intro.”
- Falling Up,Falling Up– It was hard enough to materialize words to describe this album the first time for a review, so I don’t even want to try to do it again. Here is my 2 cents review: “On Falling Up’s self-titled final album, lead singer Jessy Ribordy’s delicate, emotional vocals are paired with stunningly beautiful and dynamic experimental rock landscapes to create an otherworldly musical experience. The meanings of these songs may be elusive to most, but these masters of the mysterious still manage to captivate with their extraordinarily intricate world of silver lawns and moon dogs. Falling Up’s evolution over the past 11 years has been intriguing to witness, and it is only fitting that they close their journey with one of their most remarkable achievements to date.” On a somewhat related note, their acoustic EP with five different versions of these songs and a B-Side called “The Harbor” make a nice accompaniment to this album.
- Blurryface,Twenty One Pilots– This band is one of a kind. They aren’t being marketed as a Christian band, but their lyrics are saturated with their faith. Tyler Joseph, who makes up half of Twenty One Pilots, is a fascinating front man who leaves a strong impression with his creative lyricism, energetic delivery, and heart-on-his-sleeves personality. The drum beats, courtesy of former live drummer of House of Heroes Josh Dun, are ridiculously fun and dynamic, and definitely part of the reason this music that makes it so addictive. They also do whatever they want. Ukulele? Sure! Time change? Done. There are no rules here. Blurryface was my first exposure to the phenomenon of Twenty One Pilots and while I’ve since checked out their label debut Vessels, there is something truly exceptional about this one.
- You Were Never Alone,Emery– If you know anything about me, you know that I love rock music. It’s easily my favorite genre. I recently named my Top 15 favorite artists of all time and the top 5 are all rock bands. The past few years have been somewhat disappointing for the genre, but as long as bands like House of Heroes and Emery exist I will be happy. There was no song of “Studying Politics” caliber on You Were Never Alone, but front to back this album is amazing. And even at that, “Pink Slip,” “Rock, Pebble, Stone,” and “Thrash” are really close. The album is catchy, thoughtful, and creative and Toby Morrell’s voice is so impressive, and somehow even better when paired with Devin Shelton. Also, if you haven’t taken the chance to check out the Break It Down podcast by Emery’s own Matt Carter, it is really really interesting to learn how these songs came together. Each song is discussed for a substantial amount of time, but it is definitely worth listening!
- of Beauty and Rage,Red– It took a long time for me to appreciate End Of Silence, but eventually I came around. I thought Innocence & Instinct found Red at the top of their game, but I became less and less interested as Until We Have Faces and Release the Panic were released. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into of Beauty and Rage, but I listened with an open mind. Few albums have impressed me as quickly as of Beauty and Rage did. Even Fire & Stone (my number one pick) took a lot of time to get acquainted with and to fully appreciate its significance. But this album shot past all that because it encompasses everything I love about Red–hard hitting rock, emotionally charged vocals, and beautiful strings. “Darkest Part” is one of my favorite songs to come out this year, and there are plenty of other highlights like the spine-tingling ballad “Of These Chains” and the heavy-hitting “Falling Sky.” It was also absolutely epic to listen to “Ascent” while driving through the Jotunheimen Mountains in Norway with my wife.
- Breathe Again,Spoken– I’ve liked Spoken since A Moment of Imperfect Clarity first came out (it’s still my personal favorite record from the band). Though Illusion contains a couple of my favorite Spoken songs (“Through It All” and “Shadow Over Me”) for the most part it didn’t grab my attention the way Echoes of the Spirit Dwell, A Moment of Imperfect Clarity, or Last Chance To Breathe did. With that in mind Breathe Again was a pleasant late year surprise. I’ve played it every chance I’ve had since I first received my Kickstarter download–it energizes me while I’m out running, serves as a great sing-along soundtrack riding in the car, and gives me a chance to do think and pray while walking to work. There are so many ways to enjoy this album. This was definitely a late addition to my list, so it’s position here at #7 is not nearly as certain as the rest, but I’m confident it is somewhere between #7 and #10.
- Into The Sea,Attalus– Into The Sea is Attalus’ first release on a national label (Facedown) and they’ve already started on a such a strong foundation. This album will convict you of the sin in your life and challenge you to bring it to Jesus in surrender. Just reflect on these lyrics from “Desolate Aisle,” “Are we so righteous we can make all the wrongs right? / Are we so enlightened we can turn darkness to light? / We’re just the cynics proclaiming the flaws / We aim our polemic at political laws / We’re fighting the symptoms because we can’t see our greed is the cause.” Not only does Attalus have a striking perspective of the human condition, but they know how to creatively communicate it. One song that positively and tangibly shook my faith was “Breath Before The Plunge” which tells the tale of a Christian martyr dying for his faith—and although it’s fictional it provides a real sense of the unshakable faith of those who are at risk of being violently persecuted. I literally have cried while listening to this song, longing to have that kind of faith. But lyrics aren’t all that is exciting about this band–Attalus’ music uses typical alternative rock instruments to powerfully create reflective and chaotic soundscapes. This concept album is extremely lengthy, but it’s a rewarding listen every time.
- This Is Not A Test,TobyMac– Phew! After such a weighty album it’s kind of funny that the “feel good” album of the year is next on the list. You just gotta love Toby’s catchy beats, infectiously cheerful songwriting, and diverse pop landscapes. Some tracks (“Til The Day I Die,” “Move”) are stronger than others (“Undeniable”) but overall this is a great album that proves Toby still has A LOT of passion and creative juices left in him. One cool thing about reviewing this album was receiving an exclusive B-side called “Love Of My Life” which is a fun dance-pop love song that I’m surprised didn’t at least make it onto the deluxe edition!
- Science Fiction,Jonathan Thulin– Prior to listening to Science Fiction I had only heard a few songs from The White Room. I only sat down to listen to it fully for the first time in preparation for my review. These two albums are vastly different. Instead of pursuing the “theater pop” style of The White Room, Thulin decided to take a more radio-friendly pop approach. On paper, it sounds like a creative step down, but I really think Thulin does an excellent job walking the line between accessibility and artistry. Catchiness and creativity often seem like two different goals, but on Science Fiction they work together to deliver memorable tunes that will have you singing along in no time. While the most fun tracks are found on the first half of the album, my favorites are found in the second half with “6 Feet Under,” “Mockingbird (feat. Kevin Max & Shine Bright Baby),” and “The Ruins (feat. Moriah Peters).” This record slipped by under the radar this year, but it’s only a matter of time before Thulin starts to become more noticed.
Honorable mentions
- One Love Revolution, Pillar – Strong comeback from a Christian rock staple
- Dawn EP / Shadows EP, Jon Foreman – The Wonderlands was a nice experience this year. These two stood out to me
- Come In, Children 18:3 – Swan song? Or not? Either way, it’s definitely their most accessible album
- Vultures EP, Disciple – How were these B-sides?
- Live From The Woods, Needtobreathe – Great live rock album
- The Dream Alive EP, Vocal Few – Thoughtful singer/songwriter type music
- Broken Temples, Kevin Max – Only thing holding this creative CCM project back is that there are only 8 real songs
- Shells EP, Wilkes – Late year surprise. Earnest CCM.
- How Can It Be, Lauren Daigle – Beautiful voice. Had a very pleasant interview with Lauren
- Uncomfortable, Andy Mineo – I’m sure no one agrees, but I thought this was a step up from Heroes for Sale
- Reprise EP, Wolves At The Gate – I’m a sucker for more stripped down material from heavier bands
- Home, Josh Garrels – Not typically my style but his voice and lyrics are so intriguing