 Top Pick
Comatose Comes Alive
Skillet
INO Records (Provident-Integrity)
7-66887-25539-0
Who knew Skillet was this good? Apparently plenty of people. The band’s last album, 2006’s Comatose, sold more than 400,000 units. Now the band is back with a live version of that album, as well as a handful of other songs performed live. And that’s not all—acoustic versions of five Comatose songs, concert footage and music videos are also featured on this CD-DVD combo, which is a must-have for Skillet fans. While live albums often feel unnecessary, this one doesn’t. There’s banter from the lead singer, singing from the crowd and crazy energy from the band. Skillet plays rock with pop sensibilities, balancing head-banging guitars, gritty vocals and strong hooks. The fact that it does this all live only adds to the attractiveness. No matter what listeners are looking for, they’ll find it hard not to enjoy the live versions of fast-paced songs like “Better Than Drugs” and “The Last Night.” Even more surprising is how good the ballads are, including “Angels Fall Down” and especially “The Older I Get.” This album comes highly recommended for any Skillet fan, but also for any fan of big electric guitars and smart, emotive lyrics on par with rockers Flyleaf and P.O.D. Gospel
Just the Beginning
Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers
Zomba Gospel (Provident-Integrity)
8-86972-97532-0
 Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers is out with a double-CD album that celebrates past hits and offers a handful of other songs. Just the Beginning is loaded with celebratory gospel tunes that mostly conjure up images of confetti falling from the ceiling, with Carr joined by a host of guest vocalists and performers.
The album even features some preaching by Carr, though some listeners will be uncomfortable when he twice yells, “There are millionaires in the making!” to underscore his point that God is faithful and has not forgotten His people. Theological quibbles aside, this is a good album that will delight most gospel music fans. While some of the slower tunes sound a bit like old Whitney Houston, the faster songs really move and are usually fun jam sessions full of brass and keyboards. Carr is a strong performer who surrounds himself with talented soloists and a great choir. Most of this album is worthwhile, especially “Spiritual Makeover,” a spunky, encouraging number that will have people believing it is only the beginning—not only for Carr, but also for those listening. Pop
Identity
Robert Pierre
Think About It Records (Word Distribution)
8-81534-40131-6  Sixteen-year-old Pierre steps onto the music scene with Identity, his major label debut that releases nationally in February but is currently available—minus three songs—at Family Christian Stores through an exclusive agreement.
The album is a surprisingly strong collection of slick pop songs tailor-made for Pierre’s age and vocal range. “Identity,” the title track, is the best example of this, as the song is about finding one’s identity in Christ, not in partying or premarital sex. Despite Pierre’s age, there are grown-up tunes here, including “Sing for Joy,” a mature pop ballad about having joy “in the middle of it all,” and “I Will Love You,” a ballad that could work as a church solo or as an American Idol audition piece. Identity is pop with a capital “p,” but it often displays maturity beyond its years, making it a recommended pick for teens and an album many adults will like, too.
Limbs & Branches
Jon Foreman
Credential Recordings (EMI CMG)
5-09992-26517-2-3  Listening to Limbs & Branches—a collection of favorite songs, most from Foreman’s four EPs (all released within the last 12 months or so)—is like going through a wealthy man’s coat pockets. In one, there’s a $50 bill, but in another, a gum wrapper.
In other words, this inventive solo collection from the lead singer of Switchfoot sometimes turns up something great—though occasionally, nothing worth mentioning. But Foreman’s creativity is admirable, and listeners will be reminded of artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Those looking for three-minute radio hits should look elsewhere. There’s no candy pop on this album, but instead songs like “Southbound Train,” which has that Dylan-esque sound and features a harmonica and straightforward lyrics. This album offers plenty of biblical references, too, but its best tune might be the love song “Behind Your Eyes.” Yet the song that really stands out—more for its lyrics than its music—is “Instead of a Show,” and in it, someone—presumably God—decries “the hypocrisy of your festivals” and goes on to say, “you shine up your shoes for services/there’s blood on your hands/you turned your back on the homeless and the ones who didn’t fit in your plan.” It’s a welcome but unnerving Jeremiad on an album that, by comparison, is full of lullabies. My Coming Day
Julian Drive
Inpop Records (EMI CMG)
8-04147-14382-4
 The first Inpop release for the band Julian Drive is a solid album of clean-sounding pop ready for radio. But unlike most albums, this one doesn’t immediately suggest who its audience is.
“Unplug” is a rock number with distorted guitars that wouldn’t be out of place at a teen music festival, but it follows several songs that sound almost adult contemporary. This isn’t a deal-breaker—chart-topping bands like Casting Crowns and Third Day have walked this tightrope with ease for years—but it is noteworthy. The band seamlessly moves from rock to pop-rock to pop-country. “From Your Hands,” which explores the significance of Christ’s sacrifice (“true love was pouring from your hands”), sounds like Nickelback meets Rascal Flatts, while “Cry” is a mid-tempo pop ballad with great hooks and a catchy chorus. The best tune on the album, though, is a re-make of a mainstream hit (“The Reason” by Hoobastank). My Coming Day should be applauded for its melodic vocals, strong hooks and theatrical sensibilities. But who will do the applauding? Teens? Parents? That remains to be seen. Praise & Worship
Hail to the King
Hillsong London
Integrity Music (Provident-Integrity)
0-00768-44012-4
 Hail to the King from Hillsong London is, in Hillsong tradition, a good praise & worship album made by excellent vocalists and musicians. But in a departure from other Hillsong albums, most of these songs are musically restrained and don’t feature those sometimes over-the-top choruses—it’s refreshing.
While these Brits don’t mine any new ground lyrically, the music on this 13-song effort is mostly scaled-back modern rock that deserves a big audience, even from those unfamiliar with Hillsong. “He Is Greater” is moving melodic pop with nice guitar flourishes, while “You Are Here (The Same Power)” is a fresh pop-rock piano ballad. Some of the songs feel like Hillsong retreads—“Hail to the King” is a happy-clappy arena anthem, and “Rise” is a standard Hillsong number with huge guitars—but most of this album sizzles, albeit quietly, with great guitar tones and restrained, thoughtful arrangements—making Hail to the King a strong pick for Hillsong fans and for praise & worship fans in general. Your Name
Various artists
Integrity Music (Provident-Integrity)
0-00768-44562-4  Your Name is a collection of 10 new songs by mostly familiar praise & worship artists, including Phil Wickham, Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster and Leeland Mooring.
With the exception of the title track, each of these pop-rock tunes explores a different name for God, from “Healer” and “Almighty” to “Lord” and “Savior.” “Life,” a strong progressive rock tune sung by Joel Augé and Mooring, brings to mind something by Tree 63. It’s the best song here, as the rest of the album settles into a mostly predictable series of pop-rock tunes. Some of these combinations of artists, all of whom are immensely talented, are less than interesting with similar-sounding artists often paired together. That’s not always the case, but even when Josh Reedy and Ayiesha Woods team up for “Almighty,” Woods’ vocals are hardly noticeable on much of the song. However, the album ends on a high note with Brewster and Adam Agee offering up “Rock,” a fun, bubblegum-pop song with punk influences, more evidence that despite its shortcomings, this is a solid album that will resonate with many fans of praise & worship pop-rock. Reviews: Cameron Conant
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