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Album Of The Day: Unguarded by Amy Grant
Released 40 years ago tomorrow, this is the 7th studio album by Christian pop icon Amy Grant. By this time, Grant was now the queen of Contemporary Christian Music. She was mostly music my sisters listened to and I don't remember this album specifically being played on cassettes as a kid, but I'm not afraid to give it a listen all these years later. It's certainly very '80s pop, which is not at all surprising. I'm familiar with "Love Of Another Kind" because I'm a Rich Mullins fan—he co-wrote it—and have heard him sing that before. And I've heard "Find A Way" and "Everywhere I Go" because those were major singles and are on her hits compilation for this period. But it's a good album, I'm finding today. "Wise Up" is fun pop with a good '80s rock edge to it. I'm not sure if the album is timeless, but it's a great snapshot of the best Christian pop had to offer from the era. The album originally was released with four different cover artwork versions on LP and cassette, and the digital 35th anniversary release incorporates all 4 photos.
Release Year: 1985
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Album Of The Day: Beauty Has Grace by Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez is most well-known for Christian pop and Latin pop singles and albums in her late teen years in the '90s. It was music my sisters were more of a fan of than me, as it was definitely smooth pop/R&B and I'm more of a rock fan. But released 20 years ago earlier this month, Velasquez decided to try out more of a rock/alternative edge to her style on Beauty Has Grace and this is maybe my favorite album of hers, though I don't listen to it too often. Songs like "Something Beautiful" and "When You Hold Me" are definitely all-out, guitar-based pop/rock. Jaci Velasquez still does have some moments of beautiful, powerful singing, but also delivers a more subdued vocal performance that fits in well with the more Brit-pop style to the music. If you were a fan of Jaci Velasquez in the '90s, you might not recognize the artist on this album. But I enjoy it and find it interesting that she decided to make this change to bring out her rock side, at least for an album or two.
Release Year: 2005
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Album Of The Day: Family Nights, Vol. 1: All Your Heart by Mission House
Jess Ray and Taylor Leonhardt both are accomplished solo singer/songwriters, but they also lead worship together as Mission House. In this live recording from Dallas, Texas, USA, the duo sings some of their modern worship as well as some classic hymns. It sounds like a very simple, acoustic setup for the group on this album, with mostly just keyboards and acoustic guitars and no huge worship band, but the simplicity of this recording and their performance adds to the authenticity. Dee Wilson and Aaron Williams also join them for a few tracks each. It's great to hear their versions of "How Great Thou Art" and "I Need Thee Every Hour" as well as Mission House favorites like "If I Was A Bird" and new songs like "Seek And Find". It's a powerful session of communal worship and you can hear the community sing along on this recording. Listening to this music is a good way for me to start the week.
Release Year: 2023
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Album Of The Day: Iron Lung by Martin Smith
Released 6 years ago today, this is the 3rd studio album from Martin Smith, who is best known as the lead singer of the band delirious?. He is mostly known as a leader of modern church worship, but he also continues to define himself as an artist and push the boundaries of what modern worship is. For example, the opening, title track of the album is a six-minute telling of his personal story of his birth and committing his life to God. Songs like "Exalt", "Rise Up", and "Fire's Gonna Fall" are good candidates for church worship anthems. And more than any other Martin Smith album, this album rocks, maybe due to the help of his mates from Army Of Bones and Producer Gabriel Wilson. Songs like "Great And Glorious", "Runaway" and "Wonder Hearts" are pounding rock from a talented band with some Gospel vibes thrown in, and I love it. Martin Smith continues to blend artistry with praise and worship to Jesus, and I love that he keeps writing and recording new music like this album.
Release Year: 2019
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Album Of The Day: Child Of God II by Forrest Frank
I'll be honest. I'm not sure I totally understand the lo-fi, electronic pop that is so often made these days. Maybe it's just not my thing. But I'm willing to give it a try and see how it goes. Released today, this is the 8th album in only 7 years from Forrest Frank. Child Of God II finds the young man definitely has some talent for music, though he keeps the lyrical content pretty standard Gospel and feel good, positive lyrics. I like that the whole album doesn't sound the same; there's bits of Gospel, R&B, reggae, and hip-hop mixed into this for lots of good vibes. Apparently this is what the Christian kids are listening to these days, and it's not bad. (Maybe some of the non-Christian kids and the adults are listening too.) I'm not sure if it's something I'll listen to more often, but it's fun to hear a brand new release that is full of creativity and artistry.
Release Year: 2025
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Album Of The Day: Open Sky by Iona
Released 25 years ago today, this is the fifth studio album from progressive rock band Iona. This recording was I think my first ever exposure to the genre of "progressive rock", which mixes a lot of genres, often has long instrumental interludes or even whole songs, and doesn't really conform to radio pop/rock singles and other norms. This album is a beautiful collection of songs that are sometimes rock, sometimes very poignant, lush instrumentals as if from some unseen movie soundtrack, and sometimes is a Celtic folk jam. Joanne Hogg's vocals bring a very ethereal quality to the music and the musicians in the band are superb, playing normal pop/rock band instruments but also violins, e-bow, uillean pipes and so much more. Lyrically, on the songs there are lyrics, they speak of the beauty of nature and of a higher power that made this world. Though Iona has many great albums, I think this is still my favorite overall of their releases, and this is one of my favorite albums of all time, no doubt. Give it a listen and play it loud if you want a great musical experience.
Release Year: 2000
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Album Of The Day: So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt... by Keith Green
Released 45 years ago today, this is the third album from Christian music pioneer Keith Green. When I think of piano-based rock, I think of Billy Joel and Elton John first, but Keith Green is definitely someone on my radar as a member of that genre. This album is definitely a piano pop/rock album, with Green crafting 10 songs that present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to listeners in an engaging musical style for the era. It definitely feels like a late-'70s/early-'80s album, but it sounds a bit less dated than most of the albums from the mid-'80s or early '90s. Despite first releasing this album independently for free, the quality of the recording and the musicianship is very good, I think. I guess Bob Dylan even plays harmonica on a track or two. The title track opens the album with a somewhat funny rock song about the Israelites of the Bible pining to leave the desert and return to slavery in Egypt. And probably the most well-known song on this album is "O Lord, You're Beautiful", a song of praise and longing to draw closer to God. As far as I'm aware, I haven't listened to this album much in the past, but I liked it and it's a Christian music classic.
Release Year: 1980
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Album Of The Day: Death In Reverse by Jeremy Casella
Released 11 years ago today, this is the fourth album from independent singer/songwriter Jeremy Casella. This album is a beautiful reflection on working through those hard moments in life as well as a reminder of the hope that keeps us going. Jeremy crafts consistently good songs and this album is no different. The lyrics have lots of religious language, but no matter if that interests you or not, it's a well-crafted pop/rock album with top-notch musicians bringing the songs to life. I think slower songs like "Let It All Go" and "Beauty Leads The Way" stick in my memory the most, and of course I love an epic closing track like "The City Of The Lord" along with the rest of the album. Please check out Jeremy's music if you haven't done so yet.
Release Year: 2014
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Album Of The Day: Summer Of Darkness by Demon Hunter
Sometimes it's fun to listen to some screaming, yelling and heavy guitars. Released 21 years ago yesterday, this is the second album from long-time metal band Demon Hunter and is the first album of theirs I ever heard. For most of it, vocalist Ryan Clark is screaming about dark-sounding topics, but still doing it with some hope and purpose to the music. "Not Ready To Die" is a great album opener and "My Heartstrings Come Undone" finds Clark singing a bit more in a slower ballad. It's the Demon Hunter album I've listened to the most and I think my favorite album of theirs overall. It's certainly not the type of music I listen to very often, but their brand of metal is fun to listen to at full volume from time to time. Ryan Clark does Graphic Design with his brother Don Clark for many musical releases and other projects as his main job, though Demon Hunter is certainly a side job that keeps him busy. And I love their creative album artwork on all their albums.
Release Year: 2004
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Album Of The Day: If You Say Go by Vineyard Music USA
Vineyard Music was one of the pioneers of modern worship music; of recording live services and not using hymns, but instead writing new pop/rock songs of praise and worship to God for services. By the early 2000s, Vineyard Music was releasing a steady stream of albums, and many of them, especially from the UK churches, sold really well. But in February 2002, this recording was made in the midwest of America, at a Vineyard church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. This worship team wrote some new songs and used a few old Vineyard songs for a quality album of worship. Starting with The Violet Burning's "Invitacion Fountain" which is a great opener, the album goes on with beautiful songs like "If You Say Go" and "My One Desire". The musical style is maybe a bit more rock than some other Vineyard releases, and I like it. Sadly, streaming doesn't have the 9-minute closing track "My Everything" for some reason that my CD copy has, but it's still a solid album from Vineyard that I still listen to on occasion, like today.
Release Year: 2002
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