Released on this day 14 years ago, this was the soundtrack to Disney's sci-fi sequel of the 1982 film TRON. Daft Punk is a secretive electronic/remix/pop duo, so not exactly the group you'd expect for a movie soundtrack, but it works really well here. Orchestral moments are mixed with pounding drums and bass, synths, and other sounds. It sounds as cinematic as many other big-budget films of the last few decades, but it also has a modern, electronic edge. It's not exactly Daft Punk's normal fare, but it turns wherever you are into a drama-filled movie at one moment and a dance club the next moment.

Release Year: 2010
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Darrell Evans is a Christian musician that became popular making long, sometimes spontaneous modern church music. His musical influences on his studio albums seem to be rockers like Bruce Springsteen and U2, but the lyrics are all about a personal relationship and praise to God. You Are I Am is his first studio album, which repeats some of the songs on his more acoustic live album from the previous year. I like these more rock-focused arrangements and how most of the songs are 5+ minutes long, musically expressing passion and thanks for God. Darrell Evans has continued to put out new music, but I still keep coming back to his 1997 and 1998 albums which are full of now-classic songs that inspired a whole generation of worship leaders in the years after, I imagine.

Release Year: 1998
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Although I got my copy of this record a few weeks ago, this album officially releases today. Malcolm Guite is an English poet and on this album he recites his poetry, ruminations on the scripture, the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and more. Underneath Mr. Guite's poetry is laid acoustic guitar and the occasional other instruments from Phil Keaggy and friends. What results is a great fusion of poetry and music from two masters of their respective arts. 16 poems are read with music to go with the reflective poetry. After the poetry (on side B of the record), 20+ minutes of the same instrumental music is presented without the sonnets. I'm not sure when it will be available on streaming, but you can buy it digitally or on vinyl or CD directly from the artist.

Release Year: 2024
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Wake Low is three siblings: Aedan Peterson, Skye Peterson, and Asher Peterson. Their dad is Christian adult contemporary/folk artist, Andrew Peterson, and on this self-titled album, they make something that is not their dad's style, but is much their own. Electronic music, acoustic guitars, and other instrumental sounds fuse with their vocals to make an energetic sound speaking of life, God and the space in between. It's great to hear what these young persons are coming up with, not compartmentalizing their spiritual life from the rest of their life, and experimenting with sounds and musical forms. And it's fun to see the siblings take turns on vocals and other roles throughout the album. It's not a long album, but it's a good collection of fresh new songs from the Peterson family.

Release Year: 2020
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