Jason Petty, the rapper known as Propaganda, got his start with the underground LA Tunnel Rats crew about 20 years ago. Since then, he's been making collaborations with other rappers and producers as well as doing spoken word and more recently, podcasting and writing a book. Crimson Cord was recorded with the Beautiful Eulogy crew at the Humble Beast label, and I love their incorporation of very unconventional sounds and instruments into their tracks for Propaganda to rap over. And Prop's lyrics teach me about the world as he sees it and how the world is so much bigger than my white, Christian, Midwestern worldview. I hadn't heard music from Propaganda for many years and then caught back up with him on this album, and it's a great listen.

Release Year: 2014
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In the '80s and '90s, Michael W. Smith was the king of Christian pop music. Smith is a talented musician and songwriter, the production was always great and the songs were always catchy. For the last 25 years or so, though, Michael W. Smith has moved to leading worship and recording modern worship music. Even his pop albums were more worshipful, which was not really what I was looking for. With this album, A Million Lights, Smitty brought his pop sound into the 21st century. Of course, the great piano parts are here, but a bit more of a modern dance/EDM sound is present and even a bit of auto-tune is here on a few songs. Lyrically, there's some love songs and some songs about the struggles and joys of life as a Christian. This is the Michael W. Smith studio pop album that I've listened to most that he's released since 1998's Live The Life, and I hope he does a pop album again some time if he wants.

Release Year: 2018
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In the late '90s, Vineyard Music seemed to me to be at the forefront of modern worship, a style of music that was sung by leaders at churches and also the congregation as a whole, but in a more contemporary style, not the style of the traditional hymns. Vineyard churches and their music label put out many recordings in this time and this Hungry: Falling On My Knees album is one of their best. Worship leader Kathryn Scott's vocals and great songs like the title track, "Be The Centre" and "Breathe" anchor this recording from a church service in London, but appearances from Vineyard worship leaders from around the world contribute as well. The styles of songs vary as well, from the slow and contemplative to the raucous praise and include Celtic sounds, rock and other musical styles.

Release Year: 1999
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In 1997, Rich Mullins, who wrote songs such as "Sing Your Praise To The Lord", "El-Shaddai" and "Awesome God" in the decade or so before, passed away in a car accident. 25 years later, friends of his and new artists that were inspired by him drove out to the house he once owned in a rural area called Bellsburg, outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Right in his former living room, they recorded new, simple covers of his well-known and lesser-known songs. It's definitely great to hear these songs being performed by old-timers and the next generation of singer-songwriters. Plus a few rare, unreleased, early tracks by Rich Mullins himself are included in this album as well. It's a great remembrance of one of my favorite songwriters of all time.

Release Year: 2022
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