Tony Cummings and Mike Rimmer survey all the releases to find the best Christian music albums of 2008

As in years past, Tony Cummings and Mike Rimmer have listened to a colossal stack of Christian music albums released in 2008. Here they identify what they believe to be the very, very best.

DELIRIOUS? - Kingdom Of Comfort (Furious?)
One of the impressive things about the Littlehampton Wonders is that they haven't rested on their laurels. Presumably when they were recording this they knew that it was their last album but they avoided any temptation to resort to worship-songs-by-numbers. Instead, inspired by their vision for the Church to interact with the poor, there is a gutsy earthiness which on the best songs here is quite irresistible. At the time of release Cross Rhythms' reviewer wrote, "Soaring melodies, haunting strings and earth-shaking messages bring [the band's] experiences into stark realisation in one of the most raw, passionate albums that these Christian rock titans have ever released." I wouldn't argue.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

DECEMBERADIO - Satisfied (Slanted)
Second albums can always be tricky especially when your debut album was a Grammy nominated success. So how do the Virginia-based rockers follow up their success? Well, for a start they turn up the guitars! The band have got all their southern rock influences in place and combine them with snappy song writing and shrewd production. The result? A power packed rock album with crisp guitar work, fantastic gutsy vocals and a range that goes from the poppier "For Your Glory" through the funky rock of "Falling For You" to the power ballads "Look For Me" and "Find You Waiting". Highlights for me are the crunchy "Better Man" and the more experimental "Gasoline". Ultimately it's impressive that whatever these guys turn their hands to seems to work and then some!
Mike Rimmer
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

LOU FELLINGHAM - Promised Land (Kingsway Music)
As demonstrated on the recent Phatfish compilation '15', Lou Fellingham is surely Christendom's most improved vocalist and now that she has found her ministry calling in Scripture-focussed worship songs this couldn't fail to be good, particularly with Lou flying out to Los Angeles to surround herself with a bevy of top line musicians. The chugging rock title track, the bluesy "Breathe" (complete with tasty Hammond organ interjections) and the haunting acoustic-driven "God Immortal" all work well as both performances and fresh material offered to the worshipping Church.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

ERIC BIBB - Get On Board (Telarc)
Not a new name though it seems that 2008 has been the year that people have finally been turned on to Eric Bibb's music. 'Get On Board' shows the versatility of his talents and the fact that Bibb is a rarity - a black man playing what can only be summed up as Americana. Featuring acoustic blues with country and gospel touches, the New Yorker sounds comfortable across the whole musical spectrum whether he's strumming the blues of "The Promised Land" or creating a gospel vibe on "God's Kingdom". The uncluttered, organic production really works as it highlights his guitar playing and expressive voice.
Mike Rimmer
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

MARY MARY - The Sound (Columbia)
The problem with sustaining a career which, in "Shackles (Praise You)", kicked off with a stone classic has meant that Erica and Tina's subsequent albums have been okay but not truly top rate. But with 'The Sound' the R&B gospel duo have silenced the critics with a selection of strong songs, great vocal performances and inspired collaborations. My first experience of the album was listening to the lead single "Get Up" which didn't grab me and I thought the album might be another disappointing affair. I couldn't have been more wrong! From the Motown hooks of the opening title cut to the closing soaring inspirational "It Will All Be Worth It" with its cast of legendary singers, this is gospel music as it should be! Thoroughly relevant, totally inspiring and skilfully executed!
Mike Rimmer
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

BOB DYLAN - Tell Tale Signs (Columbia)
Having never been a Dylan record collecting completist and viewing the existence of many hundreds of Dylan bootlegs as a complete absurdity, I've up to now shown zero interest in releases which have the words "Dylan" and "Bootleg" on the same album sleeve. But, thanks to a fascinating review by Darren Hirst (which of course was published on the Cross Rhythms website) I caught a belated earful of this trawl through the archives. I can honestly say several of the songs here impacted me every bit as much as those classics from 'Slow Train Coming' and 'Saved' did all those years ago. The live version of the hymn-like "Ring Them Bells" ("Ring them bells, sweet Martha/For the poor man's son/Ring them bells so the world will know/The Lord is one"); "Ain't Talkin'" ("They say prayer has the power to help/So pray for me, mother/In the human heart, an evil spirit can dwell/I'm trying to love my neighbour/And do good unto others/But, oh mother, things aren't going well") are both tracks you'll want to play over and over again. But to me "Cross The Green Water", written for the American civil war movie Gods And Generals but more about the book of Revelation than the Confederates Vs Yankees carnage, is surely one of the finest songs ever penned by the maestro.
Tony Cummings

KEVIN MAX - Crashing Gates (Independent)
It's always interesting to see what Kevin Max will do next. After his brief sojourn into black gospel roots with 'The Blood', he returns with the first of two promised EPs. 'Crashing Gates' sees him building on the feel of 'The Imposter' with his own take on creative, modern art rock but this time he's chosen to record in a more organic fashion roaring away with a band. "Out Of The Wild" is suitably loud whilst the title cut allows some Max spoken wordage! It's all perfectly executed with Kevin in fine voice and personally, I can't wait for the next instalment!
Mike Rimmer

CHRIS TOMLIN - Hello Love (Survivor)
From my perspective, Chris Tomlin is the worship leader/songwriter who has shown the most consistent creative development over the last five or six albums. Put simply, the best selling songsmith possesses an uncanny knack of finding truly memorable melodies and putting to them lyrics which demonstrate once and for all that not ALL modern worship lyrics are recycled clichés. Take for example the stark theologically rich poetry of the uplifting ballad "Jesus Messiah" ("His body the bread, his blood the wine/Broken and poured our for all love/The whole world trembled and the veil was torn/Love so amazing, love so amazing"). Lyrics in themselves of course don't make great worship songs and it was the guitarist in Chris' band, Daniel Carson, who provided the plangent melody. Then there's "I Will Rise" which echoes the theme of the old classic hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" to bring nurture and comfort to the troubled and grief-stricken ("There's a peace I've come to know/Though my heart and flesh may fail/There's an anchor for my soul/I can say, 'It is well'"). As well as Chris' winning way with words, he clearly has the ear of a top line A&R man. Having discovered the Laura Story-penned "Indescribable", on this set he brings to the mass audience Bluetree's "God Of This City". Many Cross Rhythms readers who've bought Bluetree's brilliant debut album 'Greater Things' will already know this is a classic song and here Chris, helped by deft production from Ed Cash, gives it the same faith-producing treatment when he first sang it at the Passion events. There are several other superlative songs on this album while Cash's production, like the African Children's Choir and exotic drumming on "Love", is state of the art. Maybe there will be a better worship album released this year, but I'll be surprised if there is.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

NORMA JEAN - The Anti Mother (Tooth & Nail)
As Greg Sammons, Cross Rhythms' metal specialist, will tell you, 2008 has been a good year for hard music, but it's this set from the Georgia metalcore band which demanded my attention. Producer Ross Robinson (Slipnot, Sepultura) has taken the band up to the next level so as well as those brutally jagged guitar riffs and Cory Brandan's guttural screams there is a haunting choir featured on "And There Will Be A Swarm Of Hornets" which is utterly stunning. If you thought all metal was manic machine gun drumming you'll be amazed.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

VARIOUS - The Voices Of Panola Co, Mississippi: Como Now (Daptone)
Recorded in the best traditions of American field recordings, producer Michael Reilly visited Mississippi to capture the sound of local voices. He wasn't the first to do so. The legendary Alan Lomax had made recordings back in the '40s and '50s in the same place. Reilly visited in 2006 to record acapella gospel from the area and the results took a little while to be released but were worth the wait. There are plans for full length albums from the brightest here - the Como Mamas and the Walker Family. This is raw, timeless rural gospel music from ordinary people worshipping God in the only way they know how.
Mike Rimmer

DEBBY BARNES - Messages (Independent)
American-born, UK-based Debby has made well received albums in the past, 'Hurry To This Heart' (1999) spawned a CR radio hit for the title track and 'Lay Hold' (2001) was picked up for national distribution by Authentic Music. But it's Debby's third which has ratcheted up the bar of excellence. Debby's pop-jazz eclecticism finally comes into full focus thanks to a new musical element, Celtic music, and thanks to lashings of fiddle from Tony Collins the vibe is distinctly Irish on several tracks. Debby's wistfully poignant voice has never sounded better and on a top quality song, like the heartstopping "Clinging To The Cross", the effect is both spirit-lifting and life-affirming. Production from Debby's long-time musical
cohort Phil Goss has artfully brought out Debby's full creative potential.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

TELECAST - Quiet Revolution (BEC)
Living up to its title this album quietly slipped out with seemingly not many people noticing (even our pleas to the Tooth & Nail press office for an interview with the band brought forth diddly squat). But it's a gem nevertheless. Eschewing the increasingly derivative loud guitar rock worship template singer/songwriter Josh White has gone for a stripped down approach with particular emphasis on the piano and leaving plenty of space for the Spokane-based songsmith's songs of worship and adoration to breathe. Josh's warm expressive voice is moving throughout and be it the so-catchy opener "All Around Me" or the closer "Infinite Worth" the effect is deft, tender-hearted and a true encouragement to worship.
Tony Cummings
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct

BRIAN HOUSTON - Three Feet From Gold (Brian Houston)
Belfast's best kept secret, destined to be the next big thing blah blah blah. Let's just admit that the Ulsterman makes brilliant music and is a fantastic, earthy singe/songwriter! I like the fact that this year he's rediscovered the electric guitar and created an album with a little more edge. As you'd expect, it's packed with brilliant songs like the downbeat "Daddy Don't Go" and "Man Like Me" and then there's the gospel flavoured "Sister Of Mine" and the dramatic intensity of "The Fool". There's plenty to love here on an album that improves with every play.
Mike Rimmer
£9.97 at Cross Rhythms Direct