Welcome back! Here’s the rest of my music gift ideas (and don’t forget to leave a comment about your favorite Christian music song/album to be entered to win a cd!).

Pop

Reinvention by Superchick

This pop/rock album is full of songs that will make you want to get out of your seat. From Cross the Line which boldly declares, “Revolutions start when someone crosses the line,” with support from bass, electric guitars, and strong drum beats, to Let It Roll, which almost has the feel of a reggae ballad, this group belts out messages of life. In true Superchick fashion, all of these songs highlight the experiences of everyday people, and combine them with personal promises to really live instead of watching and worrying. Anyone on your gift list will be able to relate to Superchick’s lyrics.

Something to Say by Matthew West

Opening with a brief but beautiful orchestral-style arrangement, this cd flows into the title track with strong drums and an addicting melody. You Are Everything worships God with complete honesty – “I’m the one with big mistakes, big regrets, and bigger breaks than I’d ever care to confess.” A Friend In The World chronicles two spiritual journeys with a cool, funky style, and Life Inside You promises hope and a better future for two teens who are struggling. Matthew’s talk-rap pop-like style fills this easy-listening cd with encouragement and faith.

Hip Hop

Rehab by Lecrae

This cd uses the experience of someone who might be going through rehab, from Check In to Release Date. As Lecrae points out in Divine Intervention, being addicted to sin is similar to being addicted to drugs. He expounds on the dangers of pride in Killa, and the ability to relate to others and the power of change in Used To Do It Too. Every song combines a conversational style, focused on vocals, background beats and synthesizers, with lyrics about God. This album could stand up to any secular hip hop album – a perfect way to introduce Christian messages to any hip hop-loving friend.

Folk

Ocean by Bebo Norman

It’s clear that Bebo Norman is a talented, earthy crooner, but he backs up his vocals with music that’s a cross between pop and worship music. And there’s no doubt Who is the theme of his songs. From the first song, Everything I Hoped You’d Be, which begins “Take me to the desert, You will be the water I will drink forever to fill my soul” to the last song, God Of My Everything, this cd is worshipful without sounding like typical worship music. It’s inspirational, musically beautiful, and encouraging – and all of that without sounding like he’s trying too hard.

Tell Me What You Know by Sara Groves

Besides having an amazingly rich voice, Sara is a talented lyricist, and this album showcases her range. There’s the groovy When the Saints, in which she declares, “I wanna be one of them!” and the soothing, piano-driven It Might Be Hope. And then there are two of my favorite songs, both of which are based on Sara’s recent mission trips: Love Is Still A Worthy Cause, in which she acknowledges the pain of caring, and I Saw What I Saw, which describes her experience in Rwanda. If you’re looking for a cd of earthy, smooth music with profound lyrics, you can’t get much better than this.

There you have it: 10 fantastic choices for the friends on your gift list – or you. For music samples and to buy cds or mp3s, just click on the artists’ names.

And if you’d like to get a cd for free, tell me about your favorite Christian music cd or song, and you could win one of the cds I’ve reviewed. That’s my gift to you.

Just make sure you leave a comment before midnight on Tuesday and check back Wednesday to see if you won!

~ Halee