Fantastic Jams and Where to Find Them
My case for Christian music's enduring depth and creativity
Earlier this week, I tweeted my (albeit small) case that modern worship music isn’t shallow. Though we’re not in the age of fantastic hymnody—which I love and frequent—I truly believe that the Christian music world has much more to offer than the “Jesus is my boyfriend” vibes that early-2000s worship music relied on for popularity, which has carried over into recent mainstream worship.
Below is my in-depth case—spanning as many genres as possible—that Christian music is alive and well.
A Note:
This list is curated based on my listening history, which of course will be biased to a certain degree. I’m deeming anything post-2005 as “modern,” though I know people might think that line should move forward or backward.
The music listed below will be linked to Spotify (sorry Apple Music users).
I can’t fit every artist in here without getting a message saying “this post will not fit in an email,” so I’ll put an “Honorable Mentions” list at the end of every section with hyperlinks to the artist profiles.
Everything below, I believe, is a strong case for honoring Christ and/or dealing with deep topics from a Christian perspective. It’s not all mushy or lyrically dehydrated.
Enjoy!
Hip-Hop
Perhaps the most-recognized name in CHH is Lecrae. His breakout albums Rebel (2008) and Rehab (2010) especially solidified him as an unashamed Christian rapper. He still makes solid music—having just dropped the Deluxe Edition of Church Clothes 4—but there are plenty of other Christian rappers with depth and great lyricism.
KB
Perhaps the best at blending great hip-hop with theologically deep lyrics is KB. His discography is nearly perfect, and his latest album, His Glory Alone (2020) shows no sign of slowing down. KB also hosts a podcast, Southside Rabbi, which discusses hip-hop, theology, current events, and more.
nobigdyl.
One of my favorite up-and-coming CHH artists is nobigdyl., whose 2018 album SOLAR is one of my favorite LPs in hip-hop as a whole. It’s got powerful lyricism, musical diversity (see “cordial”), and great themes of honesty and meaning.
Andy Mineo
Another juggernaut in the CHH world is Andy Mineo. His latest, Never Land II (2021), picks up on a project seven years in the making. Never Land II is Mineo at his best. The album is a story, journey, and triumph wrapped into thirty-eight minutes of greatness.
Beautiful Eulogy
If you’re a fan of Propaganda, you’ll love Braille and Odd Thomas’s project, Beautiful Eulogy. Their 2012 album Satellite Kite is a staple of poetic hip-hop, relying more heavily on lyricism than production. Worthy (2017) is a fantastic continuation of their poetic prowess, with convicting and slamming songs like “If…” and “Doxology” to carry the weight of meaningful theology in song.
Honorable Mentions
Hulvey; Aaron Cole; Ty Brasel; DJ Mykael V; WHATUPRG; Jon Keith
Rock/Hardcore
Hip-hop may not be my wheelhouse, but Rock/Hardcore—and below, Metalcore/Deathcore—are my bread and butter. I often claim (and truly believe) that Christian metal is more theologically sound and deep than 99% of K-Love’s everyday hits. Here are some great artists to spin:
Dens
In 2020, Dens dropped one of the most well-written rock albums of the last 20 years. Taming Tongues (2020) is a story and a warning-sign for Christians to be wise. Each song on the tracklist makes up the thesis of the album: “Even / Foolish / Men / Are / Wise / When / They /Learn / To / Keep / Quiet.” “To” is a hard-hitting song, while “Are” is a ballad of sorts with deep messaging. One of the best albums—lyrically and conceptually—in Christian rock.
Attalus
Another Christian band with one of the most meaningful rock albums I’ve ever experienced is Attalus. Their 2015 LP Into the Sea is a concept album spanning diverse styles with breakdowns and ballads alike. “The sea will be your judge / but will it be your advocate?” they sing-scream on the album’s opener “This Ship Is Going Down.” They also have a Gospel Hymns album worth checking out!
Death Therapy
If you want some experimental, groovy, heavy music, Death Therapy is for you. Formed by Jason Wisdom of Becoming the Archetype. Their 2021 LP Melancholy Machines is a groovy-techno-rock symphony with jams like “Pls Snd Hlp” and “The Silence of God” (featuring Fireflight) to strengthen a new wave of meaningful rock music.
The Undertaking!
“Chaotic Rock with a can-do attitude!” is the mantra of this San Diego-based hardcore band. They burst into the (still small, but growing) spotlight with their album Funeral Psalms (2021) and are releasing a new EP, Superstitions, on March 23 with Solid State Records. They’re a chaotic, yell-truth-in-the-mic Christian band that’s not afraid to ask the tough questions on songs like “I Really Don’t Want To Be Here”:
When hope is hopeless, we’re all gonna die. Hopeless we’re all gonna die. When love is loveless, the end is nigh. Loveless, the end is nigh. When dreams are dead, I’m living a lie! When light is white, look up to the sky!
I’m praying more than I used to. Falling down has brought me to where I am. Godless men found their way through the dark. It’s how we live until we givе up again
Give them a spin!
Honorable Mentions
Bellarive; Fallstar; American Arson; Everything In Slow Motion
Metalcore/Deathcore
It may be impossible to understate the impact of early-2000s Christian metalcore on the world of Christian arts. With pioneering bands like Impending Doom, Demon Hunter, Memphis May Fire, For Today, and War of Ages, Christian metal is a force to be reckoned with. Even today, many fantastic bands are keeping up the pace.
Cliffside
A relatively new band in Christian metalcore is Cliffside, who broke onto the scene with their 2019 EP Wilderness. They’ve recently released a new single, “Forever,” which is likely the first single off their debut album. Their lyrics are solid, and they’re one of the most musically talented bands on the come-up in the metal scene.
Nothing Left
Nothing Left is a project started by members of Silent Planet, For Today, Take It Back! and others; their first full-length, Disconnected, dropped in 2019. Even their preceding EP, Destroy and Rebuild (2017), shows off the band’s musical prowess—one of my favorite parts of this band is the solid, chuggy guitar riffs.
Voluntary Mortification
Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Voluntary Mortification is making some of the best deathcore in the metal world right now. Their first album, Suffer to Rise (2022), is a brutal, unrelenting survey of topics like politicians’ greed (“Demoncratic Society”), silence in the face of Gospel-centered issues (“Silence”), and even the end-times: “Crush the Serpent’s Head” ends with quoting Revelation 12. For unashamedly heavy and equally bold Christian music, look no further than Voluntary Mortification.
Wolves At The Gate
I would be remiss if I didn’t include one of the most theologically deep Christian metalcore bands. Wolves At The Gate’s 2014 LP VxV is a perfect example of what I mentioned earlier: “The Father’s Bargain”—the album’s six-and-a-half-minute closing song—is theologically more deep than anything I’ve heard on K-Love and most of what I’ve heard in churches:
Oh now my Son, here is a company of miserable souls
Cold and undone, searing their consciences with hearts black as stone
Here now they lie, objects of justice deserving of wrath
Speak your reply, what shall be done for them? Draw out your path
As a theological proposal between God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, this song theorizes a “conversation” in which Christ communicates his heart for sinful man.
The band’s follow-up albums have been equally as deep—and their music, namely their screaming vocals—has only gotten better. “Shadows,” off their recent LP Eulogies (2022), is one of my favorite metalcore songs of all time.
HolyName
HolyName is a project founded by Tommy Green (from the iconic and menacing Sleeping Giant) and Joe Holt, who enlist the help of Impending Doom’s Brook Reeves. Their style is ambient, progressive, and surprisingly heavy at times—all for the glory of God.
They just released their debut LP, Holyname (2023), with crushing features from Brook Reeves, Nothing Left, Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter), and Michael Felker (Convictions). “Celestial” is a solid amalgamation of their musical sound, Christian theology, and Christ-centered focus.
Honorable Mentions
Oh, Sleeper; Convictions; Fit For A King; Mercy; Haste the Day
Indie/Alternative
half•alive
half•alive broke onto the scene with Now, Not Yet in 2019 and have quickly become one of the best indie/alt bands in Christian music. In 2022, they released their follow-up full-length album, Conditions of a Punk, which features catchy and moving songs such as “Hot Tea” and “Bad Thoughts.”
Their best song, in my opinion, closes out Now, Not Yet: “Creature” is an honest survey of the already not-yet. “I am creation, both haunted and holy, made in glory. Even the depths of the night cannot blind me, when You guide me, creature only.”
The Arcadian Wild
A great indie and folk-driven band worth spinning is The Arcadian Wild. They’ve got two LPs, The Arcadian Wild (2015) and Finch in the Pantry (2019), and I’ve loved almost every song from both. Perhaps their greatest song is “Rain Clouds” (from their debut). The song is a survey of melancholy, depression, and hardship, and how one can find comfort in Christ and hope that the “rain clouds” will not always follow them.
Their latest song, “Barefoot Kid,” is a great summer-style song worth jamming as well!
The Gray Havens
This band—named after the fictional place in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings—has some incredibly unique and Gospel-centered music. They utilize storytelling in their songs to convey deep and meaningful messages. “Gray Flowers” and “Train Station” (from their EP Where Eyes Don’t Go [2013]) are great examples of fantastic songwriting and theological storytelling.
One of my favorite songs by them which tells a story of someone turning from darkness to light and being compelled to share the Gospel with her city is “Three Birds in Babylon” from their 2018 album, She Waits.
Colony House
Founded by Steven Curtis Chapman’s sons, Will and Caleb, Colony House has really made a name for themselves in the last six years. Their summer-surf-rock hit “You Know It” put them on the map for Christians and non-Christians alike. Their debut album, When I Was Younger (2014), is still one of my favorites in Christian music.
Their latest album leans into the “landlocked surf rock” (as they deem it) style that they’ve mastered. But even their 2018 LP, Leave What’s Lost Behind, is a deeply meaningful, raw, and still catchy survey of finding meaning and love in the “deserts” of our lives.
A discography run would not disappoint, I guarantee.
Chase Tremaine
Chase Tremaine is a Christian artist I actually found through Twitter. His latest album, Accidental Days (2023), is a great indie/punk album with meaningful songs like “Tired Side of Content” and “Settled in the Unsettled.” The former has some piercing lyrics for us to consider:
I’m on the tired side of content
Exhaustion is my privilege
What’s the point of getting to heaven
Being well rested and well fed?
Chase Tremaine’s songs are catchy, well-produced, and better yet, pierce at the heart of what it means to be human. Give Accidental Days and his other albums, Development and Compromise (2021) and Unfall (2020) a spin!
Honorable Mentions
John Van Deusen; Jon Guerra; Young Oceans; Medical Morning
Worship
CityAlight
Perhaps one of the most lyrically deep and kingdom-minded modern worship bands is CityAlight. Their music is catchy, uplifting, convicting, and a sort of modern hymnody that refreshes the Christian.
Their songs “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” and “Christ Is Mine Forevermore” are always in my ever-rotating top five worship songs. Their latest album, There Is One Gospel (2022), does not disappoint. “Every Step” is an upbeat, hopeful song about the Christian life; “On That Day” is creedal-confessional in its first verse and hopeful for “That Day” when Christ returns for His own.
Lindy Cofer
As a missionary, Lindy Cofer has firsthand experience with the meaning and power of the Gospel—so the worship music she writes is heavily influenced by the love and power of God, as well as the desire to see the nations come to Christ.
Her 2016 album, Every Nation, is a stark call for Christ to break in and change the world, all while praising His glory and honoring Him. Other key songs worth listening to are “Oh the Cross” and “Christ and Christ Crucified.”
Providence Worship
Providence Worship hails from the church of the same name in Raleigh, NC. They’ve released one album and an EP alongside some other singles, all of which I’d recommend. Their version of “All Glory Be To Christ” is perhaps my favorite. From Thirst No More (2021), “Doxology” and “Adopted” are especially worth adding to your playlist.
Citizens
A modern worship/alternative band that I’ve come to love is Citizens. Their EP The Joy of Being (2020) is a fantastic starting-point, and the songs “All I Need” and “Altogether Good” are hopeful, deep, and Christ-honoring.
Their latest album, I Can’t Find the Edges of You (2023), is a great addition to their discography. Check out songs like “A Thousand Shores” and “Neighborheart.”
Honorable Mentions
Sovereign Grace Music; Keith and Kristyn Getty; Travis Cottrell; Red Rocks Worship
Playlists
As linked in the original tweet, my playlist “Sing Anew, Songs of Praise” features some of my favorite modern, yet deep, worship songs. Other worship playlists you may like are “THINGS OF HEAVEN” and “Favorite Worship.”
I would have added Disciple to the list, but other than that this is extremely solid!
Some good suggestions here. Thanks for compiling this list!