"Stand in the place where you live, now face north. Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before." -R.E.M.

Why Christian Music Stinks

02/09/2007 11:34 AM Filed in: Postmodernism | Theology

old music

Okay, I’ll just come out and say it: I don’t like Christian music.

I don’t mean for that to be an all-encompassing statement, as there are a few bands that I like quite a bit: Delirious?, Chris Tomlin (who I realize is not amazingly inventive, but who has been blessed with the ability to write corporate worship songs that anyone can get in on), David Crowder. But beyond these guys and a handful of others, I fully realize that there is just a lot of junk out there right now; though the words may be somewhat uplifting, the actual music is less than stellar.

This is a Christian music industry problem. We see something work in the secular world and then we try to make an exact(although always inferior) photocopy of it. Or one person is successful with an idea and then everyone jumps on board. Think about this: how many Christian artists not named Christ Tomlin, Dave Crowder, or Hillsong had released full albums of just worship music 10 years ago? How many did after those had success. Uh huh...exactly.

It kills originality and it diminishes credibility when we just continuously rip off secular bands and even each other. It makes me beg, “Please, someone come up with an original sound!”

In an attempt to end on a positive note here: there do seem to be a few bands who are trying to break out of the mold. Leeland, a Texas-based band who has an 18 year old lead singer with amazing vocals, recently released an album that caught my attention. It’s not the most ground-breaking thing I’ve ever heard, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction and shows that they have a lot of potential.

What Christian bands can you recommend?