Living in a Golden Age

I’m carpet bagging here—a writing guy commenting on music to music people—but give me a couple paragraphs before you start snickering at my ignorance.

The Golden Age

We seem to be enjoying a Golden Age of Songwriting. From Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton to MercyMe’s Bart Millard and Casting Crown’s Mark Hall to the Hillsong movement to your personal favorite (Derek Webb? Kirk Franklin? Matt Redman?), it seems like quality lyrics are clogging Christian radio today. It’s a great time—is it the greatest time ever?—to be listening to quality, searching, even challenging lyrics in most major genres. Most reflect a true communion with God. It’s a great time in Christian songwriting. We should recognize it as such.

The Tin Age

We seem to be enjoying a Tin Age of Christian music. From Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton to MercyMe’s Bart Millard and Casting Crown’s Mark Hall to the Hillsong movement, it seems like mediocre music is clogging Christian radio today. It’s an awful time—certainly not the worst ever, but . . .—to be challenged and surprised by anything produced by our major artists.

In music it’s a “sound,” in writing it’s a “style.” Maybe I’m too much of a book guy, but I don’t hear that in Christian music today.

Case in point: Israel’s latest (and first studio) CD features pop, gospel, rock, and reggae in it. In fact, it’s got everything but a signature style.

Cases in point: MercyMe and Casting Crowns play almost nothing memorable. You recognize them by their lead vocalist, not their uninspired music.

Stellar artists/performers—and I’d put Israel & Chris Tomlin in or near that range—must couple their spectacular lyrics while exhibiting a stellar style that is uniquely them to be considered one of the Hall of Famers. It’s not about popularity, it’s about electrifying history.

Need a couple examples? Think: The Beatles. Think the Edge’s soaring guitar in U2. Every song is different. Every song is theirs alone.

Legitimate Reasons?

Are there different standards for Christian music? Does a “sound” matter in the eyes of history? Do the genres of church music (P&W, Gospel, Southern Gospel) nullify true signatures that the general listener would instantly recognize? Or do Christian listeners only expect genre satisfaction, punishing the truly talented who exemplify both?

I don’t have any answers, just many questions.

Still, it’s ironic that there’s such a yawning dichotomy between the lyrics and music of most Christian music right now.

I’m done. Feel free to argue with me. Put the book guy in his place.