Christianity Today

With more than 50 new acts introduced to the Christian music scene in 2003, one could call it "The Year of the New Artist." With so many to choose from-including established independent artists and solo acts making their national debut-it wasn't easy to select the 12 best. But we managed to anyway, weighing talent, creativity, original expressions of faith, and quality of album to come up with a list of artists we feel have the strongest potential to affect and entertain for years to come. In chronological order of release dates (dating back to December '02), here are our picks for Best New Christian Artists of 2003.

Sanctus Real

Say It Loud (Sparrow)

It typically shows when a band has been cutting its teeth on the independent circuit before going to the majors, and this Toledo, Ohio group is no exception. Sanctus Real packed a wallop with their aggressive-yet-accessible sound beginning with their national introduction on the 2002 Festival Con Dios tour. Since the December 2002 release of Say It Loud, they've been a breath of fresh air to the Christian rock scene, offering power pop that is extremely relevant because of the popularity of Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters. The lyrics have a clear Christian slant without sounding trite. But you ain't heard nothing yet if you haven't seen them live—they will rock your face off. Based on their initial reception, the future bodes well for Sanctus Real.
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The Swift

The Swift (Flicker)

Simply put, The Swift is pure ear candy. Offering a relatively unique sound to the Christian music scene, this North Carolina quartet (originally called Puddleglum) draws on wide array of musical styles: Keith Green, Ben Folds, Queen, Joe Jackson, PFR, and Todd Rundgren. A lot of artists have tried and failed to put the rock back into piano rock. The Swift pulls it off on their self-titled national debut with especially catchy pop songs that will stick in your head long after. It's a nice balance of worship and fun, but sadly they have yet to catch on. They're not getting much radio airplay, and we'd love to see them get more exposure. We can only hope that this band catches on—whether by word of mouth, through better marketing, or by any other means.
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Holland

Photographs & Tidalwaves (Tooth & Nail)

This evocatively titled album is a standout for Tooth & Nail, which debuted more new artists this year than any other Christian label. And like many T&N debuts in 2003, Holland's CD benefits greatly from Aaron Sprinkle's production genius. Still, credit Will and Josiah Holland for giving their career a strong launch with such likeable melodic rock. Though their faith is somewhat veiled in these songs, there are some pretty powerful stories behind them that teens can surely relate to (the death of a friend, working with disabled children, fear of the uncertain). There aren't nearly enough Christian rock stations to give this band due attention, but response has been positive so far thanks to heavy touring. Here's hoping they hit the ground running with their follow-up.
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Derek Webb

She Must and Shall Go Free (INO)

You're familiar with the voice and songwriting behind numerous Caedmon's Call classics, such as "Thankful." While we miss Derek Webb's involvement with his former band, he's clearly doing well artistically on his own. This is a highly enjoyable acoustic roots album, featuring plenty of strong musicianship all around. But Webb scores the most points for his gutsy songwriting, unafraid to challenge the church on its weaknesses. The trick is that he does so by balancing boldness and conviction with candor and love. The result is an album that Martin Luther and the Apostle Paul would have easily identified with. Webb's taken a lot of chances with this album, but it has paid off greatly in many ways.
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