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You’d think picking a list of our ten favorite new artists would be a cinch, but 2001 saw an unusually high number of talented artist debuts. After picking our favorites, there were still five more we wished we could have included. This is surely an indication that the Christian music industry isn’t hurting for new talent! It’s our pleasure to share with you some of the fresh new faces in Christian music — why we love them and how we think they’ll grow in years to come. The artists are listed in no particular order, and clicking on their image will take you to the original album review.

Imagerical (Reunion)

You have to like Matt's personable and humble attitude at his newfound success as a recording artist — "Who me? A rock star?" It's this humility and his heart for God that make him perfectly suited to lead worship, and because he's been doing so for years at his home church's growing modern worship service, he's a proven grassroots artist as well. His debut album, Imagerical, is packed with superbly produced, radio-friendly singles that feel just as fitting for the local youth-led worship service. Though his songs often fit the typical Christian pop mold, Matt's fresh sound and production is engaging and memorable. A gifted worship songwriter, Matt could easily become another Michael W. Smith or Matt Redman in the years to come.

The Light in Guinevere's Garden (Floodgate/Epic)

In the hardcore music scene, bands stereotypically scream the vocals unintelligibly at the top of their lungs while recycling the same roaring guitar and drum patterns throughout the entire CD. Thankfully, East West came along this year to prove a hard-rock album doesn't have to stick with that formula. Certainly the roaring bombast is present, but melodic modern rock also infiltrates the project in various spots. East West is also in a wonderful position to spread their spiritual message to the masses, thanks to their mainstream record contract. The group has the potential to follow a similar course as P.O.D., and could grow even more if they break up the hard-driving beats with additional glimpses of modern rock and more prevalent acoustic arrangements on future projects.

Katy Hudson (Red Hill)

This is a surprisingly sophisticated and mature debut from a 17-year-old who's capable of reaching multiple age groups even beyond her teenage fan base. Katy's songwriting is probing and intelligent, blending alternative pop, rock, and jazz into a distinct sound in Christian music. And it's all her own since she wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. Her killer vocal range perfectly suits the musical moods and styles she creates, though at times her vocals get a little out of control. We hope Katy finds a new home with a record label now that Red Hill and Pamplin have shut their doors, and it would be great to pair her with a vocally savvy producer for her next album (perhaps John Elefante?). Katy's exuberant personality and insightful music make her memorable both on and off stage, and we see her becoming one of Christian music's most fascinating songwriters in the years to come.

Invitation to Eavesdrop (Rocketown)

He may be new to the scene, but Shaun Groves seems like an old friend as he invites listeners to eavesdrop into some very personal, but all-around applicable, dialogue with God. Groves balances his deep, provocative conversations with the Creator with lighthearted and simple themes. Musically, the contrast ranges from upbeat pop/rock jams to peaceful acoustic reflections. We hope he'll lean towards his more introspective lyrics in the future, simply so he can avoid sounding too similar to other popular male singer/songwriters these days. Perhaps even greater than his music is his integrity and character. After spending only a few moments with Groves, it's easy to see that he holds on loosely to his status as an entertainer and would be just as happy in any ministry position.

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