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Our annual selections for Best Christian Albums in small part serves as a snapshot of the state of the industry, and what's particularly interesting about this year's list is how many of the finalists seem "outside the box." Many of the artists have a foot in both Christian and mainstream markets without finding runaway success in either, and some of them are established artists who today continue to record and distribute music independently. It all reflects our commitment to exploring the full breadth of Christian music (released between December 2005 and November 2006), not because of their reach, but because of their potential to reach with artistic excellence.

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Bebo Norman
Essential Records

Hard to believe that Bebo Norman has been at the singer/songwriter game for ten years already since the release of his independent debut. He's bought ten more for his career based on the strength of his sixth album—a solid step forward and a slight reinvention of sorts. Twenty-something coffeehouse troubadours are in plentiful supply, though Norman has always been better than most. But now in his thirties, the folk artist reveals that a heart for beautifully crafted melodic pop beats deep within him. It's a natural progression with his proven ear for memorable melodies, and he matches it with a newfound confidence in the words as well, exploring the journey from fear to faith with hopeful lyrics that are both personable and relatable. Congratulations, Bebo, you've graduated from the college scene into the big leagues.
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Andrew Osenga
Square Peg Alliance

If The Normals had only continued after 2002's A Place Where You Belong … well, it might have been as impressive as this sophomore effort from front man Andrew Osenga, who also serves as lead guitarist for Caedmon's Call. Though it's an independent effort, don't be fooled—the only shortcoming is a lack of distribution, currently only available at www.andrewosenga.com. As far as quality goes, it's a match for any other alternative folk-rock release this year, and a no-brainer for those who appreciate the refined style of Elliott Smith, Michael Penn, Neil Finn, or Gomez. Combine that with smart, honest songcraft reminiscent of Bob Dylan or Mark Heard, expressing a progression from regret to redemption through a series of metaphorical illustrations, introspective musings, and heartfelt confessionals. Too bad an album this good will go largely overlooked—but at least now you know about it!
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Ashley Cleveland
204 Records

All right, we confess. It's mostly the voice. A brassy and gutsy wail that's also tender and emotional—someone once described it as "sweet sandpaper"—it ranks up there with Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, and Wynonna. When Ashley Cleveland sings, we believe every word she says, and that certainly helps an artist who's forthright with her beliefs without being trite about it. When she sings about fearless faith ("Ready or Not"), times of testing ("The Blessing"), and what it means to be a Christian woman ("Queen of Soul"), she does so not with overused clichés, but a confident songwriting voice all her own. An inspiring blend of adult contemporary blues-rock that has teeth without cutting too sharply, it's an album that rivals her earlier acclaimed work in the early '90s. Though here again is another independent release available only at www.ashleycleveland.com. It's worth going out of your way for.
Click here for the original review.

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