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downhere
Word

Don't see this as me sticking this album on at the end of my list, because I really debated moving it up quite a bit. downhere is simply one of the best debuts to come along in quite a while. They're a band from Canada with a great acoustic alternative rock sound. Many people who have discovered this album are saying that they're "wearing it out" in their CD player … including myself! The quality of the musicianship and lyrical content for such a young group is astonishing. I can't wait to hear how far these guys will go with future albums.

Read the original review here.

Nicole C. Mullen
Word

If stage presence could come through on a non-live album, this might very well be that one. Nicole commands attention on stage (see her sometime if you haven't!), and she is equally captivating on Talk About It. Nicole deservedly won the Dove Award for Song of the Year in 2000 for her song, "My Redeemer." This year's winner from her will most likely be "Call On Jesus" — it's that good, though it's certainly not the only stunner on the album. You'll find quite a few flavors of music mixed up in this one. That Nicole managed to outdo her debut album is truly an achievement. Make sure you give this one your attention and then talk about it with other music-lovers you know.

Read the original review here.

P.O.D.
Atlantic

This project may not have made it to number one on my list, but it had to be in here for sure. Satellite is quite possibly the most influential album of the year. How so? Consider the mission of these guys. They grew up in some of the roughest streets of our country and they know the reality of what that situation can bring, yet they can't stop talking about the love of God every chance they get. What's more, MTV can't get enough of them — their video hit the top of the "secular" chart. In their interviews, they give all credit to God in a way that comes across as real. They fill stadiums, and then they take hours afterward to speak with their fans one-on-one about how their faith has changed and saved them. When it comes to their passion for the Gospel, these guys don't hold back. They may look rough in appearance, but this album has a message worthy of a pastor's sermon, set to music that kids are rapidly embracing.

Read the original review here.

Third Day
Essential

This is the baby of this list, the newest-born if you will. It hasn't been out very long, but it's already made an impact on me, and I know I'm not alone. Third Day's sound remains intact, but this isn't just a project of leftovers from their last album. It's all new material with a strong message to it, perfectly summed up by the album title. The band has felt a strong sense of community with their audience over the past few years, and this album was created to express that as only they could. There's enough variety on Come Together to not only bring back those who own any of the band's other releases, but also to draw in a new group of listeners who haven't discovered Third Day yet.

Read the original review here.

Kevin Max
Forefront

Kevin Max's solo debut is just right. Listeners will want to scramble back to the CD player to replay that last song to work through the lyrics again. It has influences bursting out of it from all different angles that the listeners will find familiar and enjoy. Kevin set out to be himself, and it comes through very clearly. The variety from song to song doesn't confuse, but it galvanizes the ideas that Kevin attempts to express. He accomplishes this through his well-known vibrato tones and his nuanced performance and production. Expect something different, and Stereotype Be will take you a step further than that.

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