part two of the three part breakdown of the best music of the year (albums 4-2)
gungor | ghosts upon the earth
gungor seemed to be the breakout christian artist of the year in 2011, but it seemed (at least to me) that most of the buzz came from 2010’s beautiful things album. if that’s the case that’s all well in good, but this year’s ghosts upon the earth may be even better. gungor is a fringe mainstream christian act that is making it’s way into churches on sunday mornings (or already has), and that makes me happy. i love to see original voices being brought to the forefront, and gungor is definitely an original voice. coming from a instrumentation viewpoint first, gungor brings a dark melodic characteristic that’s sweepingly beautiful but kind of rough around the edges. there’s a raw quality that’s not present in most christian music that favors the polished sounds of radio pop.
it’s not an album that’s got the next huge anthem to sing on sunday mornings, but it doesn’t make it any less of a worship album. it’s a more subtle approach. the way gungor crafts his lyrics is amazing. they’re simple truths that personify or exemplify something about God in a way that you’ve not thought of before. it’s refreshing and so interesting to unpack. i’m a fan of authentic worship and authentic music. and this album is one of the most authentic of the year.
the 2nd and 3rd best albums after the break!
