By Kevin Pollard

• Kevin Max: The Blood, Infinity

I caught up with Kevin Max shortly following his first Tennessee Christmas in three years; he had just moved back to Music City after living in Los Angeles.

The holidays were different this year. He and his wife Amanda now have six month old Wilder Liam – who joined two year old London tearing into presents. When we spoke, Max was awaiting the late December release of his fifth solo album. I asked him how The Blood came to be.

“I have always wanted to do a project that featured many of the classic gospel songs that I grew up listening to . . . Elvis, Mahalia Jackson and Andrae Crouch,” he replied, adding: “It is the dark and moody songs I like.”

This very personal project allowed him to step back from his usual rock stylings, in favour of an exploration of gospel. This musical departure features collaborations with artists like Ashley Cleveland, Vince Gill, Amy Grant – including American Idol finalist Chris Sligh on the first single, ‘Run On For a Long Time.’

I asked where the duets idea started, and with no hesitation he replied: “The first artist I knew I wanted to have on the project was Johnny Cash’s sister, Joanne Cash – who I had become friends with after singing with her at a concert . . . From there, it all came together. Another person I really wanted to have come in was Mary Mary’s Erica Campbell, to join me on ‘People Get Ready.’”

The album also features the long-anticipated reunion of dc Talk, as Michael Tait and tobyMac join Max on ‘The Cross’ (originally recorded by Prince on Sign O’ the Times); their signature sound is still intact, even after seven years apart doing solo ventures.

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Aside from the new baby and new album, I asked Max about his participation in the upcoming indie film, The Imposter – which also features Russ Taff, Kerry Livgren(Kansas) and Jeff Deyo (Sonicflood).

“I play an artist in a Christian band,” Max said, adding that the film “delves into the life of an artist who is struggling to find himself. It is a powerful story of redemption.”  kevinmax.com

• MercyMe: All that is Within Me, INO Records

Following seven bestselling projects, this Grammy-nominated band returns with a great collection of worship-focused originals ­– recorded at London’s famed Abbey Road Studio. They worked again with veteran producer Brown Bannister, who offers lush string orchestration on several cuts. Their sound this time is more in tune with Undone, than the experimental departure of Coming Up to Breathe. Many lyrics are straight from scripture and have a vertical focus – as on ‘God With Us,’ ‘Sanctified’ and ‘You Reign.’ On the standout ‘Finally Home,’ Bart Millard imagines reuniting with the father he lost to cancer as a teenager.                  mercyme.org

• Rush of Fools: Rush of Fools, Midas

Their 2007 hit, ‘Undo,’ earned Rush of Fools the ‘Best New Artist’ title in both CCM Magazine and Christianity Today. This self-titled debut album features a sound somewhere between Starfield and Mercy Me, with straightforward lyrics and anthemic melodies. Standout tracks include ‘We All’ and ‘When our Hearts Sing.’ The band is touring with the Newsboys. They have also formed ministry partnerships with Godtube.com, as well as Freedom Begins Here – which spotlights the epidemic of pornography and sex addiction, both within and outside of the church.                     rushoffools.com

February 2008