God of this City

The promising future of modern worship lays in the hands of bands like Bluetree. The Belfast group's debut is full of accessible, intriguing rock anthems that recall the stylings of Charlie Hall, David Crowder Band and Delirious. Also, it doesn't hurt that the title track, "God of This City," is already familiar to tens of thousands of devoted Passion fans who have heard Chris Tomlin's cover version. The simple day-to-day living in a city with a history full of random violence, the band has seen its share of personal struggles as well. As a result, lead vocalist and guitarist Aaron Boyd digs deeper to find hope than many of his domestic contemporaries. And his authentic vocal touch on an already lush rock soundscape gives a viable fingerprint to each track. Highlights include the buoyant "Burn Me Up," and "Each Day," which Boyd wrote after learning that his daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The album has no low spots, consistently bringing track after track of solid musicianship and a delivery that fits quite contentedly among the Passion crowd.