Ragamuffin (Music Inspired By the Motion Picture)

Christian music lost one of its most inspiring voices with the untimely death of singer/songwriter Rich Mullins in 1997. His life, music, and ministry are celebrated on the soundtrack album from the 2014 biopic Ragamuffin. The project reaches into the back corners of Mullins’ catalog for songs that capture the deeply compassionate and fervently redemptive content of his work. The album’s tracks don’t stray far from the intent of the original versions. That said, there’s plenty of individual interpretation to be found here, with each artist connecting to different aspects of Mullins’ music. Highlights include Derek Webb’s sturdy, resolute treatment of “Creed,” Audrey Assad’s silken, yearning take on “I See You,” Jars of Clay’s evocative rendition of “Land of My Sojourn,” and Matt Leichty’s heroic version of “The Love of God.” Especially poignant is the recording of “Wounds of Love” offered by Mullins’ frequent cowriter Mitch McVicker, who survived the car accident that took his friend’s life. Demo recordings of Mullins performing his previously unreleased tunes “Never Heard the Music” and “Now” round out a lovingly rendered tribute to a much-missed and still-influential artist.