Current

Sarah Macintosh is one of those sadly rare CCM artists who embraces the elements of the secular music world that most of her peers avoid or ignore. The erstwhile worship leader's fourth album bears the mark of someone who has Fiona Apple and Björk sitting next to fare by Phil Wickham and Sandy Patti on her CD shelf (provided she doesn't alphabetize her collection). Current is a sonically rich album — squirrelly bits of electronic noise and downtempo beats sidle up next to traditional, dramatic guitar pop — that beats with a unabashedly faithful heart. Macintosh directs every song here to God and Jesus. She chides herself slightly for not believing as strongly as she feels she should on "Calling, Calling," but more often sings of the joys of faith and the potential of a second coming. What ties all of these elements together is the versatility of Macintosh's amazing voice. She can be forceful, pleading, loving, and struggling, but never stretches too far out of her range or the security of the song. She may cede the steering wheel of her life to God, but creatively, she remains completely in control.