God

Few have burst onto the Christian music scene with such raw honesty and edgy appeal as Rebecca St. James. With 1996's God, this young Australian went from unknown to spokesperson for a generation. The title track, along with the irresistible "Me Without You" and "Go and Sin No More," were all CCM No. 1 hits. And rightfully so! The title track uniquely alternates a pastoral melody with acoustic guitar and flute while St. James belts out the chorus with urgency and desire. Musically, the rest features moody atmospherics, hook-laden guitar riffs, and St. James's nontraditional yet strong vocals. An artist worth paying attention to, St. James could easily take her place among the Lilith Fair crowd with little apology for her message. --Michael Lyttle