Caedmon's Call album, Overdressed
'Musically, Jake sounds his best when he’s paying homage to the legends who’ve made his hometown famous.'

George Luke reviews the best new releases from the Christian music scene released this month

Use the links to buy the albums from amazon.co.uk and Christian Aid will receive part of the sale price

Jake Smith is one of the many New Orleans residents who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In the months following Katrina, both his parents were diagnosed with cancer and a drunk motorist crashed into him while he was driving one day.

Bearing all that in mind, you’d expect Jake’s debut album, Real, to be the most self-pitying record you’ve ever heard.

Well, it isn’t. But there is a lot of honesty and vulnerability in Jake’s songs - whether he’s agonising over relationship problems (“Real Love”), or pleading not to be put on a pedestal, “‘cause I’ll probably fall faster than you want me to” (“These Things”).

Musically, Jake sounds his best when he’s paying homage to the legends who’ve made his hometown famous.

Witness the swampy, Dr. John-influenced “What I Plan to Do”, or the funky “Can’t Save Your Soul” with shades of the Neville Brothers. “Real Love” is a brilliant piece of white-boy blues, and “Make Me Move” is another cracker.

Buy the album from amazon.co.uk and Christian Aid will receive part of the sale fee – click here

Four years ago, singer-songwriter Derek Webb quit his day job as a member of the American folk-rock band Caedmon’s Call. He re-joined them earlier this year, in time to work on their latest album, Overdressed.

Fans of CC’s thoughtful lyricism and warm, organic sound will love Overdressed, with its nice use of Hammond organ, guitars and some Indian instruments left over from their travels there a few years ago.

“Two Weeks in Africa” has an African choir in the mix – albeit so low you can barely hear them. And Africa clearly inspired the percussion on “All Across the Western World”.

During his time as a solo act, Derek acquired a degree of infamy for writing and recording songs with a dissenting view to those usually espoused by the religious right, and for using strong language in his songs (all right – he said “whore” in one song and “damned” in another.

This is the Christian music scene we’re talking about, remember). He still sounds passionate now that he’s back with Caedmon’s Call … but now we know he’s capable of being ‘edgy’, this album sounds rather safe.

Buy the album from amazon.co.uk and Christian Aid will receive part of the sale fee – click here

Mandisa Lynn Hundley first came to the public’s attention last year, when, as a contestant on American Idol, she told Simon Cowell on camera that she forgave him for some rather uncharitable comments he’d made about her weight.

She made it through the elimination rounds, but the further she progressed, the more ‘churchy’ her performances became, and she eventually finished in ninth place. Now signed to EMI’s Christian division, she’s released her debut album, True Beauty.

If you needed further proof that the really good singers don’t win reality talent shows, here it is: a collection of beautifully done soul gospel songs, including a fine cover of Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You)”.

The title track could be seen as Mandisa’s contribution to the Size Zero debate; it’s another take on the age-old “beauty comes from within” adage, sung by a woman who has been very open about her battles with food addiction.

Guests include Toby Mac and the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers – of which Mandisa was a member when she attended the famous black American college.

Buy the album from amazon.co.uk and Christian Aid will receive part of the sale fee – click here

A few months ago, I raved about Unklejam’s debut single, “Love Ya”. Their album seems to have fallen into some weird record company limbo, with its release date changed more times than a baby’s nappy.

Anyway, their third single, “Stereo”, is released this month, and it’s another brilliantly quirky piece of retro-soul. Worth getting hold of while we wait for Virgin to decide when (or if) we get to hear the full album.

Buy the album from amazon.co.uk and Christian Aid will receive part of the sale fee – click here

• Read other Tunes columns