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No. 5: Tree63 - The Answer To The Question

I've been listening to this CD non-stop for two weeks and I didn't want to stop! Turns out I like it a lot! For that matter, I think I'm liking most much that comes out of South Africa and Australia...it's unique, fresh, and able to take on mainstream music without sacrificing its message. (And Tree63 is from South Africa!)

Tree63 is the most delectible three-piece band I've ever heard. They can do power. They can do simple. They can mix it up in the same song. Oh yeah, and they layer in some other instruments on a few songs, too...

The guys rip out some incredible rock tunes in "King," "You Only," "The Answer To The Question," and "So Glad." They do great on the light songs of "I Stand For You," "Let Your Day Begin" and "Overdue." And of course just an outstanding version of "Blessed Be Your Name."

"The Answer To The Question," is my favorite track on the CD. Frontman/writer John Ellis started writing down all the things he knew Jesus to be and it came out as this song. The song holds one of the most incredible lines I've heard in music. The lyrics are "How can I not cry? Watching as the world dies Without a prayer; They run to their owns gods, roughshod Blind to the living God of earth and heaven; How could they sing Of everything but him?" And shortly after the band cuts out to just Ellis on the guitar playing a few reverbed high notes...ooo, it's entrancing!

Tree63 also has some of the best "Christian" (what I like to call "vertical") lyrics I've ever heard. It's not the cheap bubble gum Christianity you hear in a lot of Christian music.

And I think what keeps me stuck on this CD is that it's incredibly well-done and it's short. Ten songs and I think about 35 minutes. There are even a few songs that are only two and a half minutes long! You don't have enough time to fully digest all the good things you are hearing!

Highly, highly recommend.