CCM to keep winter blues at bay

“Losing Time”

Charlotte Adelle

Anyone who’s experienced the winter-like chill of feeling left behind—not by the rapture, but by life—will appreciate Charlotte Adelle’s latest album Losing Time. Otherworldly vocals express the wonder and uncertainty of faith in a messy, chaotic world. At times, God is our “oasis in the desert” and can “use my faith to move the mountains.” Other times, anxiety and doubt make us feel frozen, where “The seconds turn to minutes / Turn to hours losing time / All the while I’m chasing / Something I may never find.” On Instagram, Adelle summed up the song as “a reminder that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Growing older, you can feel lost, like everyone is ahead of you. But dreams take time, so keep going.”

“I Hope You Dance”

Cory Asbury

You can practically hear the floorboards creak on this intimate, one-man-and-his-guitar effort, expressing a father’s fretful, wistful advice for his daughter. Amid gorgeous fingerpicking, he exhorts her to hold fast to childlike wonder even as she develops the grown-up courage to “never fear those mountains in the distance / never settle for the path of least resistance.” Occasionally, Asbury’s sincerity wobbles into sentimentalism. But blessed with a voice loaded with natural character, he mostly charms and calms the ears quite effectively. Such that when he gently lifts on the refrains, you may just find yourself taking flight as well.

“Praise”

Caleb and Kelsey

Producers and artists sometimes forget the K.I.S.S. acronym to their detriment. Life can be busy and complex enough, and sometimes ears (and minds) just need a breather. Enter Caleb and Kelsey with two gorgeous voices and a piano and that’s about it. The harmonies blend beautifully, if sometimes bordering on oversweet. Lightness and sweetness, however, belie the weight of the topic—that praise is a serious business with the power to demolish strongholds: “My praise is a weapon / It’s more than a sound / Oh, my praise is the shout / That brings Jericho down.”

“Hard Fought Hallelujah”

Brandon Lake

Many a Christian singer tries to growl only to come up short, emitting something resembling a grainy whine. But when Brandon Lake goes for it, he nails it. The tats and the Post Malone vibe help as well, but none of that would matter without the musical chops. Fortunately, there’s plenty of authentically bluesy swashbuckle to satisfy. Prog-rock fans will appreciate a frenzied interlude that mimics a brewing cyclone, until the drummer punches every syllable of the climactic cry, “I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt / Been-through-hell hallelujah / I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail / Story-to-tell hallelujah.”

Forrest Frank Scott Legato/Getty Images

Fun faithful music for frigid months

If you haven’t yet gotten on the Forrest Frank train, it’s high time to hop aboard, even if only to hear what the young folk are listening to. After all, your kids are probably already jamming out to his breakthrough 2024 album Child of God. But be warned: You place yourself in imminent danger of cutting a rug, because the simple equation is that Forrest = fun. Child of God sports original hooks galore, from the wild, Havana-style rumpus “Up!” to the breezy, R&B celebration of God’s faithfulness in “Safe and Sound.” He’s still adding remixes and extras to ensure the fun keeps going in 2025, collabing with believers and nonbelievers alike in the aim of creating God-honoring, irrepressible music. —J.K.