When it comes to the most notable names in Christian music today, one would struggle to keep 23-year-old Josiah Queen's name out of the conversation. Despite releasing his independent debut album just over two years ago, he has already racked up over 2.1 billion streams to date, and earlier this month, he took home the GMA Dove Awards Song of the Year for "Dusty Bibles" -- the first non-worship song to win the award since Lauren Daigle's "You Say" back in 2019. Barely a year has passed since he released his successful sophomore record, Mt. Zion, but Queen is back with 14 new songs in the form of Damascus Road.

This album offers plenty of moments where the Florida native does what many fans have come to know and love. With "demons," Queen offers a catchy, anthemic chorus that boldly proclaims the power of Christ over the evil powers in this world. If there is a single song on the album that comes across as quintessential Josiah Queen, "demons" takes home the title. A few tracks later, "judas" stands out as a lyrical highlight, lamenting how we sin even without being bribed like Judas: "For thirty pieces of silver, he ain't worse than me / 'Cause he betrayed You for money, and I did it all for free." "Damascus Road" draws inspiration from the life of Paul as Queen sings, "I threw stones / You threw a lifeline / I was blinded like a deer up in the headlights / ... / When I was still Your foe / You met me there on Damascus road." Musically, such tracks include the young artist's go-to instruments -- including banjo, mandolin, and acoustic guitar -- and anyone who has liked The Prodigal or Mt. Zion will feel right at home with these new tracks.

Prior to this album, my biggest quibble with Queen's music was many of his songs blending together due to a lack of sonic variety. Compared to his first two records, Damascus Road generally fares better in this respect. Some moments still sound less innovative for the songwriter ("sundays," "make heaven crowded"), but many tracks, like the thoughtful "when I see You" and the guitar-driven "galaxies," remain true to the heart of who Queen is while managing to sound unlike songs he has previously released.

The project's numerous features also limit the degree to which the songs feel overly familiar. Interestingly, all five of the collaborations happen in the second half of the album. Overall, the decision to leave these tunes for later works well, safeguarding against monotony down the stretch of the track listing. A few exceptions exist, however. Queen joins ELEVATION RHYTHM on "amazing!," which came out initially on ELEVATION RHYTHM's album WASHED earlier this year. The track found a better home on that album than it does on this one, feeling a bit out of place amongst the other songs present on Damascus Road. Chelsea Plank of SEU Worship steps in for the Psalm 84-inspired "a day with the Lord" that, despite its key positioning as the penultimate track, comes as the least memorable of the 14 songs.

Thankfully, the other three collaborations land better. "fire in my soul" brings the talents of Zac Lawson -- better known as ZVC -- to the table, and he puts a unique spin on Queen's typical sound as the producer of the track. Later, Aodhán King sings with Queen on the worshipful "only God almighty," and although the song's message has been sung many times before, it still presents a heartfelt reliance upon God in all matters of life. The album concludes with "Jesus is coming back soon," featuring one of the other biggest names in Christian music today, Forrest Frank. The finale nicely blends Queen's and Frank's styles without one overpowering the other and wraps up the album on a joyful note.

Damascus Road is not a perfect album, but it marks a step up from Mt. Zion. Offering greater consistency and musical variety than its predecessors while maintaining quality lyricism, I will revisit this particular album of Queen's most frequently in the time ahead. The 23-year-old shows no signs of taking his foot off the gas, and Damascus Road helps further cement his position as one of the most relevant voices in Christian music. Among the selections, "demons," "when I see You," and "judas" stand out as good places to start for those looking to explore what Damascus Road has to offer.

- Review date: 10/25/26, written by Noah Schmidt of Jesusfreakhideout.com