There are certain lead singers in rock and roll whose voices are so distinctive that it can be hard to tell their solo material from their work with their respective bands; Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like Sting from The Police, Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam come to mind. In the Christian music world, Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer and Chris Llewellyn from Rend Collective fit that mold as well. This familiarity is both a blessing and a curse as the old cliché goes. The blessing comes from having a built-in fan base that will likely give your solo work a spin, at least initially. The curse is that you will also be measured directly against your band's work for, likely, all time.

Mac Powell of Third Day (about as close to a Hall of Fame band as Christian Music gets) has been gracing audiences with his distinct baritone voice for decades now and is immediately identifiable within just a few bars of a song. With a tone that can both growl and be soothing at the same time, Powell's fine instrument can lift any song he sings. And on his new solo album, I Love Jesus, his instrument lifts a bevy of southern pop / rock songs to a notch above their station. Much of I Love Jesus sounds like latter day Third Day music, albeit the lesser songs of that era.

Kicking off with the groovy southern rock guitars of "Like It's Nothing," Powell slips comfortably into this musical bed, showing his command of this particular kind of soulful song. With a terrific back up singer's assistance (something Third Day employed well from time to time), "Nothing" is a rousing opening number and a good reminder of the power of Jesus as presented in the gospels: "Wine out of water / Man from the dust / Bringing healing / With just a touch / Beauty from ashes / Sight for the blind / You do it like it's nothing / Time after time / There ain't nothing You can't do / With a wave of Your hand / Ain't no mountain You can't move / Like it's a grain of sand / God of wonder working / Always up to something / Miracle after miracle / You do it like it's nothing."

The following title track song is ironically (and perhaps tragically) one of the weaker moments here. With a cloying chorus and simplistic lyrics, the well-meaning tune serves up a host of cliches that feel too trite for a veteran artist like Powell: "I love Jesus, yes I do / I love Jesus, yes it's true / He's the way, He's the truth / Turned my life around / If you know him like I do / Sing it with me now / I love Jesus." Lyrics can contain a timeless truth (Jesus does indeed "turn lives around") and still be presented in a hokey way.

Thankfully, the ship rights a bit with the "The Giver" and "Who The Cross Is For," two anthemic numbers with fine melodies that throw back to Third Day's classic Time record (the album the band has called their best work in numerous interviews). "The Giver" is particularly good and finds Powell's fine voice wrapping around a solid bit of praise and worship.

The middle of the record returns to campy, cliched tunes in "Good News" and "Keep On Keeping On," but thankfully ends very well with a great set of earnest and heartfelt numbers that feel honest to the "Sunday morning" tradition of southern songwriting. "Go To My Grave" and "The 99" are particularly noteworthy with hymn-like melodies that fit the singer's voice like a comfortable, well-worn church pew. Powell knows this kind of music like the veteran songwriter he is, and the album goes out on a high note.

I Love Jesus is certainly a mixed affair and bounces between songs that are too slight for a seasoned artist like Powell, and many that remind you of why he gained an audience in the first place. But it's good to have more albums from this beloved songwriter, and I Love Jesus is an album that will undoubtedly find a home in the hearts of longtime fans.

- Review date: 11/27/24, written by Alex Caldwell of Jesusfreakhideout.com