Let it never be said that the Mars Hill Church family had poor musicians, even as the church fell apart due to poor leadership. Kings Kaleidoscope, The Modern Post (headed by Thrice frontman and then-Mars Hill worship leader Dustin Kensrue), Citizens, and The Sing Team are all outfits that came from the Mars Hill musical network. With this 2011 release from the band Ghost Ship, a collection of four worshipful folk rock songs marks the beginning of the band's ongoing presence in the Christian contemporary music scene.

Overall, the EP is quite solid, albeit not the most unique when it comes to lyrics or instrumentation. "One God" is a spirited (but not overly fast-paced) opening track that lyrically asserts the sovereignty of the triune God of Israel. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (a song that also appears on Ghost Ship's 2015 album, Costly) follows with lyrics drawn from the visions in Revelation concerning the new heavens and the new earth. Instrumentally, the song is a bit slower than "One God," and prominently employs a banjo through most of the song's runtime.

"Just As I Am," an adaptation of the 1836 hymn of the same name, contains what could be described as a folk rock "breakdown," running for 10 seconds beginning at the 1 minute and 45 second mark. This little instrumental break turns into a driving electric guitar presence that continues through the rest of the track. Closing the EP is my favorite Ghost Ship song, "Poison Tree." The opening verse, "This tree bears strange fruit / There's blood on the leaves, it's dead at the roots / The cracked, grey branches are decaying within / Just like the black poison that hangs from it's limbs" are actually a lyrical interpolation from Billie Holiday's famous song, "Strange Fruit." Musically, the song incorporates a pedal steel guitar into the EP's usual ensemble of acoustic/electric guitars, drums, and bass.

A River With No End is a quality debut. Is it remarkably unique? Not particularly, but it is heartfelt and at least minimally well-crafted. The EP brightly shines in spite of the shadows cast by the storms of the Mars Hill Church network, a testament to the ability of the Spirit to shine and inspire even in troubled places.

Review date: 6/28/25, written by Darian Hall for Jesusfreakhideout.com