The Lone Bellow

If you act quickly, you can listen to three important new end-of-summer releases for free!

I may have sensed, on some level, the dissonance between such prejudice and Jesus’ own teachings. But if I did, I suppressed it. That sense of superiority, of being on the right team, of having Jesus’ favor: they felt too good to give up. One of the easiest targets on my denominational dartboard was liturgy.

The first song of Joe Henry’s album Invisible Hour — my favorite record of 2014 — is the subject of the second installment in my new series called "Listening Closer." Plus: Two new albums well worth your time and attention.

I've been hearing voices. They've been haunting my earphones, roaring through car stereo speakers, rumbling in the hardwood floor of my living, rattling the windows of my house. Thom Yorke. David Bowie. Zach Williams. Ashley Cleveland. And more. What are you listening to in 2013? I'd love to hear your recommendations.