God Quit

Don't worry, friends. This isn't a leap into apostasy. God Quit is the new album from my friend, former band mate, and best man, Jed Brewer. (Available now at his website, http://www.jedbrewer.com/godquit, as a free download.) Having lived with him for several years and heard him playing the guitar at all hours of the night, there's very little musically that he could do to surprise me, but he's done it. This album is some of the best music I've ever heard from him or anyone else.

In this collection of nine songs, Jed explores the depths of God's love that we usually have difficulty wrapping our minds and hearts around: God not only loves those who are abandoned and hurting, but identified Himself with them. He does not fit into our American Sunday School perception of a God who loves us by giving us more than our neighbors and doing what we ask. In "Blessed Are Those Who Have Nothing To Show For Themselves," Jed reminds us that "God... will be known for who He is," regardless of whether we get it or not, and our misunderstanding of Him does not equate to unfaithfulness on His part.

Musically, this is a smart, accessible album with some wonderfully nuanced performances. Jed has grown significantly in many areas, with vocals, keyboards, and guitars woven together to create a melodic tapestry. Every song fits in both form and function to make this his most cohesive work to date, yet the listener does not get beat up with the same sound on every song.

My favorite tracks at the moment are "The Easy Part Is Hard," "God Quit," and "You Never Spared Yourself," but do yourself a favor and download the whole thing.