Matt Maher

This 12-song CD by Matt Maher features Catholic devotional songs in a guitar-driven rock and pop style.

It exceeds every expectation
Matt Maher's album exceeds every expectation. As one industry insider put it, it "crackles with energy." A musical testament to God's overflowing blessings, these 14 songs speak powerfully of what it means to be Christian in the third millennium.

Cool, playful, driving sound
The title track is a cool, easy-paced piece inviting God -- in his word and sacramental presence -- to overflow in us. Bursting with joy, "Resurrection Day" jumps and hops. Its playful, driving sound and unforgettable refrain draw you in to savor the freedom Christ won for us.

A breathless, thrilling ride
Matt really cuts loose on "Everything You've Done." A celebration of God's gifts, it starts out innocently enough. But suddenly he doubles its two-beat rock tempo and you're whisked away on a breathless, thrilling ride that ends with a flurry of guitars and musical fireworks. You can't help but "dance for the Lord."

Lush, alternative-rock arrangements
"Timeless" is a brilliant adaptation of Suzanne Toolan's "Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever." Matt weaves the refrain from that haunting, Taizé-style song into his own lush, alternative-rock arrangement.

Intense, full-blooded covers
Two of the biggest surprises are "Come to the Water" and "Adoration." You just wouldn't expect to find "Tantum Ergo," a traditional eucharistic hymn, and a 1978 John Foley song here. But Matt pulls it off -- and then some. His intense, electric, full-blooded versions take these classics to a new level -- without squandering any of the original reverence.

Pop masterpieces
"Hear and Now" is a pop masterpiece assuring us that God's kingdom is here "in our midst," not some pie in the sky. Opening with a wispy, acoustic guitar, "Unwavering" eases you in to rest in God's "unwavering hand."

With Overflow, Matt's visionary songwriting once again leads listeners closer to the heart of God.

Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. —Oscar Wilde

Sometimes in order to move forward, you have to look back and remember where you've been. It was in that spirit that Matt Maher's latest Grammy-nominated album, Saints and Sinners, came to being.

Music inspired by the lives of leaders
Drawing from writings and quotes from people who have experienced the tension between certainty and mystery and believers who wrestled with matters of faith, the five-time Grammy nominee has brought us another remarkable collection. Featuring Matt's exquisite songwriting and musical talents, this album is a beautiful testimony of those who have challenged the status quo and left marked legacies:

• The driving first track, "A Future Not My Own," is based on a prayer inspired by Blessed Oscar Romero. Its compelling lyrics will penetrate your soul.
• An ode to Martin Luther King, Jr., "Sons and Daughters," is a timely piece that speaks of racial reconciliation, of coming together to help one another.
• "Everything Is Grace," a powerful song based on a quote by Saint Therese of Lisieux, reminds us that everything—the good, the bad, the beautiful, the difficult—is a gift from God.
• The popular "Because He Lives (Amen)," based on the timeless Bill Gaither hymn, is a song of thanks and acknowledgement that we live because of Christ's death and resurrection. It is, in a word, moving.

United in our humanity
Throughout the experience of writing these songs, Matt has found that while we all come from different backgrounds, amass a range of experiences and even harbor conflicting opinions, the one thing that binds us together is our humanity. We are all in the process of being transformed, saints and sinners.

Track listing
A Future Not My Own | Deliverer | Glory Bound | Land of My Father | Everything Is Grace | Sons and Daughters | Firelight | Instrument | Abide with Me | Because He Lives (Amen) | Rest

Are you ready for this? For 94 minutes of electrifying music packed onto two CDs? For songs that set hearts on fire and challenge you to really live the good news of the Gospel? Get ready to Live It!

This compilation draws together 23 tracks from the biggest names in contemporary Catholic music, including Steve Angrisano, Tom Booth, Sarah Hart, Matt Maher, Jesse Manibusan, Ken Canedo and many others. It also introduces fresh music from 12 talented new artists who capture today's spirit and song.

More than any other album on the market, Live It! captures the wide range of musical styles rooted in Catholic spirituality -- which you can experience continuously online via spiritandsong.com. Featuring sweet ballads, edgy rock, folky pop and everything in between, Live It! doesn't compromise substance for style. These songwriters have drawn from Scripture, and the poetry in their own souls, to express the longing, devotion, struggle and joy we all go through on this wild journey called "faith." Highlights include the Daughters of God in a great cover of Carey Landry's "Hail Mary: Gentle Woman" and Val Limar Jansen in a gospel-style rendition of Jaime Cortez's classic "Rain Down."

Don't just stand there. Hear it! Sing it! Live It!

"For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

Become expressions of the Gospel
Reflecting on the past ten years, Matt Maher sees his music—and the Church—as a collage: different expressions from different areas of life, held together by the Gospel. Featuring four newly released songs and live versions of nine favorites, All the People Said Amen strives to remind us that, as God's handiwork, we're all part of a larger work of art.

Hear a surprise ending to "Your Grace Is Enough"
Climbing Christian radio charts, "Lord, I Need You" speaks of our reliance upon God's providence. This CD also features three songs in the new Spirit & Song hymnal (fall 2013): the smash hit "Your Grace Is Enough," which closes with the refrain from "Here I Am, Lord," by Dan Schutte; "Adoration," a modern interpretation of the Eucharistic hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas; and "Christ Is Risen," a popular Easter anthem written with Matt Redman.

Inspire communal worship and personal devotion
From The End and the Beginning to Overflow and Alive Again, Matt Maher has created an incredible library of music for communal worship and personal devotion. Whether you're looking to share in the unifying experience of one of his events or for songs to inspire your parish, All the People Said Amen demonstrates Matt's gift for leading people in praise of God.

Tracks: All the People Said Amen | Alive Again (Live) | Burning In My Soul | Lord, I Need You | Great Things (Live) | On My Way (Live) | Hold Us Together (Live) | Your Grace Is Enough/Here I Am, Lord (Live) | Adoration (Live) | Christ Is Risen (Live) | Turn Around (Live) | Mighty Fortress | It Is Good (Live)

Matt's sophomore effort doesn't disappoint. It takes his music to another level, mixing gutsy, guitar-driven rock, sophisticated pop and brilliant love songs to God.

From the opening Lennon-McCartney-esque title track, with its humorous, self-conscious lyrics and deceptively simple four-beat structure, to the ingenious and edgy "Void," the album displays an impressive range of styles.

Exploring the Scriptures and the ups-and-downs of his own spiritual journey, Matt praises his Redeemer with a poetry that's not forced or syrupy. "Set Me As a Seal" stands out. This drop-dead gorgeous duet blends Matt's distinctive, gritty voice with Jenny Pixler's silky one in a testament to the "unquenchable" flame of God's love. Well produced and unabashedly Catholic in its devotion, Welcome to Life is a delicious, soul-satisfying listening experience.

It exceeds every expectation
Matt Maher's album exceeds every expectation. As one industry insider put it, it "crackles with energy." A musical testament to God's overflowing blessings, these 14 songs speak powerfully of what it means to be Christian in the third millennium.

Cool, playful, driving sound
The title track is a cool, easy-paced piece inviting God -- in his word and sacramental presence -- to overflow in us. Bursting with joy, "Resurrection Day" jumps and hops. Its playful, driving sound and unforgettable refrain draw you in to savor the freedom Christ won for us.

A breathless, thrilling ride
Matt really cuts loose on "Everything You've Done." A celebration of God's gifts, it starts out innocently enough. But suddenly he doubles its two-beat rock tempo and you're whisked away on a breathless, thrilling ride that ends with a flurry of guitars and musical fireworks. You can't help but "dance for the Lord."

Lush, alternative-rock arrangements
"Timeless" is a brilliant adaptation of Suzanne Toolan's "Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever." Matt weaves the refrain from that haunting, Taizé-style song into his own lush, alternative-rock arrangement.

Intense, full-blooded covers
Two of the biggest surprises are "Come to the Water" and "Adoration." You just wouldn't expect to find "Tantum Ergo," a traditional eucharistic hymn, and a 1978 John Foley song here. But Matt pulls it off -- and then some. His intense, electric, full-blooded versions take these classics to a new level -- without squandering any of the original reverence.

Pop masterpieces
"Hear and Now" is a pop masterpiece assuring us that God's kingdom is here "in our midst," not some pie in the sky. Opening with a wispy, acoustic guitar, "Unwavering" eases you in to rest in God's "unwavering hand."

With Overflow, Matt's visionary songwriting once again leads listeners closer to the heart of God.

A breakout recording for Matt Maher
Empty and Beautiful isn't just the best album so far from the biggest name in contemporary Catholic music. It's also a breakout recording for Matt Maher. Sporting a luscious pop-rock sound -- and a cross-centered Gospel message -- these 12 songs will go far beyond his usual circle of fans.

Balances edgy and delicate, corporate and introspective
The album balances edgy and delicate, corporate and introspective. It's an appropriate context considering the paradoxes Matt presents here. Besides the beauty of "emptiness," he invites us to see and embrace the hidden gifts in life's challenges: "this thorn in my side is a grace," he sings in the title track.

Mesmerizing title track features lushly orchestrated strings
That mesmerizing song opens with a sobering confession: "In this prison there's a fight between who I am and who I used to be." Backed by solo piano and lushly orchestrated strings, Matt sings of the solution: let Jesus "fight the fight in me," and die to self: "A libation, I'm pouring out, empty and beautiful."

A rock ballad of epic proportions
At six minutes long, "Unwavering" is a rock ballad of epic proportions. Based on the Beatitudes, it opens by affirming God's unwavering voice, hand, heart, will and plan. Eventually its gentle tone and leisurely pace give way to a muscular, electric wall of sound. The song closes with this prayer: "send us out to be your hands and feet."

Builds to an amazing intensity then ends with a hush
Echoing the album's central theme, "Lay It Down" speaks of the total -- not partial -- surrender Christ calls us to. Over the opening acoustic guitar, Matt sings, "Everything I am, everything I long to be, I lay it down at your feet." The song builds to an amazing intensity then ends with a hush.

Hard-driving songs in praise of God's "absurdly" generous love
"Like a Fool" is a kinetic song of praise for God's "absurdly" generous, unconditional love. Humorous and homey, it gives us permission -- and encouragement -- to be "fools" for Christ. "Shine Like the Son" is a hard-driving track about reflecting Christ to the world and spreading -- not hoarding -- the grace he's given.

Opens with an ultra-polished new version of "Your Grace Is Enough"
The opening track is a slick, ultra-polished new version of "Your Grace Is Enough," Matt's smash hit from Welcome to Life. This pop gem gained a life of its own when Chris Tomlin covered it on his 2004 album Arriving.

"Our emptiness," Matt says, "is a window to joy"
"The realization of our own emptiness without God," Matt explains, "is both a moment of sadness and a window to joy à. To lay down one's life for the Gospel in service of God and neighbor is a reflection of the beauty of God. That is our charge as Christians, and that is where these songs came from."

A forceful sound perfected through three previous albums
Snug within this album's forceful sound -- perfected through three previous albums and years of touring -- is a Christian message deserving an imprimatur. Matt's theology -- as always -- is rock solid. Empty of all pretense, his fourth release is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

It exceeds every expectation
Matt Maher's album exceeds every expectation. As one industry insider put it, it "crackles with energy." A musical testament to God's overflowing blessings, these 14 songs speak powerfully of what it means to be Christian in the third millennium.

Cool, playful, driving sound
The title track is a cool, easy-paced piece inviting God -- in his word and sacramental presence -- to overflow in us. Bursting with joy, "Resurrection Day" jumps and hops. Its playful, driving sound and unforgettable refrain draw you in to savor the freedom Christ won for us.

A breathless, thrilling ride
Matt really cuts loose on "Everything You've Done." A celebration of God's gifts, it starts out innocently enough. But suddenly he doubles its two-beat rock tempo and you're whisked away on a breathless, thrilling ride that ends with a flurry of guitars and musical fireworks. You can't help but "dance for the Lord."

Lush, alternative-rock arrangements
"Timeless" is a brilliant adaptation of Suzanne Toolan's "Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever." Matt weaves the refrain from that haunting, Taizé-style song into his own lush, alternative-rock arrangement.

Intense, full-blooded covers
Two of the biggest surprises are "Come to the Water" and "Adoration." You just wouldn't expect to find "Tantum Ergo," a traditional eucharistic hymn, and a 1978 John Foley song here. But Matt pulls it off -- and then some. His intense, electric, full-blooded versions take these classics to a new level -- without squandering any of the original reverence.

Pop masterpieces
"Hear and Now" is a pop masterpiece assuring us that God's kingdom is here "in our midst," not some pie in the sky. Opening with a wispy, acoustic guitar, "Unwavering" eases you in to rest in God's "unwavering hand."

With Overflow, Matt's visionary songwriting once again leads listeners closer to the heart of God.

A breakout recording for Matt Maher
Empty and Beautiful isn't just the best album so far from the biggest name in contemporary Catholic music. It's also a breakout recording for Matt Maher. Sporting a luscious pop-rock sound -- and a cross-centered Gospel message -- these 12 songs will go far beyond his usual circle of fans.

Balances edgy and delicate, corporate and introspective
The album balances edgy and delicate, corporate and introspective. It's an appropriate context considering the paradoxes Matt presents here. Besides the beauty of "emptiness," he invites us to see and embrace the hidden gifts in life's challenges: "this thorn in my side is a grace," he sings in the title track.

Mesmerizing title track features lushly orchestrated strings
That mesmerizing song opens with a sobering confession: "In this prison there's a fight between who I am and who I used to be." Backed by solo piano and lushly orchestrated strings, Matt sings of the solution: let Jesus "fight the fight in me," and die to self: "A libation, I'm pouring out, empty and beautiful."

A rock ballad of epic proportions
At six minutes long, "Unwavering" is a rock ballad of epic proportions. Based on the Beatitudes, it opens by affirming God's unwavering voice, hand, heart, will and plan. Eventually its gentle tone and leisurely pace give way to a muscular, electric wall of sound. The song closes with this prayer: "send us out to be your hands and feet."

Builds to an amazing intensity then ends with a hush
Echoing the album's central theme, "Lay It Down" speaks of the total -- not partial -- surrender Christ calls us to. Over the opening acoustic guitar, Matt sings, "Everything I am, everything I long to be, I lay it down at your feet." The song builds to an amazing intensity then ends with a hush.

Hard-driving songs in praise of God's "absurdly" generous love
"Like a Fool" is a kinetic song of praise for God's "absurdly" generous, unconditional love. Humorous and homey, it gives us permission -- and encouragement -- to be "fools" for Christ. "Shine Like the Son" is a hard-driving track about reflecting Christ to the world and spreading -- not hoarding -- the grace he's given.

Opens with an ultra-polished new version of "Your Grace Is Enough"
The opening track is a slick, ultra-polished new version of "Your Grace Is Enough," Matt's smash hit from Welcome to Life. This pop gem gained a life of its own when Chris Tomlin covered it on his 2004 album Arriving.

"Our emptiness," Matt says, "is a window to joy"
"The realization of our own emptiness without God," Matt explains, "is both a moment of sadness and a window to joy à. To lay down one's life for the Gospel in service of God and neighbor is a reflection of the beauty of God. That is our charge as Christians, and that is where these songs came from."

A forceful sound perfected through three previous albums
Snug within this album's forceful sound -- perfected through three previous albums and years of touring -- is a Christian message deserving an imprimatur. Matt's theology -- as always -- is rock solid. Empty of all pretense, his fourth release is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.