Artist of the Week: Sanctus Real

Well, what can I say? When Sanctus Real started making a splash on the national scene with the hit single "Everything About You" from their second major release, "Fight The Tide," it seemed that they would have a relatively small impact as moderately successful Christian rock band. Of course, that was before having five successful single releases from that album. Sanctus Real was now well on it's way.

Ultimately, 2 songs would catapult Sanctus Real new levels: "Whatever Your Doing" took the group from the middle of the pack to the forefront, especially given the timing of the song (the recession having started toward it's worst point), and “Lead Me,” which gave them a permanent place among the most important Christian songs of all time, even if the group were never to release another song

Those two songs lead me (no pun intended) to the two topics that Sanctus Real seems to speak to best: the Christian growth process, and relationships (of all kinds.)

In terms of our growth process, SR speaks well to different parts of the matter, from the breaking of pride (“I'm Not Alright”) to re-asserting ones dedication after wandering away (“Closer.”) Whenever Matt Hammitt sings one of these ballads, you immediately sense two things: 1) he's been there, and knows what he's talking about, and 2) the emotion that he communicates is genuine. I don't think SR's music would be nearly as impacting if anyone else were singing it, but Matt does a great job of showing that he feels and has felt the same feelings that you and I do.

Now, you may be surprised that I said that Sanctus Real speaks to relationships well, but think about it: “The Fight Song,” “Don't Give Up,” “We Need Each Other,” and “Lead Me” all speak (very well) to issues in relationships. Honestly, the first time I heard “Don't Give Up,” I thought to myself, “Wow, he took the words right out of my mouth.” A lot of other people must have thought the same thing, and I'm sure that most of them were glad that someone actually said something. In a similar fashion, “Lead Me” spoke to something that many people were already feeling as well, the difference being that most of the people who heard it didn't know they needed to. All that, and Hammitt had the courage to share that he wrote it from his own marriage struggles. Wow.

For all these reasons, and more (including their continued emphasis on love, which the Bible calls the greatest of “these things”), Sanctus Real has become, and always will be, one of my absolute favorites.

Favorite Album: “Fight The Tide”

Favorite Songs: “Don't Give Up”                 (from "The Face Of Love)
                        “Where Will They Go"       (from "Fight The Tide")
                        “We Need Each Other”     (title track)
                        “The Show"                      (from "Fight The Tide)
                        "Whatever You're Doing"   (from "We Need Each Other")

You can three of these songs on the right.

You can listen to "Where Will They Go" using the YouTube below:

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more weekly artist spotlights on Christian Music Discovery, the place for good Christian Music.