In short: Refreshing, challenging, insightful.

You really get a sense that you're opening a window into David Phelps life, both personal and spiritual, when you listen to this album. It's as honest and insightful in lyric as it is crisp and refreshing musically... just all around a good package.

Phelps sang for 8 years with the Gaither Vocal Band, one of Gospel music's long-time staples. Knowing the quality of singers that have been in that group in the past, not to mention the quality of voice that is required to even be in the group ought to give you some idea of the talent David Phelps possesses. A Gaither album, however, this is not.

This is actually David Phelps' fifth solo album. I can't say a thing about any of the others, I haven't heard them. If the covers are any indication, he's certainly undergone a transformation over the years, though. Earlier covers portray him as a true Gaither singer. Nice, church boy look. Kind of makes you wonder if the music was the same. But like I say, I really don't know. Back to what I do know.

The lyrical content and music style here is reminiscent of Avalon or Jonathan Pierce. (Yeah, I know Pierce was in Gaither too.) The predominant themes are uplifting and positive. No big surprises there. To be honest, the thing that really set this album apart for me and sparked my interest was the title... "Life is a Church." By and large, that song has shown up more on my iPod lately than anything else I have, and for good reason. It's a song crafted out of a kind of a series of vignettes from (I suppose) Phelps' life that spark worship-- the birth of a child, looking out over the ocean, the tender kiss of a first love-- but also painful experiences such as death and heartbreak (and the birth of a child) that must turn us back to God. It's such a fresh song, I don't mind letting it get stuck in my head a little bit.

The elements of that song sort of set the stage for the rest of the album. (Rightly so, I suppose, since it's the title track.) There are a few worship songs that Phelps masterfully crafts his tenor around. Intospectively, Phelps thinks about growth as a Christian (his father, perhaps?) in "Something's Gotta Change." "That's What Love Is" paints pictures that challenge us to true love, as does the celebration of a legacy of doing those things spoken of in the gentle ballad, "Legacy of Love." The quirky, "Long Time Coming" (which sounds a bit like a Riley Armstrong song, if you've ever heard of him) talks about the stubbornness of a Christian who is rediscovering God.

It's great balance, it really is. Not for die-hard rock and rollers, by any stretch, but if you want an album that will challenge you to new insights, this is an album you'll want to consider. It's kind of exactly where I'm at, I suppose, which caused it to appeal to me. It'll be easy to get caught up in Phelps' amazing voice, but once the chills go away, make sure you're still listening to the lyrics. They'll give you something to think about.

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