I will admit it. I wasn’t exactly taken by his music the first time I heard it, but after listening to his album Love and War and the Sea in Between, I knew there was something special about Josh Garrrels’ music. It’s rare to find an artist who delivers authentic music and lyrics void of overused rhythms and rhymes. To me, his songs are just that–alive, meaningful, biblical, and powerful.

One of my favorite songs of Josh Garrels’ is “Pilot Me,” perhaps because it is one of the first of his songs that I heard, and also because I love its lyrics and simple melody. Another favorite song is Garrels’ remix of the old hymn “All Creatures“ with a new melody and added verses on the themes of creation and redemption–a common river running through Josh Garrels’ songs.

Josh Garrels’ music is not easily confined to a genre. His creative, unique, and unpredictable style can roughly be described as a mixture of folk, electronic, and a rambling form of rap that resembles spoken word. His music is down-to-earth and inspirational, portraying the sorrows, struggles, joys, and triumphs of life in a beautiful and masterful way.