When I get a disk for review there’s one litmus test that I use before I’ll even consider writing: will I listen to the album after the review has been published.

In the case of Humility is Beautiful, the answer is an emphatic yes. So now comes the written justification for my decision.

VanOrsdel has put together fifteen songs that weave classic rock and roll influences in with thoroughly reverent praise lyrics, resulting in a tremendous body of praiseful Christian music. This isn’t the kind of sappy Bill Gaither stuff, fairly weeping with treacle, that your grandmother enjoys, but a straightforward effort that effortlessly moves from slow and respectful to fast and powerful.

From "Passed Away," the album’s opening cut, Humility is Beautiful proves to the listener that this album is no amateurish recording made out of sincere but misplaced effort, but an excellent production in both musical and lyrical content.

"Beautiful Burn," the fourth song, stands out in style and delivery, with clear Jethro Tull influences; while the seventh, "Sea," is reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen at that mercurial group’s best. Song number ten, "Tired," slows things down considerably, but the pace and softness of the song call out VanOrsdel’s talent as a songwriter.

Now, I write this review fully cognizant of the fact that calling any kind of music “Christian” is enough to put most folks off the scent pretty quick, but dismissing Humility is Beautiful without an honest hearing would be an injustice. As popular Christian groups like Third Day have proven, wearing the Christian label doesn’t mean shelving artistic integrity. With Humility is Beautiful, VanOrsdel adds another piece of convincing evidence of that fact.