Need

Marriage, fatherhood, and a new home caused Todd Agnew to let down his guard for the making of his fifth album. Known for being passionately direct, Agnew seems to have found his sweet spot on this record by slightly toning down the delivery without losing the meaning of the message. The singer went through a series of life-changing events following 2007's Better Questions -- which entered Billboard's Christian retail chart at number one -- returning to his home state of Texas and becoming a homeowner, stepfather, and husband. The aptly titled Need is a gritty tour of Americana that weaves itself through the singer/songwriter's various influences. The album ranges from the toe-tapping Southern gospel of "Higher Ground" to the Bebo Norman-esque folk-pop of "Did You Mean Me?" and "Give Me Jesus." The singer's vocals dominate most of the tracks, including the singalong "Tell Me the Story," where his measured growl resembles a cross between Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Third Day's Mac Powell. But it is on the stunning track "The Love of God" where Agnew is the most vulnerable, with an almost transcendent chorus that focuses on the heart of his message. There is certainly a need for Agnew's brand of gospel out there, and the tweaks he made to his sound for this album are all to his credit. ~ Jared Johnson, Rovi