Though I may not like most Christian rock, as with nearly everything, there are exceptions. Here are a few notable songs fellow skeptics of the Christian rock genre might enjoy:

“Turn Around,” by Matt Maher. Maher, a Catholic, is both popular and critically acclaimed. This song, and his music in general, is often textured and complicated. It adeptly combines the sort of stories you’d hear in an old country song with the rhythm of a good road trip song.

“The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie,” by mewithoutyou. This song is entirely alt-rock, reminiscent of Bright Eyes, and while it comes from a Christian band, it is actually a retelling of a Sufi folk tale. It’s twangy and edgy in all the right places, with a solid but not in-your-face lesson.

“That’s All the Lumber,” by Ceili Rain. It’s hard not to like a song that refers to St. Peter as Pete. Besides, the Celtic sounds are so cheerful and rich, you won’t mind the somewhat ominous depiction of heaven.

“Revelation,” by Third Day. This song from the Grammy Award-winning band has an anthemic quality and a sound that builds as it goes along. The lyrics are a direct invocation to God for help and direction, though they never say the word.

This article appears in September 26 2011.

Kerry Weber joined the staff of America in October 2009. Her writing and multimedia work have since earned several awards from the Catholic Press Association, and in 2013 she reported from Rwanda as a recipient of Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship. Kerry is the author of Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job (Loyola Press) and Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students (Twenty-Third Publications). A graduate of Providence College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she has previously worked as an editor for Catholic Digest, a local reporter, a diocesan television producer, and as a special-education teacher on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.